I Am Not Alone

I have posted more than 100 blog entries since I started The Benjamin Blog and in each one, I speak to the VALUES that have made the American people great. The traditional values of: Trust, Honesty, Hard Work, Integrity, Giving Value for the fee charged, Passion for what we do, and the pursuit of Excellence. Dr. Scott Weed is a young dentist who has decided to become an endodontist. He recently had a personal experience that he wrote about and distributed to a small group of friends and colleagues. His writings were never intended to be widely distributed but they are so in tune with the essence of the message on this blog that I asked him if he would mind if I placed his message on The Benjamin Blog.
Please understand that we should NEVER miss an opportunity to learn about those rare individuals who are passionate about what they do and strive for EXCELLENCE not because they can earn more money but because they are human beings that receive their satifaction from WHAT they do and HOW they do it. For these folks, excellence is never an option but a modus operendi (method of operation) of how they approach their work, their passion and their life.
Please read Dr. Scott Weed's story...You will love it on this first week of the New Year.

Salt Lake City, UT 2009
Excellence knows no professional bounds!
by Scott T. Weed DDS
Wednesday, December 23

I had an experience of a lifetime today.

My wife and I with our five young children made the drive last week from Los Angeles, CA to Salt Lake City, UT to spend the Holidays with my in-laws. When we mentioned to them that we’re thinking of starting violin lessons for our two girls, my father-in-law tells me that he’s got a neighbor, Peter Prier, who’s a master luthier. He arranged for me to take my girls (Sadie who is almost 5 and
Stevey who is 6 1/2) to Peter’s shop. I was excited. My 3 y.o. son Gordon tagged along too...

We arrived at the shop at around 3pm today and spent a good hour there. Peter emerged from the back of the shop and after introductions I mentioned that I’d like to get the girls started on the violin. He's probably between 65 and 70 years old, stands about 6 feet tall, was born in Germany and came to the States in 1961. His slight German accent perfectly harmonized with the totality of the scene. He stood before us studying the girls in a way that intrigued me. He snapped up and turned to a rack of student violins behind him and said, “This should be a perfect size,” as he grabbed the 1/10 violin. He guided the tiny instrument into the arm and under the chin of Stevey and had her “palm grasp” the scroll of the instrument with her left hand and said, “See...a perfect fit.”

He repeated this for Sadie. Without delay Peter began tuning the instrument with no reference pitch whatsoever. He plucked swiftly at the strings singly and in combination with each other as he adjusted the tuning pegs. Next appeared a bow with which he rasped the strings as if assessing the tone of the violin. He set that instrument down and proceeded to do the same with two others. Then he went back and forth between the instruments playing bits of notes and runs...his mind seemed to race. He did this for only about 30-60 seconds per instrument but it seemed like 10 minutes. “This one is the best,” he said handing me the instrument. It’s hard to explain but he had both a confidence about him and a great humility. He commanded both respect and obedience without saying a word. He could have said to me during the process, “Go empty that trash can in the corner,” and I’d have done it for him.

We then talked about instrument construction and when I told him I had minor experience building guitars the conversation turned to woods, shellac, resins, glues, carving instruments, etc. He asked me to wait a minute and he’d return.
After 3-5minutes he returned with an old violin. He explained that it was made in 1718 by Antonio Stradivari. He said it was called the “firebird” due to it's reddish finish and brilliant flamed maple and sound. He picked up a bow and played for 5 minutes or so and I was absolutely mesmerized by the complex yet warm tone. I immediately recalled a Latin phrase inscribed on an Elizabethan lute:

Viva fui in silvis
I was alive in the wood
Sum dura Occisa
I was cut by the cruel axe
Securi dum vixi tacui
In life I was silent
Mortua dolce cano
In death I sweetly sing

This was maple from northern Croatia and Alpine Spruce grown during Europe’s “little ice age.” He explained that of all of Stradivari’s instruments, those built from 1700-1720 were considered his best and that this “firebird” was among an elite group of 12 instruments.

He stretched out his arm toward me and told me to take the instrument. I hesitated. "You want me to hold it?" "Yes," he said. I carefully extended my hand and took the instrument. He could tell I was considering its weight in my hands and said, “It weighs one pound exactly.” I examined the wood, the finish, the purfling, the f-holes, the original printed name inside with date...everything. I cannot describe the feeling of awe as I held this instrument and could not help but think of the man who made it. An ordinary Italian man born in 1644 made the decision that he would be the best luthier he could be. And his legacy remains now 291 years later in the hands of a kid from the Nevada desert who thinks he wants to do root canals. Humbling. Peter told me he was selling the instrument for $8 million soon to a Swiss man who has “more money than he knows what to do with.” The ultimate plan of the Swiss buyer is to donate the instrument back to a museum in Stradivari’s hometown of Cremona, Italy. I plucked a few of the strings, knowing that my hands were among the most profane to coax sound from the instrument. I handed the instrument back to Peter.

We then discussed the violin for my girls and he talked about the price for the violin, the bow, and the case and at no point did I feel pressure, nor did I feel any bit that he was a salesman. I felt that he understood me and wanted to give me what would be best for my needs. I really don’t know much about violins but I trusted him completely. I paid for the instrument and loved every minute of it. I told my father-in-law, who was with us there, that I would do business with a guy like that any day of the week. I’d fly across country to buy from Peter if I need another violin. It doesn’t feel like I spent money. It feels like I gained a ton and in exchange gave something to a man who deserved every penny and then some. I can’t imagine coming any closer to the true spirit of “Americanism” than this transaction. One thing he said that struck me was this: “I can’t afford to sell junk here.” This is when he mentioned that there are dealers online who sell violins for $125 or $150. I felt a bit ashamed that I had found a website earlier that sold a $125 model and had considered getting it. As I was leaving he said, “Now don’t forget, if it doesn’t work out for your girls, or if they continue to play and outgrow the instrument, bring it back and I’ll give you full value.”

Peter Prier is an expert. He practices excellence. He does not compromise. He carries with him a confidence that is a direct consequence of his practice philosophy. He runs a “boutique” shop in downtown Salt Lake City, UT and I spent about $500 more there than I had planned. But I couldn't be happier. My girls are excited and will always remember standing in a small shop, the smell of wood in the air, and this old German man with a green shop apron playing beautiful music for them on a cold snowy day.

Excellence knows no professional bounds. Excellence is not always appreciated by everyone. But the rewards of living an excellent life are orders of magnitude greater than pursuing any other path...