I'll be a the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Framingham, Mass. this Friday and Saturday and Sunday. 

Update:  I'll have my own table at the festival along with Adam from Vt. Instruments.  I also hope to hang out with the good folks from The Music Emporium.  I'll have five instruments with me to show:  a violin, F-model mandolin, Dué mandolin, a new A4 mandolin, and a Dué style piccolo mandolin.  Come on by and check 'em out!

      At around this time next year (2010) I'll be teaching a course at Vermont Instruments in Post Mills, VT.  We'll focus on building A-model mandolins in the Campanella Style, with overhanging edges and purfling, and finishing with french polish and oil varnish.  I'm very excited about this course, as it's the first opportunity I've had to share the mandolin design and traditional techniques used to execute it.  In order to facilitate this sharing while still protecting my intellectual property, the designs presented will be shared with participants under a Creative Commons license. 

     I'm also excited to work with George and Adam in their beautiful new shop, and spend some time in the local area (a bit chilly this time of year for swimming I guess).  I toured the facilities this summer.  Check it out!

I'm finally getting around to putting up some photos from this winter. Special thanks to Matt Thorsen from Seven Days newspaper, and Adam Frehm of Photography Vermont for the use of their work. Music lovers will want to check out Adam's photos of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival.

 Piccolo Mandolin Concept Drawing

Butternut from Johnson , VT

 Jamming at the reception.