Jay
Michaels
Submitted:
March 17, 2019
Awarded
: $
700
Contact Information:
Jay
Michaels
57 Keene Road
P. O. Box 764
East Freetown
Massachusetts
02717
USA
(508) 863-2989
Reference 1:
Elizabeth Haskins
Reference 2:
Lin Aasved
Summary of Submitted Materials:
I will upload a pdf of the estimate of repairs from Luthier Colin Skofield
Submitted Documents:
Submitted Recordings:
Committee Notes:
Project Description:
Project Description (what funds are needed for):
I am seeking funds for the Repair of a 1972 Hoyer 6-string Bass Viola da Gamba. The instrument has not been played in several years and needs new strings, a new sound post, a crack repaired, a bow re-hair and some other adjustments.
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Total cost of project: $1201.44
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Proposal to cover the difference:
The total cost is the amount that I am requesting. If you cannot grant me the full amount, I plan to put aside as much money as I can and pay the balance myself.
Request Amount:
$
1201.44
Total Project Cost:
$
Budget and Additional Funding:
Qualifications:
I play several instruments including Classical Guitar, Baroque Guitar, Wire-Strung Harp, Celtic Folk Harp, Rebec and Viola da Gamba.
I am a full time musician. I have performed with my wife Abby in the Early Music duo The Harper and The Minstrel since 2002. We perform in many parts of the country at Medieval and Renaissance Festivals, Folk and Celtic Festivals, Concert Halls, Senior Facilities, and we present Early Music Educational Concerts at Schools and Libraries. We recently received a mini-grant from Early Music America to present two Early Music Programs at The Miami Music Project as part of Early Music Month 2019.
I live in Massachusetts. For the past 13 years we have performed in Florida in January, February and March at The Hoggetowne Medieval Faire in Gainesville and The Florida Renaissance Festival in Deerfield Beach. These festivals each present a “Student Day†where we get to perform Medieval and Renaissance Music for local students and give them the opportunity to see and hear our instruments up close. We have performed at similar Renaissance Festivals in Georgia, New York, California, Ohio, Kansas City and throughout New England.
My serious interest in the Viol began seven years ago. I had been playing an inexpensive student Cello, but I felt that it was not the right fit for me. I had tuned the Cello
d - g - b - e (low to high) and tied on some frets, trying to make it into a hybrid Cello/Viol. I had been playing the Cello with underhand bow, as the overhand bow never felt right to me. However, I felt I need a Viola da Gamba. I had the opportunity to play one at The Boston Early Music Festival and I fell in love.
I looked into renting a Viol, but I felt that I should look into owning my own instrument. My solution at the time was to save money and purchase a Viol, but, at that time I could not find one in my price range. A luthier I know in upstate New York, Nicolas Hambas offered a compromise for me. He built a “Bowed Dulcimer/Viol†This instrument is smaller then a Tenor Viol, and larger than a Treble. It has metal frets and wire strings. We tuned the instrument a - d - g - b (Low to high) like a Tenor Viol in Renaissance tuning (without the two highest strings). I purchased that instrument 5 years ago, and have been using it as a substitute for the Viola da Gamba.
Last September The Harper and The Minstrel were performing for one weekend in Waynesboro, Ohio at The Ohio Renaissance Festival. I had the good fortune to meet Elizabeth Haskins, a retiring associate Professor of Music at nearby Wilmington College. We talked about the Bowed Dulcimer/Viol and she asked why I was not playing a Viola da Gamba. I told her that I would love to, but I do not own one and at this point could not afford one. She gave me her contact information and said that she would see what she could do about that. A few weeks later we were performing in Kansas City when I spoke to Elizabeth again. She said that on our way home to Massachusetts we should stop by Wilmington College. She had made arrangements to give me a set a four Viols, two Trebles, a Tenor and a Bass. Her husband, Robert Haskins, who was a Professor at the College for many years, had commissioned the set of Viols to be built in West Germany in 1972. Her husband passed away three years ago and the Viols were not being used. Her generous gift was the highlight of 2018 for me, and a dream come true! My wife Abby is learning to play one of the Trebles, I have been performing with the Tenor. The Bass, the one I am the most exited about playing, is in need of some repairs: a crack in the back, new post, new strings and some other adjustments.
Luthier Colin Skofield in Massachusetts is currently repairing the Bass Viola da Gamba. I am attaching his estimate for getting the instrument and bow back in playing condition.
I intend to continue my study of Early Music for the Tenor and Bass Viols. I plan to continue performing at venues throughout the country. This year I often played the Tenor Viola da Gamba in the streets of the Florida Renaissance Festival. I have been very pleased at the number of people who has stopped to listen, and asked about the instrument, and commented on her unique look and lovely sound.
As I continue to play for the public, I hope to inspire people. I hope some of them research the Viola da Gamba and Early Music. I hope some of them take up the Viola da Gamba.
Letter of Reference 1:
Lin A. Aasved
4481 N.W. 2 Court
Coconut Creek, Florida 33066
March 13, 2019
Ms. Lisa Terry
The Viola da Gamba Society of America
Dear Ms. Terry,
As long-time devotees of Early Music, my husband and I eagerly seek out every
opportunity to appreciate it in our area. In 2006, we were delighted to discover Jay
and Abby Michaels, The Harper and The Minstrel, at our local Renaissance festival
and thoroughly enjoy their performances. Since then we have developed a strong
relationship with them, supporting their efforts to perform in South Florida and
providing a place for Mr. and Mrs. Michaels to stay in our home.
Mr. Michaels’ dedication to Early Music is evident in his continued efforts to expose
ever-wider audiences to the music’s complexities and emotional nature. Jay’s mastery
of a multitude of period instruments, including the viola da gamba, rebec, wire-strung
and folk harps, and Baroque and classical guitars, confirms his passionate devotion to
the music of long ago. His love of and enthusiasm for Early Music is revealed in his
performances at many Renaissance festivals, his leadership of the Early Music Consort
at the Florida Renaissance Festival, and his live performances at libraries, churches, and
other venues. We are especially thrilled that both Jay and Abby have created Early
Music programs for students in an effort to pass along their passion for the musical
style to a younger audience.
It has come to my attention that Mr. Michaels’ bass viola da gamba, gifted to him by
music professor Elizabeth Haskens of Willmington College, is in need of considerable
restoration. I am well aware that, as a full-time musician, Jay has very limited funds
available and that the gamba’s restoration costs will be a hardship. I therefore reach out
to you in an effort to help him obtain a grant to repair this incredibly fine instrument as
it is my hope that your organization will be able to provide assistance in this effort.
Thank you for your consideration.
Cordially,
Lin A. Aasved
Letter of Reference 2:
March 7, 2019
Dear Ms. Terry,
My name is Elizabeth Haskins. I am very pleased and honored to write a letter of recommendation to you for Jay Michaels as part of his application for grant money being awarded by the Viola da Gamba Society of America.
If you will permit me, I will give a short history of events leading up to my chance encounter
with Mr. Michaels and his spouse Abby this past September at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.
In 1971 my late husband Robert J. Haskins, Professor of Music at Wilmington College of
Ohio, founded the Collegium Musicum, the Music Department’s Early Music Performance
Ensemble. In order to purchase quality reproductions of historical instruments, he procured
a grant from the Linglebach family of Philadelphia. The collection included four violas da
gamba made by Kurt Hoyer of Stuttgart, Germany. This set consisted of two trebles, a tenor
and a consort bass. As a student, I was a founding member. In 1979, I became the director
of the ensemble and remained in that position until December 15th of 2018 when the
group was dissolved.
In honor of my service, the Music Department gifted me with the instruments when I
retired as director. I particularly wanted to find a musician who was not only a fine
performer but would agree to keep the instruments together as a family and maintain
and play them regularly. I knew this is what my late husband who taught at the college for 46 years would have wanted. After hearing Jay play and briefly discussing repertoire and musicology with him, I knew he was the person to whom I wished to gift the instruments.
The instruments are well made, however the bass and one of the trebles need extensive repair in order to restore their original condition. After careful research Jay has procured an estimate from a reputable luthier. The repair will be costly but necessary. A grant from your organization would help to defray this expense.
Since receiving the instruments Mr. Michaels has regularly given stellar performances on
the tenor and has sent me several electronic excerpts of these concerts. I cannot think of a worthier individual to receive grant money to further the exposure of these wonderful instruments and their repertoire to the American listening public.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Haskins
Assistant Professor of Music Emeritus
Wilmington College of Ohio