I will admit that I did not take advantage of enough of the opportunities presented at
this year's VSA convention. A lot of the best discussions happen during off hours at the bar, and I just don't do that. Add a pool table and I'm there, but I don't drink and when I'm tired I'm not good at socializing. I should have put myself out there more, I should have attended more of the things I didn't think applied to me, and I should have asked more questions. All that said, though, on my long drive back to Milwaukee I came to realize what the impact of this convention has really been.
It has been life changing.
In terms of my work, anyway. I learned where I am in my instrument making, and where I need to go. I am at a new and exciting phase.
(The competition room after judging--there were more than 500 entries this year.)
I did not win a prize, nor did I expect to. I'm still too early in my career as a luthier to have earned that yet. What I went for was to be able to talk to builders and violin experts at the highest levels to give me a critique. It's hard working at my craft essentially in isolation and without regular feedback. I don't have anyone to turn to in my shop at night while my kids sleep in the room above to let me know if I'm going too far with something or not far enough. I wanted input.
And I got it. Both from a fellow builder who did win awards again this year, and from an official judge who was kind enough to look at my instrument outside of the designated sign up times for critiques because I needed to leave early. They were both thoughtful and specific in their criticisms, encouraging in their remarks, and in independent agreement about my strengths and weaknesses.
So what did I learn that was life changing?
