In 1996 a course specializing in the making of musical instruments was introduced into the Department of Music and Dramatic Arts ( The Conservatory ) of the Hogeschool in Gendt.
It was decided to opt for the building of string instruments, harpsichords, historical organs and fortes piano's.

Keyboard for a Pfister. Build by: Jan Van den Hemel

This course is ideally situated within the framework of a conservatory since the process of construction is carried out hand in hand with the future users of the instruments.
These instrumentalists are considered the ultimate test for the constructors and the contact between builder and player - the provision of the artistic cross-fertilization necessary for the development of the ideal instrument - is a process ratified by historical precedent. The desirable space was found within the buildings of Bijloke-campus.

The premises has been refurbished, specialized machinery installed an the necessary quantity of exceptionally high quality dry wood acquired, and a specialized library is being extended. Techniques employed in the construction of a musical instrument are complex. The success of the procedure is not incidental, but relies on constant evaluation and continual readjustment.
Respected craftsmen take on the responsibility for studies in the practical topics:
François Bodart (strings)
Jan Boon ( harpsichord and organ )
Hilde Coessens ( tuning and voicing )
Jan Van den Hemel ( forte piano )

These professionals extend their respective vocations into the school workshops. In this way, not only is the vital need of a role-model fulfilled (the oldest and best tried method of instruction), but the workshop is alive, the current needs become more fully appreciated and better acted upon.

The complete course of education takes five years of study. The first two years of the bachelor degree are followed by three years of a master degree.
Vocational aspects are embedded into theoretical studies ( Music History, acoustics, philosophy, the theory and practice of Old Music etc...).

To begin with, several basic techniques are taught in the workshops by means of building simple instruments ( monochord, tetrachord,...).
The necessary personalized tools are manufactured. At the same time the student carries out thorough research into the more complex instrument that is to be build later on. For this purpose visits are organized to examine the heritage of musical instruments both in this country and abroad, including private collections. Relevant data is collated in the form of linear measurement, sound recordings, photographs and the moulding of profiles. The pupil is initiated into the art of tuning, adjustment and voicing and absorbs the basic literature about instrument building.

When the time comes for the first proper instrument to be built, the student’s knowledge of material is extended. This includes consultation about the choice and purchase of wood and other basic materials. The craft and its systems are familiarized and its continued development and refinement stimulated.
Voicing, adjustment and intonation techniques are optimized. The senses are sharpened and aligned towards one and the same end: striving towards balance, dynamism and harmony. Continual and repeated engagement with historical examples, more comprehensive study of the subject literature, including current information and documentation, dialogue and intensive research, lead - by means of the development of a style-consciousness - to a genuine appreciation of style. A continual and repeated confrontation with musicians serves to develop insights in the way instruments are played and stimulates familiarity with sound idiom.

On the other hand, the student is taught to take his/her own initiative and is encouraged to work independently, this being fundamental to any empirical approach. A growth in awareness, a self-manifestation are natural qualities fundamental to the acquisition of the capacity for critical reflection and conductive to a more expansive appreciation. These processes - evident throughout history - of culture in the broadest sense of the word, are vibrantly present within the craft of instrument building ( this may well serve to clarify the haze of “alchemism” and mystery surrounding this craft ).

Creativity flourishes against this background and is only limited by the boundaries of the tradition of musical instrument building - a tradition which owes its origins to the historical interaction between music itself and the medium through which it is performed. In this way the future evolution of the craft is secured.
The maintenance of quality continues to be an ongoing process. The work that has been achieved each year is critically inspected by an examining jury comprised of eminent ranking musicians such as Jos Van Immerseel, Sigiswald Kuijken...

Jan Rispens, Jan Boon

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