Luis and Clark » Disasters

Introducing the Violamatic!

Heather — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:39:28 +0000

Firing Squad

Heather — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:38:12 +0000

Hi Luis,
This was taken during a Tosca performance at Lyric. The firing squad has a brush-up rehearsal during the second intermission. The man with the upraised sword is Sir Andrew Davis, our music director at Lyric. This picture just appeared in the Intermezzo, the chicago local’s union paper on the back page. The caption read “Luis and Clark Carbon Fiber Violin: $5000, tux: $500, blindfold: $5, music director with a sense of humor, PRICELESS!”

I still play my carbon fiber violin exclusively and i’m still loving it. I’m finding that helicore strings work very nicely on it and even out-perform the dominants.

happy new year, cheers

Pete Labella

Even dragged through snow, your cello can stay in tune.

Heather — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 14:28:30 +0000

To the makers of Luis and Clark cellos, A short anecdote about the Luis and Clark cello….
My daughter and I live in the San Luis Valley in Southern Colorado. We have real winters here. On our way home today we encountered blizzard blowing snow conditions on the county road out to our house. finding people stuck in drifts, blocking the road , we attempted to go around on another road but ended up with my Jeep stuck in 3 foot drifts. Faced with a 2-3 mile walk through deep drifts with whiteout conditions, we bundled up and set out for home.
I could not bear to leave my cello in the car due to risk of theft or being demolished by a snowplow… besides who wants to be snowed in without their cello?! My Luis and Clark cello is housed in a molded SKG case, so I flipped it over on it’s face and dragged it like a sled, with the molded part of the case that protects the strings and bridge acting as a sort of keel/runner….
Anyway, when we made it home I let it sit for an hour or so while the snow melted off into a pool on the greenhouse floor. Upon opening the case I found that drifting snow had gotten inside and there was water running down the face of the cello. So I dried it off with a paper towel and sure enough, it was not only playable, but still perfectly in tune!!!!! Now that I can feel my fingers again, I am going to go play it!
I am consistently amazed at the changes in temperature and humidity that this instrument can withstand – and still sound good all the time!!!

Thanks!
Mark W Dudrow
February 3, 2008

Would your cello look like this if it spent two weeks under water?

Heather — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 14:44:34 +0000

That is what happened to the cello of Kaaren Makas, (37 years principal cello, New Orleans Philharmonic, Emeritus principal, Louisianna Philharmonic) when Hurricane Katrina came through New Orleans. Sadly the cello was one of the few things that survived the flood waters in Kaaren’s house. It needed new strings and bridge and soundpost, but is now as good as new and living in Mississippi. Our hearts go out to all who’ve lost so much.