Creating music without borders

By DAVE GUNTER

Feature correspondent

SANDPOINT – The sweet smell of freshly worked tone wood hangs in the air at the Mark Weber Violins workshop. The luthier has prepared the shop for a special visitor, lining up some of his most recent builds for inspection by an expert instructor and violin player.

Working together, Weber and Music Conservatory of Sandpoint co-founder Ruth Klinginsmith have come up with a way to tie his mastery with the conservatory’s mission of bridging cultures through music.

According to the plan, when the International Summer Youth Orchestra – made up of local students playing alongside musicians from the Red Rio Nuevo Orchestra in Mexicali, Mexico – comes together over the next couple of weeks, two of his instruments will find their way into the hands of deserving, young violinists. From there, the fine violins will impact the lives and, in some cases, careers, of future players, as well.

The presentation will take place on Aug. 10, when the combined orchestras perform with guest artists Katelyn and Laurie Shook at a Panida Theater concert titled, “Music Without Borders.” In keeping with the theme, one of Weber’s violins will fall into the hands of a Sandpoint musician, the second is destined for a player from Mexico.

“I’m excited to have some young people making the world a better place through music,” the violin builder said. “I make instruments, so getting them into the hands of musicians locally and across borders is a way for me to share what I do.”

The conservatory has been part of the international exchange program for the past six years, Klinginsmith noted, with music as the catalyst for something greater that comes as part of the package.

“We use music as an avenue of giving and sharing,” she said. “It has the capacity and power to create togetherness and understanding.

“I’ve seen that repeatedly since we started the exchange program,” she added. “Students who come from different backgrounds geographically economically and socially come together and create beautiful music.”

One thing some of these musicians have in common is the wall they hit when musical skill outpaces financial ability. There is a point in every player’s musical life where they can only proceed when they have a better instrument that can give voice to that talent.

That’s where Weber’s donation comes in. Completely satisfied to build his reputation for fine violins as a solitary art in the bucolic setting of his shop — one could call him the “violinmaker in the woods” — the luthier broke form to offer his donation overture and be part of — at least temporarily — the attention that comes with it.

“It’s a little hard for me to step into the limelight like this,” he said. “But this opportunity to help out is welcome for me.”

Standing beside a sturdy, wooden workbench, Klinginsmith picked up one of Weber’s latest violins and began to play. It’s a replica of a Stradivarius ‘Betts’ model circa 1704. She begins with a scale that flirts with an etude that at last, morphs into the melody of the Jay Ungar and Molly Mason tune, “Ashokan Farewell.” When the melody peaks and her bow rests in midair, she pronounces the violin “very sweet, with a nice, clear tone.”

Klinginsmith follows suit by exploring the tonal possibilities of an instrument modeled on a Guarneri violin from roughly around the mid-1700s, which receives similarly high praise. Finally, she plays an instrument that was the graduation piece for Weber’s time as a student at the Violin Making School of America — where he was one of only 21 individuals accepted at the time for its 3- to 4-year curriculum. With more time and playing under its belt, this one elicits a big smile when Klinginsmith plays it.

There is a maturity and richness to the sound that points to one of the hallmarks of a fine instrument.

“What that says about Mark’s violins is that the tone develops — beautifully — over time,” she said.

“They do get more complex and sound better with age,” the luthier agreed.

“Each violin is unique; they all have a voice,” Klinginsmith said. “When I first played one of Mark’s violins, the thought just hit me: ‘People need to hear these instruments.’”

As students work their way forward on one of Weber’s instruments, they will be the recipient of the hundreds of hours of work it took to build the two violins being donated to the cause — about “200 hours or so” to build each one, he estimated.

With a starting price of approximately $8,000, the Webers should provide a true leap forward in both sound and playability for the young musicians on both sides of the border who are fortunate enough to ply their craft on one of them.

The criteria that will decide who gets to do that first include dedication to music, a passion for developing skill through putting in extra time and a need for financial assistance.

“The same thing holds true for both the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint and the Red Rio Nuevo Orchestra,” said Klinginsmith. “We’re looking for students who are ready to take the next step who otherwise couldn’t afford a violin of this caliber.

“There are a lot of students who stand out as being very dedicated,” she went on. “And some of them are doing the best they can with the instruments they have.”

“It feels good to have my instruments played,” Weber said. “Whether it’s someone who has a music career in front of them or just plays for enjoyment.”

Two international music events are planned as part of the cross-border collaboration between MCS and exchange students from the AUKA El Sistema Orchestra in Mexico.

The first is scheduled for Wed., Aug. 8, at 7 p.m., when “Sounds of Summer” is performed at the Heartwood Center, located at 615 Oak St., in Sandpoint. That concert will feature a special performance by guest viola soloist, Mariaya Ksondyzk, from the Boston Conservatory. Tickets are $10 adults, $5 students, available at MCS, Evan’s Brothers Coffee or at the door.

The “Music Beyond Borders Benefit Concert — A Galactic Journey” event will take place on Fri., Aug. 10, at 3 p.m. at the Panida Theater. Along with the instrument presentation, the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint’s International Summer Youth Orchestra will be conducted by Dr. Philip Baldwin and joined on stage by guest singer-songwriters Katelyn & Laurie Shook. Fifty percent of all ticket sales will benefit the Uryadi’s Village Orphanage in Ethiopia. Tickets are $5 for all ages, available at MCS, located at 110 Main St., or at the box office on the day of the matinee show.

For information about the Uryadi’s Village Orphanage, visit online at: http://www.uryadisvillage.org