Help Send Aaron to Luthier School!

Hello Friends!

It's me, Aaron! I'm a musician, theater director, mask & puppet designer, performer and instructor based in Philadelphia, PA.

I'm writing to let you know of a new project I am gearing up for this summer.

But before that:

Those who are familiar with my work know that I am more specifically a maker of masks and puppets - things like this:

                             (The BFG - Arden Theatre)
And this:

        (Skeleton Puppet from The Body Lautrec, 2014)
And this:
                            (Little Shop of Horrors, 2009)
But....

What many don't know is that I also have a degree in music education and play several musical instruments, and that now, more than ever, music is becoming an increasingly important part of my life.

        (on the left playing trombone in the bandstand)
                          (at right on the mandolin in 2000)
                   (practicing ukulele backstage at the Walnut)
           (Playing with Emily Schuman - our band, called Chickabiddy)

Over the past few years I've taken an interest in making musical instruments from a series of kits - I've made a hollow body guitar, electric bass and even a 19-string harp.

              (an electric bass that I refinished and wired)

Making musical instruments seems a perfect combination of my skills as craftsman, musician, and theater artist, and it has become a real passion of mine.

                  (a hollow body guitar that I refinished)

                                    (19-String Harp)

THE PROJECT:

I plan to significantly increase my skill level as artist and craftsman - and will invest my time and energy into going to LUTHIER SCHOOL (fancy word for a stringed instrument maker) this June. I'll travel to rural Pennsylvania to study guitar making. 

                (photos care of Eric Schaefer Guitars)

I've enrolled in an 8 day intensive with Eric Schaefer Guitars in nearby Bernville, PA, where I'll spend 6 to 10 hours a day building a guitar from scratch - learning all of the steps to make an acoustic guitar - as well as learn about other types of guitars, repairs and materials. This course is a 1:2, teacher:student ratio, so I will have the utmost personal instruction during the course.


This is a very important step for me as a creative artist - the knowledge of tools, techniques and craftsmanship will no doubt give me the skills to open a useful avenue for both creative expression and income, it will also influence  approaches to my other theatrical designs.

My hope is to add this venture to my already diversified career. In addition to being a craftsman who makes instruments, I will also, over time (as this field takes time to master), become an additional asset to my theatrical community by being the person one can turn to for help with instrument troubleshooting and repair. 

I am asking you to please help me take the steps to learn these new skills. As you can imagine, the life of an artist is a modest one, and I am grateful to have had a sustained and fruitful 20-year career as a theater maker. Still, an investment such as this is costly on an artist's small budget.  Any contribution you could donate would be greatly appreciated. 

My costs include tuition, room and transport to Bernville, PA for the 8-day course. If by chance I should exceed my goal, any contributions recieved over the fully funded mark will go towards tool and supply investment for making/repairing instruments.

****UPDATE!!!****
Since I made my original funding goal of $1800, friends and family and GoFundMe itself has encouraged that  (since I have time before my project) I increase the scope of my project and see if I can stretch my goal a bit more. I've researched tools, kits and some essential materials for the first of my post-workshop instruments that I intend to work on this summer and fall, hope will be available for general purchase during this calendar year. I'm also intending to work with Eric Schaefer Guitars to learn wood inlay work - an 'add on' workshop given at a reduced rate for those taking the full guitar making workshop:
  (an example of inlay on a guitar headstock - Eric Schaefer Guitars)

Additionally, if you'd like to talk to me about making you an instrument, perhaps you would consider a donation as 'paying it forward' and I could make/refinish a ukulele, mandolin, guitar or bass in the coming year. I'd consider it useful practice for my applying these new skills, and I'd be sure you had a nice instrument to play.

Thank you so very much for your support,

Aaron