BILLINGS – John Kirk’s West End Billings home has a large living room that is currently filled with masterfully handcrafted cellos valued at thousands of dollars. This has been Allie Bullman’s haven for half her life.
“I’ve been taking classes since I was in 4th grade,” said Bullmans. “I came into this room, but I came through his shop and saw all the stuff he was making. And I found it super interesting.”
“I played as a professional cellist and needed a better cello,” said Kirk of his early days in the business. “I couldn’t afford it, so I decided to do the damn thing myself.”
Kirk has been one of Montana’s finest luthiers for nearly 40 years. So when Bullman had to develop a platinum project for her Billings Senior High School Honors Credits, she knew exactly where to start.
“I took Tech Ed and Woodshop in 8th through 9th grade and I really loved building, so I thought it would be cool if I could do hands-on building with my music lover and assemble them,” said Bullman. “I wrote John’s Church. I told him that I really want to do this. He said, ‘I can help you – we just have to raise the money.’ “
CASEY CONLON / MTN-News
Allie Bullman has been building a cello for months that she will eventually donate to the Arts without Boundaries program.
Easier said than done. Bullman started raising funds at events, but then the COVID-19 pandemic closed them all. So she only had one option.
“Most of the money was actually my money,” she said. “Some of that came from my job, but the other half came from things like house and dog sitting, chores at my church, and the like.”
In the end, the project cost her $ 1,071 – a very specific number she will never forget.
“I wrote the check out. It was my first check that I wrote. “
This review concerned the pre-made frame and neck of the cello – it takes years to perfect this technique – but the rest of the many details of the instrument all fell on Allie.
“Applying the varnish, rubbing the varnish through all the different layers,” said Kirk. “Attaching the pegs to make sure they work and turn easily. Mount the end pin, mount the feet of the bridge that has to be – there won’t be any cigarette paper underneath. “
“The cello is my baby so I don’t want to screw it up,” Bullmans said of her trial. “I was super careful and it cost me time.”
CASEY CONLON / MTN-News
Allie Bullman has been playing the cello since 4th grade.
It’s not just the money, though. Students always have the task of giving their Platinum project a community element.
“The Arts without Boundaries program provides quality tools for schools,” said Bullman. “Whenever I was in the orchestra and I saw all of my classmates pulling out instruments that we had, they were pretty bad – you pulled them out and they fell apart. My booth partner had a nice one from Arts without Boundaries so I thought it would be cool to do a new one for her. “
It’s hard to think of a more worthy occupation than giving music to someone who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Now Bullman is realistic about her amateur guitar skills.
“I know the instrument I’m building won’t be as good as this in itself,” she said, pointing to the expertly built cache behind her, “but it will at least be better than the one we have in ours School.”
“They’re almost like a textbook. You can’t learn algebra from an arithmetic book, and you can’t learn calculus from an algebra book, “said Kirk.” You have to change and move up, and as you move up the instruments get finer. “
It is a gift that students will benefit from for years to come, starting with this one.
“(The best part is) seeing you walk out here with a cello that you can play or donate,” said Kirk, “and knowing that you have achieved something most people will never achieve.”
source https://collegeeducationnewsllc.com/students-love-of-music-woodworking-results-in-new-cello-for-arts-without-boundaries/
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