Making magic out of wood - students learn how to build guitars and violins at Minnesota State College Southeast
By Skyler Stone, April 24, 2024
Red Wing Republican-Eagle
Student Guitar Show
Thursday, May 9, 1-3 pm
Room 314, Red Wing Campus
Student Violin Showcase
Friday, May 10, 10am-12pm
Main Lobby, Red Wing Campus
Every year, students from across the country gather in Minnesota State College Southeast's guitar and violin programs, where they learn unique and useful new skills, build their very own instruments to take home, and often grow as individuals.
This year, Abbie Fields, of Knoxville, Tenn., and Ethan Lee Sadler, of Austin, Texas, made the move to Red Wing to learn how to repair and make instruments.
Ethan Lee Sadler, co-founder and co-frontman of the band Tennessee Stiffs, moved to Minnesota last year. His wife, Cara Sadler, had decided to return to her hometown of Red Wing to start a health food business, Gather & Graze Kitchen.
Throughout Ethan Lee Sadler's decades-long musical career, he had struggled to find a guitar that felt "just right" -- every instrument he played left him wanting to change one or two things about it. When he learned that the local college had a program where he could work with guitars, he was ecstatic. Finally, he could put his decades of ideas to use.
Sadler has built two guitars during the program: An acoustic guitar and an electric guitar, named "Eye of Jupiter" and "Bullet" respectively.
The electric guitar was made out of spare wood left over from the acoustic. Sadler liked the idea of two very different guitars that were made from the same wood, and thought it would help them feel like they belonged together when he performed onstage.
After several years of teaching and playing cello professionally, Abbie Fields decided to participate in Southeast's Violin Repair and Making program.
Fields discovered her interest in repairing violins after taking a job at a shop that rented and sold violin family instruments and accessories.
Fields routinely worked in the back of the shop, repairing used violins and preparing new ones for rental. She found it satisfying to provide high-quality instruments to customers, especially new players.
At the violin shop, Fields worked with someone who had gone through Southeast's violin repair program in the 1990s. Last year, Fields went to a workshop for rehairing violin bows, and again the college was recommended to her. So, Fields decided to go to Red Wing.
Students began work on their violins within the first week of class last fall. Though starting on her violin so quickly was nerve-racking at first, Fields has become very comfortable working with her instrument.
"My confidence everywhere has really skyrocketed from learning this skill that's entirely new to me," said Fields.
Fields added a few reminders of home to her violin. The inside of the instrument contains a dedication to her family that has supported her throughout her return to college, and the violin's label includes a dogwood branch, a symbol of her East Tennessee home.
Both Sadler and Fields have found a welcoming and supportive community at Southeast.
Sadler has been delighted that the other guitar students are as excited as him to get to class each day. He and the other students often help each other out. "It takes a village to make a guitar," he said.
Fields has served as secretary of Southeast's Student Music Association. As secretary, she's planned and participated in the annual Swap Meet, a field trip to a Twin Cities music shop, and an end-of-year cookout.
On Thursday, May 9, Minnesota State College Southeast's annual Student Guitar Show will feature instruments made by students in the Guitar Repair and Building program. Three professional musicians will perform in concert on the students' new acoustic guitars and mandolins.
Violins will be showcased at the college on Friday morning, May 10.
"I can't wait to see everyone's instruments all lined up," said Sadler, "I'm proud of us."