Shrader Bows

It's been a busy week at Shrader Bows.

Congratulations to the Cypress Quartet (my wonderful office-mates at Shrader Bows) for another successful round of Call and Response. The concert was spectacular. George Tsontakis' new composition successfully acknowledged both the avant-garde feeling of Webern and the lush romanticism of the Schubert with its own distinctive voice. Bravo! And kudos to all the children who sat through the entire program.

This is the entry at Fred Oster Violins and Vintage Instruments, Inc., in Philadelphia where I used to work. What you can't see is the stained glass ceiling three stories above. The building was never badly remodeled, and Fred and Catherine did a spectacular job of restoring it to its former glory and filling it with instruments. The building, the clientele, and my friends in the violin workshop never failed to inspire. This picture was taken for Fretboard Journal's article about the guitar side of the business.

My favorite bow in the world. Its player lovingly watches the head go by whenever he plays pianissimo. Can you blame him?