I was most fortunate to be able to apprentice with Ken Meyer and his wife Di Cao after graduating from VMSA. The most valuable learning experiences I had at their shop centred around studying first-hand the finest-calibre instruments, setup and tonal adjustment (and fittings which can affect the final outcome of an instrument's tone), ground and varnish, and scroll carving. Ken is in much demand for his expertise in setup and tonal adjustment, and his ground and varnish have a unique beauty. He has been a judge for Violin Society of America contests, and has taught at the Oberlin summer violin making program. Di builds beautiful cellos, whose scrolls are especially exquisite. She was (and I believe still is) the only person, while still a student, to place in the top two positions in the Ente Trienale degli Strumenti ad Arco violin making competition in Cremona.
Upon returning to Toronto, I spent much time building on what I learned about grounds and varnishes from both Ken and J.P. Lucas (one of his violas was selected and purchased by the San Francisco music conservatory in a competition). My parents, especially my mother, provided much assistance by developing a varnish formula, using historical materials, and their expertise as Ph.D.'s in chemistry.
Another endeavour has been to apply the other things I learned while apprenticing for Ken and Di. My violins have benefitted from plaster casts of some great instruments. Ken often told me that three very important factors set the stage for the tone of an instrument - the outline, the arching, and the ground. Once these are set, tonal adjustments and improvements can be made, but are constrained by these three things. Unlike most luthiers, I make my own fittings. Ken had some beautiful Hill originals to copy, and taught me important ideas pertaining to fittings that would either prolong their functionality or enhance the sound of the instrument itself. I use either European boxwood, or African blackwood.
