Recorder maker Bob Marvin has passed away
Bob Marvin, a renowned and beloved recorder maker, died on December 24, 2018. He was a hugely influential figure in the recorder community, and served on the editorial board of
American Recorder magazine starting in June 1990.
In his own words:
I grew up on a small farm in southern New Jersey, milking cows by hand and roaming our woods. Adolescence was in Kansas, fossil-hunting and wondering what to do about girls. I studied some mathematical physics in southern California, and became dissolute. I fell into music haphazardly: my sister signed me up for tuba in school and my California roommate played recorder. Visiting friends in Boston, I heard there was a recorder-maker in the area; so I went to see Friedrich von Huene, and ended up working for him a couple of years. He showed me how such things could be done, and taught me to be careful with my hands. Vielen Dank, Friedrich! Out on my own, a while later I met Nikolaus Harnoncourt, who pressed me with the importance of knowing the original instruments in European collections. I finally took his advice and was hosted in Vienna by Hans Maria Kneihs. Veni, vidi, mensus sum, Alea jacta erat. Danke sehr, Nikolaus und Hans!
I am more interested in the music than the instruments, which should be just tools. I like to help other players who share an historically aesthetic approach to 15th-16th c. music, but am happy when anyone is pleased by my flutes.
More information and tributes will appear in the Spring 2019 issue of American Recorder magazine.
See Bob's website here.
