The MacArthur Foundation has just announced its "genius" grants for this year. One of the winners is Benoit Rolland, a Boston based archetier, or maker of bows for stringed instruments. My viola bow is a Benoit Rolland bow! When I bought my Marten Cornelisson viola some years ago, I tried out a number of bows, and the Benoit Rolland bow made me sound markedly better -- a deeper, richer tone. In my world, that is as good as having a torn, dirty Michael Jordan shirt from his college days [the prized possession of one of my wife's sons.]
I feel that I have been touched with greatness.
