This year at Folklife on the narrative stage, I will be part of a presentation on practical acoustics, specifically regarding violins. Joining me will be Rick Davis of Running Dog Guitars, who will offer the guitar perspective on the same subject. The hour long presentation will be tailored to whomever shows up and what they, as a collective audience, are interested in talking about. Hopefully we will also have a practical demonstration or two as accompaniment to our dialog; maybe even a diagram.

Warm weather in Seattle, finally. We had spring in January and winter in April. Rosalie has gone to Berkely to live. Fiorenza (left) is at the Ballard shop of Lasley & Russ waiting for a date for the prom. Two fiddles in production and a fiddle and a viola about to commence.

Finally ready to play, Rosalie will travel to Berkeley next week to spend some time in California. More pictures can be seen in the gallery. Tom Collicott and I spent a few hours in the studio today photographing four violins, this one, Rosalie, a Strad model, Fiorenza, and the two fiddles I play. As you can see, Tom takes some very fine pictures.

Rosalie, the small scale full size fiddle, is finally ready to set up. Here she is shown hanging out waiting for the fingerboard to be glued in place.

The newest violin, Fiorenza, based on the "Cremonese" Strad, is in the finishing department (the most dust free corner in the shop).

Amelia is ready to meet the public. Visit her at Lasely & Russ in the new center of the Universe, Downtown Ballard.

Amelia was strung up and played for the first time by Cecelia Archeleta, long time friend of Violinisto, on Thursday, the 7th. This violin is a variant based on the Cremonese Strad.  . For a brand new violin, the instrument had a full rich and somewhat dark sound. A new soundpost and some minor tweaking, along with a new set of strings, and she'll be ready to go. Photo coming tonight.