"Unprofitable Instruments"

"Unprofitable Instruments" Specializing in offering a thoughtful and respectful approach to the craft of medieval instrument ma Medieval instruments are precursors to modern ones.

As I deal with the craft of building medieval instruments, my fundamental attitude is one of respect. Master medieval craftsmen were capable of creating products requiring a sophistication of skill equal to monuments of any age since. From the lofty Gothic cathedral to the intimate illuminated manuscript, they excelled in their craft. My time spent studying the British Museum citole has shown me t

hat such pinnacles of workmanship occurred in musical instruments as well. However, the line of succession may not always be direct, nor is it necessarily progressive. As fashions changed, so did the instruments. Thus elements of the rebec and vielle were adapted into new instruments such as the violin, but that doesn't mean that all rebecs and vielles were violins-waiting-to-be. Rebecs and vielles had unique properties that served their time, and were lost in the violin. One of my goals is to achieve these properties. By so doing, I hope to give modern players another tool to explore approaches to medieval music. While I do not exclusively use tools available to the medieval craftsman, I have found that in many processes my tool of choice is the same as theirs. Thus I may cut out rebecs on a bandsaw, but I hollow them out with a mallet and gouge. Sometimes consideration of their tools influences my choice of construction: for a craftsman without a thickness planer, it is easier to hand shape a gentle arch into a soundboard rather than trying to achieve a perfectly flat one. Since an arch is also structurally superior to a plane, why fuss with flatness? For me, the lure of approaching this lost craft is the excitement of creating a viable solution to a spectacular puzzle of which only a few pieces remain. Searching for and connecting the disparate pieces is a rewarding process, allowing me to combine my roles as musicologist, craftsman, performer, and teacher.

06/01/2026

This past year I did something crazy and even more "unprofitable" than building medieval instruments. I started a Montessori high school on my family's old growth oak forest in the suburbs of St Paul, MN. It has been an incredible experience!

Even though it wasn't profitable in the traditional sense, just like my beloved instrument business, OFA gave back in so many ways. First, I spent a lot more time in our beautiful forest! I watched the forest embrace the teenagers, giving them a place to work with their hands, discover with their minds, and explore their social roles with their peers. And I saw the students shape and improve the forest, removing invasive plants, foraging for healthy ones, and protecting native species. Together, students, teachers, and I, responded to the needs and opportunities of the moment, creating a powerful innovative school.

As the school year wraps up I am looking forward to returning to long hours in the workshop!

If you would be so inclined, you can support my school through a monetary donation, or by simply following us on Facebook.

www.OFAmontessori.com
https://givebutter.com/spring-2026-fundraiser-b2mtuc
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569502293514

Oak Forest Academy is a Montessori High School in Shoreview, MN. We are a community for curious, passionate students who love to think beyond the traditional classroom.

Last fall I happened upon up this neat curve-bladed spoke shave at an antique store. It is nice to try it out shaping a...
05/26/2026

Last fall I happened upon up this neat curve-bladed spoke shave at an antique store. It is nice to try it out shaping a neck.

This vielle is currently heavier at the peg end than the body end—a very disorienting feeling. It is very satisfying to...
04/30/2026

This vielle is currently heavier at the peg end than the body end—a very disorienting feeling. It is very satisfying to have the body so thin already!

Chipping away at Vielle #10.
04/23/2026

Chipping away at Vielle #10.

Vielles 10 and 11. One has been shaped and the other is what it looks like after being cut on the bandsaw.
04/20/2026

Vielles 10 and 11. One has been shaped and the other is what it looks like after being cut on the bandsaw.

Vielles 10 and 11, just cut out. One of these is the first instrument I have started in a long time that isn’t already ...
04/14/2026

Vielles 10 and 11, just cut out. One of these is the first instrument I have started in a long time that isn’t already claimed, just saying…

Nothing like taking one of the last steps on one vielle and one of the first steps on another in quick succession!
04/13/2026

Nothing like taking one of the last steps on one vielle and one of the first steps on another in quick succession!

It’s that time again: Battle Abbey vielle #10, ready to start!
04/10/2026

It’s that time again: Battle Abbey vielle #10, ready to start!

Last year at Kalamazoo I was fascinated by tool marks on unfinished medieval artifacts, including what seemed like unnec...
03/27/2026

Last year at Kalamazoo I was fascinated by tool marks on unfinished medieval artifacts, including what seemed like unnecessary variety within a small space. Today I noticed that my own work bore a variety of tool marks, dependent upon the grain of the wood and the relationship between the workbench, the object, and my body. I feel a little bit wiser.

It has been a busy few weeks, but it is so relaxing to be back in the shop getting this vielle ready for varnish.
03/24/2026

It has been a busy few weeks, but it is so relaxing to be back in the shop getting this vielle ready for varnish.

Address

Saint Paul, MN
55126

Website

http://www.monochordtheory.blogspot.com/

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