Workshop 'strikes a chord' at Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Between the sanding and the staining, students and adults will spend this week learning about music and technology at a guitar workshop at Purdue University.

Mechanical Engineering Technology professor Brad Harriger along with Associate Professor Mark French came up with the idea almost five years ago.

"Mark had the expertise with understanding the engineering of a guitar and musical instruments. I had the expertise of automation and manufacturing. We decided to link those two backgrounds together," said Harriger.

The result has grown into something the two colleagues never would have imagined.

"We really thought we were going to kind of come in under the radar and just do one low-key workshop and then get it out of our system and that would be it. But, it really took off. It became so popular," said French.

Students and adults come from all over the country. Kevin Powell is a high school student from Evansville and considering Purdue his college of choice as a result of the workshop.

"After I did the workshop last year I started taking guitar lessons for a year. I'm playing the guitar now," said Powell.

Diane Folz teaches engineering at Virginia Tech and has a passion for guitars. Much like her students, she is excited when something like guitars can be included in the classroom.

"Much of my scholarly work that I do is focused on building guitars and all the materials that go into it and how they behave and interact," said Folz.

The guitar workshop is more than just paying a fee and building something from a kit. Other skills are learned such as math and science.

"A lot of people don't think about what goes into making a guitar. Once they do it, they start getting an appreciation for the math, the engineering, the technology that's behind it all," said French.

French said most decide to keep their guitar rather than sell it. Some who have taken the workshop in the past are now taking guitar lessons.

Industry experts from guitar manufacturers such as Fender® are also on-hand at the workshop to assist.

"It's like Isaac Newton helping you with your Physics homework," said French.

For students, the workshop fee was $950 and includes dormitory lodging, meals in the dining hall and the guitar materials. For adults, the fee was $1,450 and includes only the guitar materials.

You can watch workshop attendees play in a LIVE band with their hand-crafted guitars Thursday evening at Nine Irish Brothers in West Lafayette.

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