Sustainability
As I am writing this, world leaders are gathering for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference to discuss and negotiate what governments can do to address an issue which is of profound importance to all humans. Although it is not likely that my generation will be affected within our lifetime by human-caused climate shift, it is my children’s generation whose prosperity, and indeed, very lives are held in the balance. It is in response to this dire prospect that my family has chosen not to wait for our government to decide what must be done.
We strive to incorporate sustainable practices into all aspects of our lives and our business. Most things that can be done are just common sense. Reclaiming hand-hewn timber from an abandoned house across the street makes a lot more sense than driving 5 miles to the lumber yard for spruce that was clear cut in BC. Some of the things we do at RottenWood Banjos make less sense (economically anyway), like taking the time to hand-carve our necks. This saves a lot of electricity compared to using a router or shaper. But don’t worry! We don’t pass the extra cost of labour on to the consumer – our banjos are priced competitively with the most mass-produced instruments out there.
Although we do everything we can, we are constantly learning something new about sustainability, and new technologies are rapidly becoming available. In the future we will continue to move towards the goal of a healthy planet for all future generations of banjo pickers!
Aesthetics, Wood, and Stuff Like That
This is an area which I consider to be highly subjective. That being said, I do believe that the complexity of nature is universally appealing to the human senses. What better example of the relationship between beauty and nature than wood. From the iridescent ripple of curly grain maple to the rich smell of freshly sawn cedar, wood has an effect on us that seems to reach inside, touching us at our very core. And that’s not even taking into account its most relevant quality, THE SOUND!
It is no coincidence that the finest instruments, from the beginning of history right through to the information age, have been constructed from this material. Science has tried to understand, quantify, and replicate wood’s ability to resonate and shape sounds in ways that can evoke such strong emotional responses. So far, science has fallen short. It is because of these miraculous qualities that I chose to make wood the focus of my work. I use clean lines, simple shapes, and avoid heavy inlay or finish to provide as broad a canvas as possible for the wood, which is carefully sawn and selected for its complex beauty.
When using wood, it is important not to forget where it came from. Trees are beautiful in their own right, without being cut up. It is therefore necessary for us to treat the material with the respect it deserves as a living thing. We have a small sawmill in our yard and I take the time to carefully consider the cuts I am making to minimize waste and bring out the hidden beauty of the tree. When I cut trees from a local woodlot, I do so in a way that will not endanger the surrounding forest. And most importantly, we plant hundreds of trees for every one we cut down.
