About

 Not by force, but by tortoise

 If you know Latin, you can blame a poor Google translate job for this.
Non vi sed chely, as you can see, is the inscription on and image of a lute player lulling a wild beast. I think the the phrase is intended to mean that the pacifying the beast must be done slowly and methodically, however as applied to the lute, the words take on a new and amusing glint. As far as a beginning lute player's struggles, any proficiency certainly comes tortoise-like slowly. You cannot master the lute by force, you must be coaxing and slow, like a tortoise.

I'm studying the lute. It is an exploration of the music, history, and culture of the lute. I am taking lessons with Andy Rutherford, a lute maker and player previously from New York City. He's focus is teaching me to play the lute, but the nature of the instrument is that you cannot really play it without learning a tremendous amount about its history. So even as I plunk out my first Renaissance dance tunes, I'm learning about geography, politics, trade, the development of musical styles, and even changes is fashion trends. My challenge in making this a successful signature project will be in tying all these elements together well.


In December 2013, I went with to Boston Camerata concert. In the second half, the baritone carried a lute on stage to accompany some of the more traditional folk songs. I was enamored! It was easily the most beautiful instrument I 'd ever seen. Later, when I hit Wikipedia and started reading, I discovered how much there is to read. The lute has been around a long time, the intricacy of its history is interweaving with art, culture, literature, and music and providing a portal to the human experience.