Armand Aromin VM ’13
Before coming to the NBSS, I was a music performance major at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and shortly before that, I was at Berklee College of Music pursuing a degree in Music Education.
After realizing that the program in Ireland was not worth the money, I left and returned to Rhode Island where I was able to reconnect with NBSS alumnus Dennis McCarten [VM ’06] who had made a viola for one of my classmates while I was still in high school. I inquired about the violin making program and it wasn’t long before I was convinced that this was the next step I needed to take.
I chose to study violin making because I wanted to combine the best of the music and wood-working worlds. I also knew I was more likely to find employment and some semblance of financial security than if I went elsewhere and finished my music degree. Rather than playing for my meals, I decided that music was something I would want to keep as a supplementary source of income.
My advice to prospective students: Be patient. You will surely encounter plenty of frustration and hardships while you’re here, but if you accept the position you’re in and learn from the mistakes you make along the way, your time in the school will be much more enjoyable.
I chose to study violin making because I wanted to combine the best of the music and wood-working worlds. I also knew I was more likely to find employment and some semblance of financial security than if I went elsewhere and finished my music degree.
