From the Strad to Claude
We are now under a load from Salt Lake City to Dallas. Only problem is it was impossible to get it into Dallas before closing time on Friday, so we are having to sit on it over the weekend. The result is that we have had a very leisurely trip from SLC to Dallas, which is where we now are on Sunday night. Really it worked out quite well. Peggy and I are together for 2 weeks and wish to run very hard as a team, so at first we were disappointed about the timing of this load slowing us down. However, it’s not so bad. Here’s what we did…
Even before leaving Salt Lake, I took the opportunity to visit a violin shop which I had heard about 30 years ago. The Violin Making School of America was founded in 1972. Sometime in the mid- to late- ‘70s, in Milwaukee I played string quartets with a cellist, who had studied violin-making briefly at the VMSA. The school is closed for the summer, but I still wanted to visit the ‘Peter Prier & Sons Violin Shop.’ Peter Prier is the founder of the VMSA, but has since turned over all oversight of it to others, so that he can concentrate on violin making. We parked our truck & trailer on the edge of downtown SLC, next to Pioneer Park. Peggy thought she should stay with the truck. I walked a mile through downtown to find the shop. It consists of 3 buildings: the school on the corner, the violin shop next to the school, and a recital hall next to the shop. Everything is neat and orderly, as one would expect of its Austrian proprietor. Of the many violin shops I’ve visited, this is perhaps the top most impressive. I had called ahead a couple times to make sure they were open. When I arrived, I met the son - Martin (I think.) Shame on me, I spent a lot of time with him but didn’t pay attention to his name. He was quite busy juggling a steady flow of customers, which he did with humor and grace. I like him. He’s quite knowledgeable about the violin market and about violins. At 13 he began making violins with his father. He went through the VMSA, and he went through the violin making school in Chicago, AND he worked for six years in the Carl Becker Shop in Chicago. (Carl Becker is about the biggest name in modern American violin makers.) As Martin was setting me up in a room to try violins, he let me know to take my time and try anything in the shop. I tried about 10-12 violins, including a Becker. Another young guy came in after me who was also shopping for a violin, so Martin was trying to take care of both of us in adjoining rooms. The young guy sounded incredible. He played major concertos flawlessly, making me feel a little intimidated, but still I was inspired and went on with my own process uninhibited. I’m not really ready to buy, but the shopping is very fun, and I learn something new with every shop I visit. Martin was a great resource and caused me to think more about getting a new bow as well… He’s smart. He said, “Let me show you my favorite bow in the shop…” It was an 1820 Picat - $70,000. Wow, it really does make a difference. That bow was fun to play with! So I used it the rest of the time I was there. Then a little later Martin said, “Do you want to try the ‘Firebird’ Strad?” “Uhhh, yeah!” He took it out of the vault and told me to have fun with it. I played it for a long time. I did the entire Kreisler “Praeludium & Allegro.” Wow, what a violin. I was in heaven. But of course I’ll never be able to afford a million plus bucks… It was fun though. Before I left, Peter Prier came in and started helping out with the young stud concert violinist, thus freeing up Martin to take care of me and others. Martin took me next door to the recital hall to see his and his father’s workshop. Martin has nearly finished a violin, which is already bought. I want to try violins made by Peter and Martin, but they cannot keep ahead of the demand. As soon as a violin is finished it’s already bought. Peter has 8 orders to fill. So how can I ever get hold of one to try? I’m hoping to get to SLC during the window of time after the violin is completed before it goes out of the shop, if he will let me know the timing.
I walked back to the truck and we were on our way to Texas. We drove through the night on Friday. Saturday we stopped for fuel and an oil change in Amarillo, went 22 miles further towards Dallas, and stopped for the night in Claude, TX, a town of 1300. We took a room in the motel, checking in about 1:00 p.m. After we got settled, we took a walk to explore the town. We didn’t get too far before we found a leather shop across from the town square, which had an “open” sign in the window. Tom Christian came to the door and let us in. He is upwards of 70, a native of Claude, rancher with 7,000 acres, former state representative, former travel agent, all around interesting guy who likes to tell lots of stories. We were there a long time. Peggy bought a few antiques from him. I ran back to the motel to get my violin to play for him. Before we left we asked him about churches in Claude. He said, “Why don’t you come to mine?” (Methodist.) So we agreed. We went back to the motel, went grocery shopping, slept a lot, and watched a movie in the middle of the night - “Richie Rich.” In the morning, we packed up the truck and headed for church, just 5 blocks away. Before leaving the motel there was a little alarm about my violin. Peggy had left it next to the ice machine while I took the last few items over to the truck. When I got back to her near the motel office, I asked where my violin was. She sent me to look in the room again, and then she found where she had left it. AHHH! But through this, an elderly woman asked Peggy about the violin, as I was approaching. So I took it out and played a few tunes for the woman and her family - there were about 10 people there. They loved it and wouldn’t let me stop for awhile. We did get to church on time, met many good people, and I was asked to play in the service. I played “Amazing Grace” and Peggy & I did “Touch of the Master’s Hand.” I also played a couple hymns with their excellent pianist. We very much enjoyed this service. The preacher is a woman - a gifted speaker/communicator and a very caring, loving, sincere lady.
Tom Christian and his wife took us to lunch afterwards, and their son, daughter-in-law and grandson were also there. This is the 14th day of a fast which our church is promoting. Peggy and I are participating, but we decided to make an exception for this occasion. We shared a chicken steak dinner with green beans, tater tots and a side salad, the first substantial food I’ve had in 14 days, except for yogurt, apple and vitamins most nights. Don’t worry, I have plenty of fat reserves to sustain me, and they are being used! The town of Claude has a general look of dishevelment. Most places one looks, there is trash or broken cars or ruts or disrepair, so the town does not look too appealing. Tom’s shop is most disorganized, and the floor is very dirty. But we met sweet people. It was surprising that these prosperous, good people don’t take care of their property better. We contrasted this to the typical German village, where all the shopkeepers and property owners are always cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I should talk. But for Peggy, there go I.
Now we’ve driven the last 300 miles to Dallas, where we’ll deliver this trailer first thing in the morning and will begin our next trip from Lufkin, TX to be in Haines City, FL on Tuesday.
Even before leaving Salt Lake, I took the opportunity to visit a violin shop which I had heard about 30 years ago. The Violin Making School of America was founded in 1972. Sometime in the mid- to late- ‘70s, in Milwaukee I played string quartets with a cellist, who had studied violin-making briefly at the VMSA. The school is closed for the summer, but I still wanted to visit the ‘Peter Prier & Sons Violin Shop.’ Peter Prier is the founder of the VMSA, but has since turned over all oversight of it to others, so that he can concentrate on violin making. We parked our truck & trailer on the edge of downtown SLC, next to Pioneer Park. Peggy thought she should stay with the truck. I walked a mile through downtown to find the shop. It consists of 3 buildings: the school on the corner, the violin shop next to the school, and a recital hall next to the shop. Everything is neat and orderly, as one would expect of its Austrian proprietor. Of the many violin shops I’ve visited, this is perhaps the top most impressive. I had called ahead a couple times to make sure they were open. When I arrived, I met the son - Martin (I think.) Shame on me, I spent a lot of time with him but didn’t pay attention to his name. He was quite busy juggling a steady flow of customers, which he did with humor and grace. I like him. He’s quite knowledgeable about the violin market and about violins. At 13 he began making violins with his father. He went through the VMSA, and he went through the violin making school in Chicago, AND he worked for six years in the Carl Becker Shop in Chicago. (Carl Becker is about the biggest name in modern American violin makers.) As Martin was setting me up in a room to try violins, he let me know to take my time and try anything in the shop. I tried about 10-12 violins, including a Becker. Another young guy came in after me who was also shopping for a violin, so Martin was trying to take care of both of us in adjoining rooms. The young guy sounded incredible. He played major concertos flawlessly, making me feel a little intimidated, but still I was inspired and went on with my own process uninhibited. I’m not really ready to buy, but the shopping is very fun, and I learn something new with every shop I visit. Martin was a great resource and caused me to think more about getting a new bow as well… He’s smart. He said, “Let me show you my favorite bow in the shop…” It was an 1820 Picat - $70,000. Wow, it really does make a difference. That bow was fun to play with! So I used it the rest of the time I was there. Then a little later Martin said, “Do you want to try the ‘Firebird’ Strad?” “Uhhh, yeah!” He took it out of the vault and told me to have fun with it. I played it for a long time. I did the entire Kreisler “Praeludium & Allegro.” Wow, what a violin. I was in heaven. But of course I’ll never be able to afford a million plus bucks… It was fun though. Before I left, Peter Prier came in and started helping out with the young stud concert violinist, thus freeing up Martin to take care of me and others. Martin took me next door to the recital hall to see his and his father’s workshop. Martin has nearly finished a violin, which is already bought. I want to try violins made by Peter and Martin, but they cannot keep ahead of the demand. As soon as a violin is finished it’s already bought. Peter has 8 orders to fill. So how can I ever get hold of one to try? I’m hoping to get to SLC during the window of time after the violin is completed before it goes out of the shop, if he will let me know the timing.
I walked back to the truck and we were on our way to Texas. We drove through the night on Friday. Saturday we stopped for fuel and an oil change in Amarillo, went 22 miles further towards Dallas, and stopped for the night in Claude, TX, a town of 1300. We took a room in the motel, checking in about 1:00 p.m. After we got settled, we took a walk to explore the town. We didn’t get too far before we found a leather shop across from the town square, which had an “open” sign in the window. Tom Christian came to the door and let us in. He is upwards of 70, a native of Claude, rancher with 7,000 acres, former state representative, former travel agent, all around interesting guy who likes to tell lots of stories. We were there a long time. Peggy bought a few antiques from him. I ran back to the motel to get my violin to play for him. Before we left we asked him about churches in Claude. He said, “Why don’t you come to mine?” (Methodist.) So we agreed. We went back to the motel, went grocery shopping, slept a lot, and watched a movie in the middle of the night - “Richie Rich.” In the morning, we packed up the truck and headed for church, just 5 blocks away. Before leaving the motel there was a little alarm about my violin. Peggy had left it next to the ice machine while I took the last few items over to the truck. When I got back to her near the motel office, I asked where my violin was. She sent me to look in the room again, and then she found where she had left it. AHHH! But through this, an elderly woman asked Peggy about the violin, as I was approaching. So I took it out and played a few tunes for the woman and her family - there were about 10 people there. They loved it and wouldn’t let me stop for awhile. We did get to church on time, met many good people, and I was asked to play in the service. I played “Amazing Grace” and Peggy & I did “Touch of the Master’s Hand.” I also played a couple hymns with their excellent pianist. We very much enjoyed this service. The preacher is a woman - a gifted speaker/communicator and a very caring, loving, sincere lady.
Tom Christian and his wife took us to lunch afterwards, and their son, daughter-in-law and grandson were also there. This is the 14th day of a fast which our church is promoting. Peggy and I are participating, but we decided to make an exception for this occasion. We shared a chicken steak dinner with green beans, tater tots and a side salad, the first substantial food I’ve had in 14 days, except for yogurt, apple and vitamins most nights. Don’t worry, I have plenty of fat reserves to sustain me, and they are being used! The town of Claude has a general look of dishevelment. Most places one looks, there is trash or broken cars or ruts or disrepair, so the town does not look too appealing. Tom’s shop is most disorganized, and the floor is very dirty. But we met sweet people. It was surprising that these prosperous, good people don’t take care of their property better. We contrasted this to the typical German village, where all the shopkeepers and property owners are always cleaning, cleaning, cleaning. I should talk. But for Peggy, there go I.
Now we’ve driven the last 300 miles to Dallas, where we’ll deliver this trailer first thing in the morning and will begin our next trip from Lufkin, TX to be in Haines City, FL on Tuesday.
posted by Trucking Fiddler at 1:55 AM
3 Comments:
You always have interesting adventures, Ken. You should write a book.
thanks, John. I wonder which John you are? R U Amishlaw???
I most heartily echo John's sentiments. You SHOULD write a book. You are the best travel writer I know (personally).
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