3D-Printed Violins Have Me Hopeful for the Future of Classical Music

These Gen-Zers are laser-beam luthiers

Nick Wolny
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Photo: Hill Street Studios/Getty Images

I attribute the majority of my professional success to studying music. Even though I ended up not pursuing the arts professionally, learning an instrument taught me rigor, failure, and the power of deliberate practice. It’s a sentiment echoed by many who intensely pursued a sport or extracurricular activity that required mastery and dedication.

As a French horn player, I started fairly late, at 11 years old. To be successful on an orchestral string instrument, you usually need to start way earlier, which is why violins exist in quarter-size, half-size, and ¾-size models. Between replacement parts, private lessons, and evolving school district budgets, it can be a pursuit peppered with challenges.

That’s where 3D Music, a manufacturing startup out of Cleveland, comes in. Using ultra-precise printing technology, the company can produce quality, resonant violins from a single piece of plastic. I recently connected with founder and engineer Matthew Canel and business development lead Ben Kaufman to learn more about what the technology means for the future of fine arts education.

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Published in Debugger

Debugger is a former publication from Medium about consumer technology and gadgets. Currently inactive and not taking submissions.

Nick Wolny
Nick Wolny

Written by Nick Wolny

Finance columnist, Out magazine. Sign up for Financialicious, a newsletter on personal finance and LGBTQ+ topics: nickwolny.com.