My goal is to animate the inanimate. To do this I use a medium I’ve worked with for over 40 years, designing and restoring orchestral wind instruments.

My inspiration is every book, movie, concert and play I’ve experienced sometimes by actively participating, others by observation. The materials I use begin as auditory stimulants and at the end of their musical life I transform them into visual stimulants, sometimes real, sometimes fantasy.

The hidden message for those who care to look, is the amazing craftsmanship that went into making these instruments I use, some of them dating back to the early 1900s. I see a growing trend in the United States that takes us away from the grace and meticulous attention to detail of the past. Excellence in manufacturing has become the exception instead of the rule. Unfortunately this also affects the importance we as a multicultural country put on orchestral music in our public schools. If we don’t instill an interest in music early in the lives of our students it can’t help but adversely affect our musical future from the performer to the audience.

Artfully Yours,

J.Gleason