Having played my great uncle’s 100 year old viola for three years, cracks on the instrument were becoming noticeable. Over the life of the instrument, repairs were performed but not satisfactorily. Therefore, it became necessary to face the inevitable;
The top of the viola had to be removed, and the weak points of the instrument needed to be strengthened with pins and glue.
After I dropped off my cherished viola at the luthier’s house, I was given another viola to use while mine was being repaired. A few days passed and I was missing my viola terribly, feeling mournful. At first, I rejected the borrowed viola, but decided that I should be open about playing it. After a few days, I was much more receptive to practicing on it, trusting that the repair would turn out okay. It was a lesson in learning how to let go of my fears.
A week and a half later, I picked up my viola, joyful to have it. Randell Reid, my luthier in Hartford, CT. had done a superb job. It turned out that my instrument never sounded more beautiful or resonant.
