A Fall In Review

It is simply amazing how time flies when you're having fun. Make no mistake about it, this is challenging work and requires serious focus and discipline but it is fun. It seems like only a couple weeks ago we had an all new class full of aspiring luthiers coming from all over the country for as many different reasons as you can think of. Here we are just a week away from the holiday break!

I'm sure everyone is looking forward to the vacation to spend time with friends and family, catch up on some needed rest and perhaps put in some time working before we kick things off in January.

Everyone here is very excited to begin building their first instrument. Again the class will be divided into 2 sections with the classes running 7 weeks. What we call our "Section 1" classes will begin to build their first flat top acoustic guitar. They will have class 4 days a week and do nothing but work on their instrument. The other half of the class will be in "Section 2" and their classes will be Electric Guitar construction for 2 days, Finish Work for 2 days and then Guitar Repairs where we simulate a working guitar shop and students work on anything that needs fixing. After 7 weeks the students switch sections (rooms) and we do it all over again for 7 weeks.

Before we know it....this -10 degree weather will be gone, green grass will be back, students will be back in one group for the final 2 weeks of the semester when their finishing skills are put to the test on a real instrument. Then...they'll be stringing it up & playing their handmade acoustic or electric guitar filled with pride. Those of course that come to class every day, focus, don't talk excessively and do what is expected of them.

The others will scratch their head and not understand why their instrument isn't done. That however brings me full circle to some advice I give out the first week of school, and just about every week after which is...Come to class every day, on time, focus at your bench and do what's expected of you not just by your instructors, but by the professionals in the field making their living doing what they love and most importantly the people who hire our graduates. If you don't focus, work hard and always try to do your best this line of work will get the better of you.

I talk about that the very first week of school in late August, which of course, will be here before I know it.

So! We all hope the holidays find you and yours happy, healthy and looking forward to an amazing 2010.