Making Their Mark

Amid the glitz and glamour of the Grammy Awards show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, producer and A&M president Ron Fair wanted something special for the televised presentation of the Black-Eyed Peas' recent smash hit "Where Is the Love?" Specifically, he needed something outstanding to underscore what he calls "the quasi-pop Mozartian string arrangement that springs off the bass line." The popular hip-hop group, with the now infamous Justin Timberlake in tow, performed the song—a 2003 Grammy nominee for Record of the Year—on the Grammy Award telecast on February 8.

"I thought, 'Let's not just have a bunch of people sitting on chairs and playing along to a prerecorded tape of strings,'" he says. "I had just gotten my girlfriend [LA session player Natalie Leggett] a Zeta solid-body violin for Christmas, so I decided to have everybody on stage standing up and playing electric instruments, rock 'n' roll style.

"It was the chance to take a more aggressive approach and have the string section play live," he adds.

In keeping with the theme of the song's music video, in which the question mark proved a prevalent theme, Fair phoned Zeta Violins owner Greg Kozak and asked if his Arizona-based company could create a quartet of white stringed instruments, each in the shape of a question mark. Three weeks later, the custom-made electric instruments were ready for the lavish stage production.

Fair hopes the unique instruments will keep on giving pleasure.

"I asked Justin and the members of the Black-Eyed Peas to sign the instruments," he says, "so we can auction them off for charities. I also asked Zeta to make ten extra violins that we can offer as radio giveaways.

"I don't know what kids will do with an electric violin," he adds, "except learn how to play it!"

—Greg Cahill

"I do believe that the first step has to be taken by the audience—or rather, by that usually tiny minority who believe that, contained within the right to free speech, is the right to ruin concerts. I should advise them that, if they continue to ignore the warning signals, it is only a matter of time before a musician turns truly violent . . . ."

—Cellist Stephen Isserlis on his dislike of cell phones,
coughs, sneezes, and snores,in the Guardian (UK), January 10, 2004

As a young violinist and fledgling maker, Gregg Alf made frequent visits to dealer Jacques Francais, at Jacques Francais Rare Violins, Inc., one of the most respected violin shops in New York City. "One of my most memorable moments with Jacques took place one day when we were studying a particularly fine-looking Guarneri del Gesù that I had copied for him," recalls Alf, now regarded as one of the world's leading luthiers.

"He stepped up to the window in his office and held both violins in direct sunlight to show me how the original varnish held its value in intense light. A heartfelt discussion of the miracles of Cremonese varnish ensued.

"At a certain point our eyes met and I could tell that this was not merely about the technique of violin making but truly about the love, the passion, of what we do."

On February 4, Francais–a Parisian native whose family can trace back its roots in the violin trade 200 years—died at home after a lengthy battle against Parkinson's Disease. Francais was 80.

He was a founding member of the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, a top dealer, an avid collector, an author and expert who helped document the Smithsonian Collection, and a mentor to many young makers and restorers. Francais' clients included the cream of the classical music string world.

Over the years, Francais—who studied violin making in Mirecourt before moving to New York in 1948—achieved several important milestones in his career.

On the desk at his office, he kept a photo inscribed by Isaac Stern, who wrote: "For Jacques, whose vast knowledge is matched only by his compassion for fiddlers' foibles.

"He ministers lovingly to our needs and we are grateful."