The atelier that forms the HQ of Parisbased collective CLAC contains a ‘gallery’ of members’ instruments
Luthiers who work alone have many different ways of connecting with colleagues, from joining Facebook groups and participating in online forums to attending conferences and exhibitions and being active in professional associations. But being a solo maker can be isolating, and some of the business practicalities of working alone, of finding and renting a suitable workshop space, growing a client base, marketing, establishing contacts with dealers, and travelling to international fairs, can be timeconsuming and expensive. Some makers have decided that forming collectives offers both social and commercial advantages. They’ve found that a small group of like-minded individuals can provide camaraderie and support, an environment for sharing knowledge and expertise, the drive to organise events, and the ability to pool resources, such as splitting the rent on a showroom, or sharing a workspace. A strong sense of community was a priority for violin maker Melissa Collins, one of the founders of the Salt Lake City (SLC) Violin Collective, a group of seven violin and bow makers who all graduated (though not in the same year) from the city’s Violin Making School of America. The collective puts on instrument exhibitions at local art galleries, featuring demonstrations by professional musicians, and organises regular public forums to discuss technical aspects of making. ‘The camaraderie is one of the best things about the collective,’ says Collins. ‘Making violins can often be quite isolating, so coming together for events and forums, connecting with the local string playing community, is very fulfilling on both a professional and social level. We also go up to the mountains, usually once a year, to find trees for tonewood.’
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