Today, I started to make the violin and the first thing I learned off the bat was what the meaning of the lines on the wood were. Those lines represented the age of the wood so the lines could tell how long summer and winter was. Also, I learned that the outer wood was not for decoration but for helping the wood not crack. Also, older instruments sound better than modern instruments because the wood doesn’t have that much water which makes the sound better. We started off by peeling the wood off the back of the violin and made it all the same width using a tool. Then, we used full replica sets of Amati f holes and carved off the wood to replicate it. I was able to see a book full of full scale replicas of famous violins that instrument makers use as references. There was also a stack of wood with dates of when the wood was cut to use later when making different instruments. After that, I picked a color and painted it over the front of the violin and let it dry. After it dried, we made bridge holes for the bridge to go into and drew a line over where the bridge is supposed to stand. Then we used another measuring tool to measure how long the bridge was and where it had to be placed to be equidistant from the f holes. Then I learned how to glue the fingerboard into the violin using a special paste. After that, I used different rocks to scratch the violin a little bit in different places to give it a feel of an older violin. After that, I wanted to paint the violin darker so we mixed different pastes and colors to make a darker paste and I used that to paint the violin. Finally I specifically painted the holes made from the scratches with different colors to make it more authentic. 

October 11, 2025 – Bach Updates

This week, I finished recording Bach Cello Suite No. 3 Prelude after working on it for the past few months. After finishing, the recording I have decided to start working on Bach Cello Suite No. 4 Sarabande. I will keep posting to update on how my journey on this beautiful new piece by Bach goes.

October 12, 2025 – Tous les Matins du Monde

Today, I watched the movie called Tous les Matins du Monde. It was recommended to me by my history teacher at school. The movie centers around the musician Marin Marais looking back on his relationship with his teacher Monsieur de Sainte-Colombe and it is set in the 17th century. Saint-Colombe was a master of the viol and even though most of the movie is fictional, I was really touched by the beautiful and haunting music that preceded Bach. The movie really changed my perspective on classical music.

November 14, 2025 – Bach Updates

This week, I started Bach Cello Suite No. 4 Allemande. I am still working on the Sarabande but I’m excited to keep learning more about the Allemande. I’ve been listening to a lot of different recordings of it and getting a good feel for the piece. I will keep posting to update on how my journey with this beautiful piece goes.

December 6, 2025 – CMS Field Trip

Yesterday, I had a field trip with chamber music students at my school to Alice Tully Hall to watch the morning rehearsal of the Chamber Music Society’s Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Some of the world’s best performers took that stage to rehearse in front of many students across the city, and everyone was able to see how they approach rehearsal and the discourse that took place in perfecting a piece with many artists. Everyone played extremely well and I was able to learn about the sonnets that represented each piece in its core, which also shaped the performers interpretations. Their rehearsal made me rethink my own chamber music experience and how to engage in discourse over a piece with multiple artists. As they all finished their rehearsal, we had a special treat awaiting us. Paolo Bordignon, the harpsichordist, announced that he would be playing a lost Bach Organ piece that had just been rediscovered a few weeks ago in Germany. Alice Tully Hall has an organ that is rarely used, maybe once every few years, but he would be playing the “lost” piece to us. What was special about this performance was that it had never been played in New York yet so we were the first audience in the city to ever listen to this piece. He played beautifully and I was just struck about how well Bach composes in any piece he makes. The melodies, counterpoint, and bass all acted as a team to create gorgeous music. All in all, the field trip was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and has taught me so much. There are two photos below of the experience.