Natural and plant materials are the basis of this instrument which offers a better sound quality than a traditional violin
Natural materials and, above all, of vegetable origin are the basis of this instrument which offers an even better sound quality than a traditional violin
Since the beginning of the history of music, humans have used it materials of animal origin to make the first tools: horsehair for stringed instruments, skins stretched for percussion, but also hooves, horns and bones have become part of musical instruments. Today, although technology in tool making has made great strides, it is still impossible to do without these products that represent suffering inflicted on animals: even modern musical instruments, in fact, contain parts of animals or are made by testing on animals glues and paints.
To make a violin, in addition to the horsehair used for the strings and the bow, a glue of animal origin is traditionally used, made from the skin, bones and tendons of horses (but sometimes also of rabbits or fish); furthermore, the strings and the bow may contain parts of ivory coming from the tusks of elephants or fibers from the intestines of other animals.
To finally try to create music that didn't involve animal suffering, Irish luthier Padraig O'Dubhlaoidh created the first violin in the world completely vegan and free of materials of animal origin, replacing with natural and above all vegetable alternatives every component once from animals.
(Read also: World Vegan Day, 10 reasons to go vegan now)
Steamed pears, wild berry-based paints to dye the wood and spring water to make the glue - nature has provided the luthier with all the materials to make an instrument of excellent workmanship, whose sound is even better than that produced by a traditional violin. His work has also been registered under the Vegan Society trademark.
In addition to the benefit for animals, society and our environment, over time it has become clear that glues of animal origin have harmful effects on violins, inducing strong tensions on wooden components. The adhesive used in my vegan violins, however, has no such effect. Regardless of the ethics, this is an acoustic improvement - explained the luthier. - With our planet facing crises on almost all fronts, the collective voice of the people who want a fairer future grows stronger every day. Ethical musicians are part of this movement and have long wanted a violin that is completely vegan but retains all the qualities of the classical instrument.
Luthier Padraig O'Dubhlaoidh at work on his violin (@Vegan Violins)
O'Dubhlaoidh, a luthier for forty years, said he was intrigued by a commission he received a few years ago when a client asked him to make a vegan violin: to respond to that request, and to the pressing demand of an increasingly large slice of the population that cares about the environment and is committed every day to a more ethical and sustainable world, the luthier has done his utmost to create this product craftsmanship that will also allow those vegan musicians whose ethics does not allow them to play the violin to start a journey with this instrument.
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Fonti: BBC / Vegan Violins
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