During that first four week course I built two guitars spending almost every waking moment in the shop. One of the greatest joys of being a luthier is that moment when you first string up a guitar -- the excitement I felt finishing my first was absolutely incredible. I took Sergei's course once more a year later and soon returned to become his full-time apprentice. Working and living with Sergei and his wonderful family in the beautiful Gatineau hills for nearly three years was a life-changing experience. Sergei's complete willingness to openly share his vast knowledge with humor and optimism is truly inspiring.

As my time with Sergei drew to a close, I was faced with the wide open question of where to go next. Having spent many weekends exploring Montreal's incredibly vibrant music and art scene, it was an easy decision. Another of Sergei's apprentices, Jeremy Clark (52instruments.com) and I set up shop and quickly established ourselves by hosting monthly shop concerts, the occasional art exhibit, as well as taking in and teaching new and aspiring luthiers. We have since expanded into a much larger shop that is now shared by six luthiers and our reputation as a unique and important part of Montreal's music culture continues to grow.

Over the past few years I have been incredibly fortunate to have my guitars receive more and more recognition in the world of high-end instruments. In addition to participating in some of the best luthier showcases (2009-11 Montreal Guitar Show, 2011 Healdsburg Guitar Festival) my guitars have also been for sale by some of the top dealers in North America (Dream Guitars, Twelfth Fret, Music Emporium).

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