Many of you might not know about what I'm blogging about today. I just recently ran across some articles about a new scientific way to make the wood that Stradivarius used for his violins. If you click here you can read the full article from Science Daily. They call this mycowood. The scientists that figured this out say that they should be able to develop this so that many others can have the opportunity to play a violin as good as a Stradivarius. Other articles say about the same thing. One article mentioned that if a cheap violin is treated with this fungus, it may still not have the sound of the Stradivarius due to other factors (type of wood and age, strings, climate conditions, etc.)
Personally I think this is an interesting idea. If these scientists can work on this idea, I think it would be great for some violins to have a better quality. As a teacher, I've heard many of the beginner violins and it's not a great way to learn. For most students, the quality of the instrument doesn't matter as much. As students progress, some notice the quality of the violin. Sometimes it is the technique of the student that is creating a not so nice sound, but many times it is the quality of the instrument. I do recall one student being frustrated with his instrument because he couldn't get a good sound out of it. I do know there are other types of violins that have a great sound and are not Strads. My violin is an "Emmanuel Fabrica" from the Guarneri line. Click here to learn more about Guarneri violins from Wikipedia.
Would love to hear other's input on all this information. Thanks!
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