Indiana Instruments

From a Traditional Arts Indiana press release:

HOOSIER TRADITIONS OF INSTRUMENT MAKING CELEBRATED

Exhibit and Related Programs September 7-30, 2007

September 1, 2007

BLOOMINGTON - An Indiana town known for its musical ties will host an exhibit featuring the work of Hoosier instrument makers this September.

On September 7, 2007 an exhibition entitled Crafting Sound: Indiana Instrument Builders will open at the John Waldron Arts Center. The exhibit will feature handmade instruments made by more than twenty Indiana instrument makers, including violins, guitars, ocarinas, drums, whistles, brass instruments, and more. The opening will be celebrated with a 7 p.m. performance at the John Waldron Arts Center featuring Contre-Mestre Iuri Santos and North Star Capoeira and a reception for the public. These events are free, and attendees are encouraged to come early to get seats.

Crafting Sound was created by Indiana's official traditional arts support and development program Traditional Arts Indiana and is sponsored by the Bloomington Area Arts Council, with additional support from Indiana University, Indiana Arts Commission, Indiana Humanities Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Weed Patch Music Company, and Roadworthy Guitar and Amp. This project is the result of more than two years of fieldwork by Traditional Arts Indiana Director, Jon Kay and is curated by folklore graduate student Suzanne Ingalsbe. The exhibit will run through September 30, 2007 and may be viewed during gallery hours from 11a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 11a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. In addition to the instruments themselves, the exhibit also includes documentary videos of Indiana instrument makers at work and information about the artisans and the process of making instruments.

Crafting Sound also features related programming throughout the month of September. On Saturday, September 8 from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., children and their parents are invited to come to the John Waldron Arts Center to build a canjo and learn to play their new instruments. The workshop will be led by instrument maker Eli Jackson, and cost is only $10 per instrument. To register, contact the John Waldron Arts Center at 812.334.3100.

Folklorist Jon Kay, primary fieldworker for Crafting Sound, will talk about handmade instruments and share documentary shorts about instrument makers in the Hoosier State during two brown bag lunches. The public is invited to bring lunch to the John Waldron Arts Center and learn more about the traditions and communities connected to these instruments from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. The Wednesday, September 12 program features ocarina makers David and M. Chipko Roach and National Heritage award winner and tamburitza maker Milan Opacich. The Wednesday, September 26 program features santour maker Ehsan Kousari and guitar maker Ron Volbrecht. These programs are free.

In addition to the opening night performance, other instrument makers included in the exhibition will perform at the John Waldron Arts Center on Friday, September 21. The 7:30 p.m. performance by ocarina makers David and M Chipko Roach will include two forty-five minute sets. The performance is free, and attendees are encouraged to come early to get seats.

For more information about the Crafting Sound exhibit or related programming, please contact the John Waldron Arts Center at 812.334.3100 or Traditional Arts Indiana at tradarts@indiana.edu.