Violins of Plymouth at the Pine Hills "Stonebridge Club" as artist of the month

Violins of Plymouth is being features at the Stonebridge Club on Amenity Drive, Plymouth for the Month of April. Thomas Shaughnessy, the artist, has posted the following bio!

Thomas Shaughnessy

Violin Maker and Photographer

I began woodworking over fifty years ago. I began music (violin) at the same time. Later, my career profession was material science and semiconductor fabrication with Motorola, Raytheon, and others. Woodworking became dormant; music continued.

I played with the Arlington (MA) Philharmonic, the Chandler (AZ) City Symphony, and the Southeast (MA) Philharmonic. I studied with Phyllis Skoldberg (ASU). I helped start the string quartet Con Moto here at the Pine Hills. My instruments are violin and viola. Extensive instrument maintenance and repair led to violin making! Several fine violins and violas are currently available!

Four years ago, I joined the Plymouth Digital Photography club. This group of over 1100 local artists have provide me with a fertile learning environment, many techniques, and much encouragement. Travel and nature photography are my interests!

The Plymouth Center for the Arts, North Street, Plymouth, has been a great community resource with photography exhibits, fine arts competitions, and actual music playing events! It is well populated with Pine Hill folk, as you might expect.

This Stonebridge event is open to the public; please plan to attend! Thank you.

Russell Gallery Artist- Violins June 12, 2014

Violins of Plymouth

June 12, 2014, was the occasion for presenting violins and violas (and many other art works)  to the jury at the Plymouth Center for the Arts. Violins of Plymouth delivered three violas and two violins to be considered for the inclusion of Thomas Shaughnessy as a "Russell Gallery" artist!

Instruments were carefully selected to illustrate capabilities and available styles.

 Two violas in the manner of Gasparo da Salo, were chosen to be considered.

A large viola reproducing the 1690 Antonio Stradivarius was also included.

Two violins per Antonio Stradivarius completed the grouping.

A most productive and rewarding day! The judges approved these fine instruments. Henceforth, Violins of Plymouth will regularly exhibit these fine instruments at most/all of the exhibits at the Plymouth Center for the Arts "Russell Gallery",on North Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Thomas Shaughnessy's  biography will be included in the "Artist's bio book".

Please plan to visit! 

G. B. Guadangnini

G.B. Guadagnini Instruments-  1711- 1786

Giovani Battista Guadagnini, born on June 23 of 1711 in Bilegno, was the foremost violin maker of the second half of the eighteenth century. He is renown for violas and cellos in addition to violins. At Violins of Plymouth, we have fabricated a reproduction of the 1784-85 viola, sometimes called the       " Leyds viola. Guadagnini was active in Piacenza, Milano, Parma before he landed in Torino later in life when he made three (3) violas. 

Home of G.B.

A Guadagnini label..

The  Guadagnini reproduction of length 422 cm

Two piece flamed maple back.

Oil-based varnish hand rubbed.

"c" s are 20.2 cm upper, 13.8 cm mid, and 24.6 cm lower.

Black aluminum tail with adjusters.

Ebony pegs, saddle, nut.

Scroll is "cello" type!

Available now; perfect for those who want a large instrument with a sonorous 'C" string sound!

Anthropology of musical instruments/Significance?

Early  Music

Pre-human musician or Photoshop?

Neanderthal reproduction

This post asks and partially answers the questions:

When did Homo Sapiens initiate instrumental music?
Did earlier Homo species play instrumental music?
What is the status of anthropologists findings concerning instrumental music?

Having just completed an online  Coursera course " A Brief History of Mankind" by K.N. Hariri these questions arise. (When repeated, take this course!)


We know that several human species have roamed the earth- Homo Erectus, Homo Soloensis, Homo Floresiensis, Homo Denisova, Homo Rudolfensis, Homo Ergaster, and Homo Neanderthal. At this point in time, only Homo Sapiens survives although some evidence of interbreeding is suggested! Curiously, some of these alternate species remained as recently as 12,000 years ago!

Homo Sapiens has done well. After originating in East Africa approximately 100,000 years ago and breaking out into the middle east and beyond, our species has thrived. This is especially true over the last 70,000 years. For this last period, we have mastered languages and social skills which have proved decisive in our competitions with animals and earlier species. Anthropologists call this the "cognitive revolution". It embraces skills in tools, art, trade, religion, and music. So what do we know about early instrumental music?



Since 1977, archaeology and musicology issues have been pursued as a single topic. See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_archaeology

Homo Sapiens arrived in Europe making instrumental music. Probably earlier music-making humans were there. The earliest instruments as wind instruments- flute made out of bone. These date from 42,000 BC. The following wiki explains:
http://www.sci-news.com/archaeology/article00343.htmldata:image/jpeg;
Chinese flutes from 8,000 BC have been studied and are still playable and a Chinese folk song can be heard as rendered on on of these flutes!
http://archive.archaeology.org/9911/newsbriefs/flute.html

Differential preservation matters; stringed instruments are not so robust. The Isle of Skye has yielded a remnant of a bridge 2300 years of age!
http://archaeologynewsnetwork.blogspot.com/2012/03/europes-earliest-string-instrument.html#.Uqs9CfRDuSp

But did other human species do music?  Iain Morley, Cambridge University, recently published a thesis on music performance by four modern hunter/gatherer societies. His backup  historical review of archaeological evidence goes back 300,000 years and earlier! Evidence suggests music from pre-Sapiens man. Vocal anatomy would have been sufficiently developed at the time of Homo Ergaster so several human species may have made vocal music. Music making may have contributed significantly to the "cognitive revolution" which is dated to only 70,000 years past. See the following link for more on this subject (note the great illustrations).
www.darwin.ac.uk/dcrr/dcrr002.pdf  Music (as well as symbolism) appears fundamental to the development of our species to the point of today's capabilities.

A topic to be explored might be the future of instrumental music by enhanced Homo Sapiens. Can "mind control" techniques be used to advantage? Can a SUPER robot arm make/play better music? Are "cyborgs" coming to become real "rock stars"!

History of viols in Dedham, Massachusetts

This is a post on the (not so) rapid introduction of stringed instruments into New England religious practice. As no records have been found for Plymouth, MA, nearby Dedham was chosen for this investigation. . Puritans were here also and the instrument purchase dates might prove informative!

Dedham's settlement by the English dates from 1636. A few "vagabond Quakers" had expelled, prior to the official settlement. See "Old New England Churches and their children" by Dolores Bacon (available in EPUB.)

If you observe a grand old structure, yes, Geo Washington slept there.

Across the town common is, as expected, the "First Church". This would be the likely location of the first stringed instrument in town! With Dedham founded in 1636, the viol was purchased in 1803, fully 167 years later! Credit Abner Ellis according to Ms Bacon.

Our host's early predecessor...  Maybe not a music lover.

The expected clock...

Brass fixtures...

And is this bass viol the object of our search?

Or is it here for today's performance?

Thanks to the Boston Symphony Community Concert Series, today's performance of Schumann's A minor Quartet and Mozart's K 364 Grande  sestetto was lively, animated, and perhaps the best visit to Dedham since that of G. Washington in the eighteenth century!

The actual viol from 1803 was not observed.. Next time.

G. Guarnerius can be your best friend!

It is autumn in Plymouth with many foliage and seaside scenes.

Beaches are quiet.

Birds are unmolested.

Boats are ready to be stored.

And the arts competition is over.

Guiseppe Guarnerius  del Gesu designed some of the world's best violins, best acoustically and best visually. We are not sure as to how he designed these. Maybe he went by a graphical methodology such as the "Otto" diagram, seen in Herron-Allen's 1885 text.

Maybe he really did experiment to achieve his beautiful violins! He succeeded!  Many violin makers prefer to reproduce these spectacular instruments. Here at Violins of Plymouth I have a  recent experience that illustrates why this might be.

The Plymouth Center for the Arts/Plymouth Guild hosts an annual Juried Show" for artists in the Plymouth area of southeast Massachusetts. Many works in oil, watercolors, sculpture, graphic arts,  photography, and fine crafts enter their recent accomplishments Out of over 500 entries, judges select the best 250 works. Of these, a few are cited for superior artistry and workmanship. All pieces are displayed for one month in the gallery on North Street. Visitors can enjoy the works, they can purchase the works, and they can vote for their favorite. This event has just finished. As shown in a previous post, the "G. Guarnerius violin, 1733, was awarded the Second prize in the "fine crafts" category.

The public, both local people and visitors, visited for this past month. What were they looking for? What did they expect to see? They are not academics in the teaching of arts, each has their individual idea of beauty, skill, imagination, and so forth. They might agree with the judges or they might not. A second visit during the month might elicit a different choice and preference. Some might be water color aficionados; some might be photographers. Some might have had their entries rejected. Some view at night  while many experience the daylight appearance.

Somehow, to these many visitors, the brilliance and artistry of  Guiseppe Guarnerius reached out to the greater number. The reproduction of the 1733 instrument, from his best period, moved many viewers to approve and vote. This was, for them, the choice for this 43d Annual Show. And so, Guiseppe Guarnerius del Gesu was my best friend this year! We will celebrate Thanksgiving in Plymouth  together!

Plymouth Fine Crafts Competition

September in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Boats, harbor scenes, and a juried art competition, great combination!

A perfect New England day to enter 46th Annual Juried Art competition, Plymouth Guild.

This entry is in the "fine crafts" category is from Violins of Plymouth.

It is a reproduction of a 1733 Guiseppe Guarnerius violin.

 Over 500 entries were submitted.

.

Of course, this fine instrument is for sale.

The judges liked this entry!

Presentation of certificate for Second Prize- Fine Crafts on Friday 20 awards ceremony! Voting continues for the "Popular Vote" award.