Lesson 3 Podcast Episodes | Sustainability: Future of Violin-Making
Every great acoustic instrument begins its life in the forest. For luthiers and instrument makers, understanding where our wood comes from is no longer just a matter of quality—it’s a matter of sustainability.
This curated series of podcasts dives deep into the complex world of forestry, supply chains, and environmental activism.
From the centuries-old management practices of Switzerland to modern-day climate preserves in Montana, these four episodes challenge us to rethink our role as tonewood consumers and explore how the music industry can help protect the world’s most vital ecosystems.
These podcasts for our Lutherie School Curriculum were conceived of by the Alliance, curated by Kathy Reilly, and made possible with a grant from the Violin Society of America (VSA).
Podcast 1:
Tonewood Switzerland
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Kathy Reilly discusses the unique history of sustainable logging requirements in Switzerland, climate change’s impact on future tonewood availability, and the unique perspective that a larger sawmill can bring to tonewood.
Podcast 2:
Mountain Voice Tonewood
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Kathy Reilly interviews Sarah from Mountain Voice Tonewood to bring to light the intricacies of logging and forestry in Canada and what it means to be a family-run tonewood business.
Podcast 3:
Rick Bass — Black Ram Forest Climate Preserve
In this episode of Future of Violin Making, Ceile Kronick interviews Rick Bass to learn more about what it means to truly preserve a plot of old growth forest, and why doing so is critical to the larger ecosystem and long term health of forests nationwide.
Podcast 4:
Annie Perkins & The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
What does sustainable wood sourcing actually look like on the ground? Annie Perkins joins us to break down the practical side of the industry: defining true sustainability, mitigating climate change, and monitoring complex supply chains. Since the early 1990s, SFI has been building robust, verifiable supply chains for commercial wood suppliers. Now, we explore how that exact framework could be applied to the specialized world of violin and instrument making.
Video Courtesy Violin Society of America (VSA), exclusively for the American Viola Society (AVS).