Today we’d like to introduce you to Cameron Robertson.
Cameron, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Music has always been a part of my life. My dad loved to play the guitar for us growing up and all of my siblings played instruments. So, when I was old enough I chose to play the string bass in my junior high orchestra in Farmington, New Mexico. I loved playing the bass and I continued to play through high school, placing every year in All-State. After graduation, I continued to pursue music at Northern Arizona University.
I wanted to be a high school orchestra director and was halfway to getting my Music Education degree when I had a problem with my instrument. This required me to take it to a professional to get fixed. I took it to the local luthier, who not only happened to be a violin maker, but used to be an instructor at the Violin Making School of America in Salt Lake City. After spending a few minutes talking to him while he fixed my bass, I found I was enthralled by what he was doing. I was hooked. I had always enjoyed building things like plastic models as a kid, but this was a whole new ballgame. It just clicked for me that this is what I wanted to do. I changed my major to music performance so I could graduate sooner and enroll in the Violin Making School of America the next semester (Fall 2003).
This is where I wanted to be! I loved everything about it, the wood, the smells, the sawdust, the noise! It combined so many of the interests that I already had, from building things by hand to the history of the instruments and the beautiful music they made. You have to know about tools, woodworking, chemistry, history (both making and the changing demands of the music scene) and acoustics. I spent the years at the school completely immersed in learning about instrument making and woodcraft.
In my third year, there was posting for a job in Atlanta, which is where my girlfriend (now wife) had moved to take a position at Emory Healthcare. So, I submitted a resume not really expecting to hear back, as I hadn’t completed all four years yet. I was contacted that same day by Regie Williams of Williams Gengakki Violins. He stated that they would like to bring me out for an interview and a bench test. While I didn’t do so well on the test (as I hadn’t yet learned the setup skills that would be the bulk of my tasks at the shop) I got along great with the staff. They gave me a summer internship and saved the position until I graduated.
I worked for Williams Gengakki from 2007 until the shop closed in 2012, learning and developing my skills in instrument and bow repair and restoration. I learned more about historical instruments and makers from a knowledgeable and instructive employer and co-workers. I was pushed hard, worked like crazy and was encouraged to develop my skills and abilities. They had high expectations of the workmanship and I worked hard to meet those demands. It takes a lot of practice to develop the skills necessary to work on high-end instruments and provide good quality repairs and set-up to all customers.
Before Williams Gengakki Violins closed, I was introduced to Emily Dixon and in 2012, became the head of workshop for Beau Vinci Violins in Alpharetta, GA. There I oversaw all instrument and bow repairs, setup, managed the rental fleet, and interacted with great local teachers and players. I had the pleasure of helping to start a new shop and continued to expand my skills and education.
While I enjoyed the work I was doing for Beau Vinci, I found that I wanted to devote more time to making new instruments. In May, I started my own shop, Cameron’s Violin Workshop, so that I could focus on making my instruments while also engaging in repair and restoration, utilizing the skills that I had worked for years to develop. In my cozy space, I make new instruments, help customers maximize the instruments they have and restore beautiful antique instruments and bows. I am a member of the Violin Society of America, a board member of the Southern Violin Association and I continue to play my bass with the Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a lot of work. This last year I have had to recalibrate not only my expectations but also my goals, In a way, I would say that I have had surprisingly few challenges so far. The work itself is challenging enough, especially when I first came out of school. But I had great mentors who pushed me to be better. They probably pushed me to be better than I ever thought I could be. They introduced me to an amazing community of passionate, dedicated luthiers who have incredible craftsmanship through restoration workshops at Oberlin and the Violin Society of America’s conventions. I love the work that I do, and my family and friends have always been behind me and encouraging me to pursue this dream. My parents were very surprised by my choice to change careers mid-stream, and although they had some reservations they helped me transition and to pursue attending violin making school. Not only were my parents incredibly supportive, but my wife has let me build a workshop in our home, loves that I love my job and encourages me to pursue my passion. It’s because of this support that I have always felt my goals are achievable.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My company is really about the instruments. I have a deep fascination with the history and the personal connections that people have with their violins, so I want to help them develop that. While other shops focus on selling instruments, I want to help people maximize what they have. It’s so easy to push clients to just trade in their instruments instead of investing in what they already have. However, repairs can be expensive, and sometimes the repairs cost more than the instrument is worth, so in those instances I will help people find instruments that will help them get to the next level if that is what they would like to pursue. Violins can often be very meaningful to people. That nostalgia is priceless to so many and I want to respect and honor the connection that so many people have with their instruments, regardless of its value.
What were you like growing up?
I was always a happy and outgoing kid, but a bit of a nerd. I made connections with friends easily, but I loved to read and would lose myself in my imagination. As kids, we used to sing with my father by the campfire and go boating at the lake. I would play in the woods around my house, build car and ship models by the boxful and read about dinosaurs and dragons. When I got involved in orchestra, I found I really loved to play music. I loved the sense of community and doing something as a single group. There is a sense of unity that comes from music that is hard to find.
Pricing:
- $60.00 Violin/Viola and $65,00 Cello/Bass Rehairs
Contact Info:
- Address: 3206 Mathieson Dr. NE
Unit #3
Atlanta GA, 30305
in the Historic Buckhead Forest Neighborhood - Website: www.cameronsviolinworkshop.com
- Phone: 8017922364
- Email: captconan1@hotmail.com
- Instagram: camluthier
- Facebook: @cameronsviolinworkshop
- Yelp: Cameron’s Violin Workshop
- Other: Cameron’s Violin Workshop
