We love it when we hear or read about the positive impact musical instruments have on the lives of people everywhere. True, instruments are inanimate objects but they have such magical powers. By “magical” we don’t mean “supernatural” or “mysterious,” but rather “meaningful” in the ways they touch and change so many lives.

A case in point is a 300-year-old Stradivarius that New York violinist Joshua Bell played last month during a concert at Lincoln Center. As New York Post told it, that prized instrument “saved dozens of people from the Holocaust.” This uplifting and inspiring story is worth telling, especially since the violin in question has a fascinating history of its own.

Once upon a time…

First of all, a little background: Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari crafted 1,116 string instruments during his lifetime. Of those, 540 violins, 50 cellos and 12 violas survive today. As the article relates it, Bell first saw the instrument in question nearly 15 years ago in a London shop where he went to buy some strings. “The shopkeeper emerged from a back room with a stunning violin in hand,” Bell recalled. “He told me it was the famous Huberman Strad, and I was instantly intrigued.” The violin was so named because it had once belonged to the virtuoso Polish violinist Bronislaw Huberman. On Feb. 28, 1936, while Huberman performed at Carnegie Hall, the Stradivarius went missing from his dressing room. He never saw his beloved instrument again. As it turned out, the violin was stolen by a two-bit violinist Julian Altman, who sneaked into Huberman’s dressing room during the concert. Altman used shoe polish to disguise the prized instrument, which he played at every gig he had over the next 48 years. He finally confessed to the theft on his deathbed in 1985. On the day that Bell found the instrument in a London shop –restored to its golden varnish again – it was about to be sold to a German industrialist who wanted to add it to his collection. However, Bell purchased it himself for nearly $4 million.

A life saver

Thankfully, before Altman stole Huberman’s violin, it played – both literally and figuratively – a very important role in saving the lives of many musicians. Huberman, who was Jewish, performed – on his famous Strad, of course – at a series of U.S. venues in order to raise money to settle European musicians and their families in what was then Palestine (now Israel). With WWII just around the corner, Huberman recognized that getting Jews out of Europe was extremely urgent. As it turns out, Bell’s own Russian-Jewish great-grandparents were among the emigrants, so his connection to Huberman’s Strad is very strong. “When I perform in Israel with the Israel Philharmonic,” he said, “I am always touched to think how many of the orchestra members are direct descendants of the musicians Huberman saved from the Holocaust — with funds raised by concerts performed on the same instrument I play every day.”

Make your own history

At Hey Joe Guitar, we like all instruments, but we have special affinity for the ones that have a rich history, even if it’s a poignant one like Huberman’s Strad or these old cellos. But even if you owe just “regular” instruments, one of our teachers will be happy to come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you a lesson. Because even an ordinary instrument can make extraordinary music!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons Licence.

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At Hey Joe Guitar, we love to hear or read interesting stories about musical instruments. Far from being just inanimate objects, many of them have a fascinating “personal” history, just like human beings do.

One case in point is a “trench” cello, which, as recently reported by BBC, was built by a British soldier during WWI. Obviously, given its precarious beginnings, the cello was not made out of wood (as these instruments usually are) but from an old oil can. When the soldier in question died, his family donated the war-worn instrument – believed to be the only surviving cello actually made on the front lines – to a local museum. The “trench” cello, the museum’s curator noted, “is such an evocative object – you can see the inventiveness of the maker in the beautiful hand-turning of the neck and shaping of the oil can to create a real musical instrument. It’s easy to imagine it bringing a little cheer in the most tragic circumstances.”

From the war zone

Now, you might think this is a sole example of a makeshift cello dating back to WWI. Actually, there is another such instrument that we know of. A French soldier, Maurice Marechal, (a musician before the war) asked two comrades-in-arms, who were carpenters in civilian life, to make a cello for him. The two soldiers fashioned the instrument from the only materials they could find in the combat zone: the wood from an ammunition box, as well as pieces of old door. When the regiment left for the front, the cello traveled with them, placed in the supply van above the tinned food. Sadly, the two carpenters were killed in combat but Marechal – who, as the story goes, considered his makeshift instrument to be as valuable as a Stradivarius violin – survived, as did his precious cello. It now lives in the Music Museum in Paris, but playing or restoring it could damage the fragile instrument. However, an identical copy was made and it replicates the original sound beautifully.

We come in peace!

These two stories are very touching and poignant, and we are glad that they have given us a chance to talk about the cello – a graceful string instrument that looks like a larger version of the violin. (It is, in fact, closely related to the violin, – its full name is violoncello – though the cello has thicker strings). An integral part of classical and chamber orchestras, string quartets, and other ensembles, the cello emits a beautifully deep and rich sound, especially when handled by the very capable hands of Yo Yo Ma . In case the two aforementioned stories have inspired you (or a family member) to play this instrument, we will be happy to help. We have excellent cello teachers who can come to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home or office and give you lessons – whatever your age or proficiency level. Let’s put it this way: for your cello teacher, you’ll always be the first string!

Photo by unknown, available under Creative Commons License

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Do you love your musical instrument and treat it with tender loving care? We hope so because the more tenderness and attention you give it, the longer it will serve you.

Proper care of your instrument will not only help maintain its shiny coat, but also the quality of its sound. (Yes, we realize that we are talking about an inanimate object, but if you don’t believe that instruments have feelings, just listen to the Beatles .)

As you can see, guitars do occasionally shed tears, even when handled by very capable hands of George Harrison. By the same token, the piano may wince when you step on its pedal and the drum might feel the pain when it is beaten – well, you get the idea!

All this to say that being kind to your instruments will make an…instrumental difference in how it responds to you.

Be mellow to your cello!

Yes, it is important to take good care of your instrument, and, as in so many other things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

The first step is to keep the instrument safe from harm. For example, don’t hang clothes on the saxophone, keep your parakeet from building a nest inside the guitar, shoo the cat away from the piano , and – though it does sound far-fetched – make sure an elephant doesn’t step on the flute.

Needless to say, all of these actions will cause damage to the innocent instrument, and you’d have to pay a pretty penny to repair it or buy a replacement.

Fortunately, taking care of your instrument is not rocket science. It’s just a matter of common sense and is really quite simple:

• Wash and dry your hands before playing. It’s all too easy to get dirt and grease on the instrument.
• For obvious reasons, don’t eat or drink while holding your instrument. Getting crumbs out from the hollow parts and other crevices is difficult, and spilled liquid will not only damage the exterior finish, but may also alter the instrument’s sound. You don’t want your violin to screech like a dentist’s drill, do you?
• Protect the instrument from extreme temperatures, as well as humidity – exposure to both could cause the glue to soften and some parts might even break off.
• Keep the instrument properly stored – either in its own case, or somewhere safe, away from the traffic. It doesn’t take much for a pet or family member to accidentally step on or trip over an instrument.
• After you play, gently wipe down the instrument. You don’t actually have to wear while gloves – a soft cloth will do just fine!
• If your instrument does get damaged, its repair should not be a DIY project. Take it to a professional or, for the piano, ask one to come to your house. Never, ever attempt to insert sharp objects into an instrument – you might be able to hoof a horse with a Swiss Army Knife, but not repair a violin.

Quick – start polishing!

The teacher we will send to your Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Riverdale home will be happy to give you (or your child) a lesson on the instrument of your choice.

But know this: all our teachers have an excellent ear for music (need we even say that?) and will immediately hear if your instrument sounds wacky. So if you have been neglecting your instrument, please give it some urgent TLC before our sharped-ear teacher shows up on your doorstep!

Photo by unknown, available under a Creative Commons License.

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