When: 7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Where: Room 110, Harned Hall, Saint Martin’s University, 5300 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, Washington
- Please note that a class is in session in Room 110 until 6:50 p.m., so we ask that you remain in the lobby until the class is dismissed.
- There is no charge to park on campus after 5:00 p.m. We suggest parking lots M and N for proximity to Harned Hall. (See attached map.)
- Driving directions and campus map:http://www.stmartin.edu/about/DrivingHere.aspx#Saint_Martins_Universitys_address http://www.stmartin.edu/about/SMUCampusMap.pdf
June’s topic is Probing the Secrets of a Violin.
For centuries, violinmakers have tried to craft instruments rivaling the Stradivari and Guarneri. Violinmakers and scientists have studied how the woods, varnishes and construction affect the acoustic character of violins. Geometric measurements of these Masters’ instruments have given rise to the study of the Golden Ratio to create exceptional tone. More recently, newer technologies, such as computed tomography for imaging, are being used to look more closely at the construction and other details of these Masters’ violins.
Our speaker is violinmaker Ben Barnes from Ray’s Violin Shop in Olympia. He will take us on a tour of this quest for the “perfect” violin that has captivated the imagination of musicians, mathematicians and scientists alike for centuries, and help us understand how the Golden Ratio is applied in violinmaking.