Ep. #179: Apprenticeship as a Curiosity Practice, with Rich Maxham, Danny Smith & Katy Clune
Oct 4, 2022
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Rich Maxham and Danny Smith engage in an apprenticeship partnership in the luthier craft, where they both learn and teach from each other. The podcast explores curiosity in apprenticeship, the sensory experience of traditional arts, the relationship between curiosity and the violin, and the enlightening experience of learning from Danny. A joyful and insightful conversation.
Apprenticeships cultivate curiosity by providing hands-on experience and guidance in traditional arts and crafts.
Tactile engagement and sensory immersion enhance the learning process in violin making, emphasizing the importance of touch and sight.
Deep dives
The Excitement and Curiosity of Making
The podcast episode explores the enthusiasm and curiosity associated with the craft of making. The hosts describe a moment when one of the luthiers yelled out with excitement about making fiddles, exemplifying their deep passion for the art. The episode highlights how apprenticeships play a role in cultivating curiosity, allowing learners to acquire knowledge through hands-on experience. The mentorship between Rich and Dani, a fifth-generation luthier, is highlighted as a unique experience where the apprentice is actively involved in making their own violin while receiving guidance and feedback. This interactive approach helps the apprentice avoid mistakes and pitfalls, fostering a deeper appreciation for the craft.
The Significance of Learning by Doing
The podcast delves into the importance of learning by doing in traditional arts and crafts. The apprenticeship program discussed in the episode emphasizes the value of tactile engagement and sensory experiences in violin making. The hosts highlight the role of senses like touch and sight, emphasizing the significance of feeling the wood and delicately shaping it to achieve a smooth and gradual curve. The apprenticeship also involves creating unique tools with specific functions, enhancing the learning process and making a noticeable difference in the final product. The episode illustrates how hands-on engagement and sensory immersion contribute to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the craft.
Curiosity as a Continuous Journey
The podcast explores the lifelong nature of curiosity and the continuous learning process within traditional arts and crafts. The hosts discuss the mentorship between Rich and Dani, highlighting the mutual curiosity and learning that takes place between the teacher and the learner. The episode emphasizes the importance of a shared deep curiosity and affection for the craft. Through apprenticeships, learners have the opportunity to refine their skills and experiment with different aspects of violin making, allowing for incremental improvements over time. The connection between curiosity and personal growth is paralleled with playing a musical instrument, highlighting the need for practice and a willingness to explore new ideas.
Danny Smith and Rich Maxham share a passion for violins. In a lovely and powerful apprenticeship partnership, Rich learns Danny's luthier craft, but Danny will tell you he's learning from Rich as well.
It's apprenticeship as a joyful joint curiosity enterprise.
Special thanks to Katy Clune, director of Virginia Humanities' Virginia Folklife Program, for facilitating this and so much else, and to Rich for his impromptu basement violin concert.
Learn more about the Virginia Humanities' Virginia Folklife Program. https://www.virginiafolklife.org
If you agree with Danny that Rich is going on to still greater things, keep an eye on him here: https://www.maxhamviolins.com/about
The Virginia Humanities apprenticeship program caught my eye because my friends at Architecting Curiosity had primed me to think about the power of apprenticing in curiosity. Listen to my conversation with Anthony Rocco, Monica Canfield-Lenfest and Pim Schachtschabel: https://lynnborton.com/2021/12/22/architecting-curiosity-with-pim-schachtschabel-monica-canfield-lenfest-anthony-rocco/
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