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Above: Jacob Swider, Zosh Tanner, Charles W. L. Troester, and Grette Yang
Four Minnesota State College Southeast students receive prestigious Violin Society of America Scholarships
Red Wing, MN (May 23, 2022) - This spring, four students in the Violin Repair and Making program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing were honored with scholarships from the Violin Society of America.
Jacob Swider, Zosh Tanner, Charles W. L. Troester, and Grette Yang were nominated for this prestigious award by their instructor, Steve Rossow. To be eligible for a VSA scholarship , a student must be a U.S. citizen, have satisfactorily completed at least one full year of study in the program, have shown serious effort, talent and future promise, and have financial need.
In addition to earning the one-year Violin Repair diploma, three of the students made violins in the optional Violin Construction course sequence taught by Steve Rossow. Jacob Swider, Zosh Tanner, and Grette Yang completed their instruments in time for the college's Violin Showcase, held on May 12, 2022. Charles Troester plans to return to the college this fall to make a violin at the college.
Zosh Tanner said, "When I discovered the lutherie program in Red Wing, I knew that I needed violin making to be a part of my life and I am now proud to be presenting my newly made violin to friends and family."
"I have a passion for the violin," said Charles Troester. "I would like to pass that passion on to other players in their instruments, whether students or professionals, because every player deserves the best instrument they can have."
Biographies
Born to Polish immigrants, Jacob Swider grew up in the suburbs of Chicago with a fascination for music at an early age. He began playing trombone at 11 and played in the band program during middle school. He was introduced to the bass guitar at age 13 and then acoustic guitar at 15 and started writing his own music. He switched to double bass during high school and then went on to earn a bachelor's degree in music business at Elmhurst University. After working as an instrument retailer at a repair shop, he decided to pursue string repair at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota where he completed the one-year diploma and built his first violin.
Zosh Tanner is a recent graduate of the Violin Repair program at Minnesota State College Southeast in Red Wing, Minnesota. Her passion for violin and lutherie started quite recently. She had played various musical instruments throughout her life but found the violin four years ago. Since then, she has learned to play old time style music and Irish fiddle tunes. She graduated from Violin Repair with high honors and built a violin in the program in 2022.
Charles W. L. Troester was born in Southern Illinois and grew up in Illinois and Wisconsin. For the last ten years he has made his home in the Twin Cities. He has been a violin player all his life and has had the fortune of having truly great teachers in their own styles. Although an injury prevented him from pursuing a career as a professional musician, he has continued to play as an amateur. He feels being able to return to violin with a renewed sense of relevance to the skill is like coming home. He graduated from the one-year diploma program with high honors.
Grette Yang, from Minnetonka, Minnesota, has been passionate about music for as long as she can remember and has played the viola since she was nine years old. Although having a love for crafting all her life, it wasn't until high school, where she began building sets for her school's theater, that she found a joy in woodworking. Combining all these things she enjoys is what brought Grette to MSC Southeast in Red Wing to study the fine craft of violin repair and making, where she earned the Violin Repair diploma with high honors. She is thrilled to be able to take with her all the skills she's acquired and will be making and working on instruments in her spare time while she continues her post-secondary education.
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About the Violin Society of America
Founded in 1973, the Violin Society of America is a non-profit organization created for the purpose of promoting the art and science of making, repairing and preserving stringed musical instruments and their bows. Membership in the VSA is open to all who share an interest in the violin, viola, cello, bass and their bows, and thus reflects a broad and diverse range of interests and concerns, including craftsmanship, acoustics, innovation, the history of instruments and performers, technique, performance practice, repertory and other matters pertaining to instruments of the violin family.
About Minnesota State College Southeast
Located in the historic river towns of Red Wing and Winona, Minnesota State College Southeast is a two-year technical and community college that prepares students for a lifetime of learning by providing education for employment, skill enhancement, retraining, and transfer. The Winona campus opened its doors in 1949; the Red Wing campus opened in 1973, merging with Winona in 1992. The two campuses now have distinctive characteristics but are one college in structure, policies, procedures, and mission. Both offer small class sizes, state-of-the-art facilities, and an environment that is friendly and supportive. In addition, more than 30 majors are available online. Minnesota State College Southeast is a member of Minnesota State. For more information, visit www.southeastmn.one.