Today we’d like to introduce you to Rich Maxham.
Hi Rich, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The violin has always been a defining part of my life. I began playing at three and spent 20 years learning a wide variety of great violin literature under my father’s instruction. As I grew up I visited my grandparents frequently and I was mesmerized by my grandfather’s workshop. I learned some invaluable lessons about violin sound and adjustment from him. After he died while I was in college, I inherited his tools and violin library. I began to devour every book and I had the good fortune to spend time with a family friend who ran a small shop regularly. That was my first real exposure to the violin business, and I knew right away that it was for me. During summers in between semesters I attended violin repair, varnishing, restoration, acoustics, and bow repair workshops. After college I learned to make violins through an apprenticeship and incredible friendship with Daniel O. Smith, a process that prepared me for a career in the violin business.
After that I began working in violin shops in the Washington DC area. It had long been a dream of mine to resurrect the family violin business, and in 2019 I started Maxham Violins. I consider it a great honor to carry forward the traditions of my family and the other luthiers from whom I learned.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey has not always been an easy one, but it has been extremely rewarding to take each step. Because the violin business is not generally very lucrative and the market is comparatively small and dependent on proximity to a busy musical center, it is daunting to take the leap as a business owner and to hope that there will be enough regular business to sustain a living. There have been a few naysayers along the way, but I’ve made it my goal to respond to that kind of negativity by pushing myself to perform well. As someone who has a devotion to things that come from a long bygone era, it is especially difficult to navigate a digital world as a business, particularly as a small business owner. I regularly say that after working with 16th or 17th century technology all the time, it is at times difficult to fully engage with 21st century technology.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I repair, restore, adjust, set up, and sell violins, violas, and cellos and their bows. As a player myself, I can evaluate an instrument both from the luthier’s perspective and that of the player. This helps me to tailor the setup and adjustment of an instrument more to fit a player’s needs. I draw from the knowledge passed down from my ancestors and I bring Old World values with my approach to instruments and their devoted players. Each instrument presents a unique challenge, and I undertake comprehensive analysis and planning for each project so that the player and I can agree upon a carefully selected course of action before work begins. My work is done, not to redesign the instrument, but to enhance its natural character and refine its tone and playability.
What’s next?
My primary plan for the future is quite simple: to maintain a high standard of violin work to fellow devotees of the violin and to ensure that each instrument that crosses my bench comes away sounding better by drawing on the wisdom of my predecessors and my own experience as a luthier and player. I enjoy it when I can take a moment here and there to work on an instrument of my own, and I hope to incorporate my own making into my business if circumstances allow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.maxhamviolins.com/
