Grand Magazine

AT FOLKWAY MUSIC,

-

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPH­Y BY JOHN SEWELL

in an upbeat area of Waterloo, the glistening eye candy of acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, mandolins and ukuleles is staggering. The fruits of owner Montreal native Mark Stutman’s labour — old and new fretted instrument­s, bought, sold, repaired and made — are housed and displayed throughout the building, itself laden with a rich musical history. An artist first, astute businessma­n and luthier, he is a true maven, particular­ly with Gibson guitars, which he speaks about at conference­s continent-wide. He also spoke with us about Folkway Music, a place that’s guaranteed to stir your musical soul. guitars and make left-handed guitars that would then be available.

Q AThe fellow I learned from (Sergei de Jonge, a master luthier), who’s still teaching, is in the Gatineau area of Quebec. I took a residentia­l course and I stuck around and worked for him after I finished. Then I started to build instrument­s and it morphed into this. After getting my honours degree in environmen­tal studies, geography and urban planning at the University of Waterloo, I decided to stay in the area and picked Guelph. I opened Folkway Music in 1999. Waterloo hadn’t blossomed then the way it has now and 13 years later, in 2012, I ended up back here in Waterloo.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada