The World Beyond Your Head

Crawford highlights the intricate craft of pipe organ making, exemplified by the work of George Taylor, John Boody, and their team in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. This team is deeply embedded in the rich tradition of organ making, a practice requiring extensive knowledge and skill passed down through generations of apprenticeships. The artisans at Taylor and Boody not only maintain historical techniques but also engage innovatively with tradition to improve their craft.

Crawford uses this setting to discuss broader themes about craftsmanship and the modern workforce. He criticizes the current educational and economic systems that favor generic skills and flexibility over deep, specialized knowledge. Contrary to the prevalent belief in continuous disruption, Crawford argues that engagement with a specific craft can foster both intellectual and moral growth. This is seen in how the craftsmen at Taylor and Boody derive meaning and a sense of continuity from their work, contributing to a tradition that links them with both past and future generations.

Furthermore, Crawford discusses the economic context, noting a resurgence of interest in specialty manufacturing in the US, where advanced digital tools have revitalized traditional crafts by lowering the costs of prototyping and manufacturing. He suggests that such developments allow for a new kind of economy where small-scale, high-skill manufacturing could thrive, providing a counter-narrative to mass production.

The narrative also touches on the broader “organ wars,” historical debates over the direction of organ making, which pit traditional craftsmanship against modern manufacturing techniques that prioritize volume and technological innovation over sound quality. These debates reflect deeper cultural tensions about the role of technology and the preservation of skilled labor, themes that Crawford highlights as central to understanding the value of craftsmanship in a modern context.

Moreover, Crawford delves into the subtleties of the Baroque organ sound that was revered by organ reformers. To gain a deeper understanding, he consults Frank Archer, an organist, who demonstrates the unique “chiff” sound of the Baroque organ at First Presbyterian Church in Farmville, Virginia. This sound—a breathy, percussive noise at the start of each note—is essential for clarity in contrapuntal music and helps in differentiating overlapping melodic lines, which is crucial in large, reverberant spaces like churches.

Crawford further explores how historical practices in organ making were abandoned for modern techniques that prioritized smoothness over the crisp, articulate sound of older organs. This shift led to a loss of the organ’s musical sharpness, a change driven by gradual alterations in the material properties of the pipes over generations, notably through the process of nicking the languid to mimic the aged sound of older pipes. This historical narrative of evolving musical taste and organ construction techniques underscores a cultural shift toward and then away from these modifications.

The reformation movement in organ building, Crawford points out, was not merely a return to old techniques but a rediscovery and affirmation of the organ’s historical sound qualities, which were deemed superior. This movement parallels broader themes of cultural preservation and innovation, where past practices are revisited not for nostalgia but for their inherent value in enhancing the future of the craft.

Additionally, Crawford discusses the sense of inheritance and tradition that energizes the craftsmen at Taylor and Boody, rather than weighing them down. He illustrates this through the story of Chris Bono, who, while restoring an organ at St. Francis church, chose to prioritize musical quality over strict historical accuracy, leading to his falling out with the Organ Historical Society. Bono’s modifications, which introduced Baroque elements into a non-Baroque organ, exemplify a craftsman’s evaluative approach toward historical artifacts, focusing on enhancing their function and musicality rather than preserving them unchanged.

The narrative highlights the dynamic of reverence and innovation that exists in the craft of organ building. Crawford explains that this is not merely about replicating historical techniques but engaging in a continuous dialogue with the past to innovate and improve upon it. This engagement is not confined to the craftsmen alone but extends to a broader community, including musicians and congregations, who interact with the final product.

The chapter concludes by contrasting the modern view of creativity as creatio ex nihilo (“creation out of nothing”) with the traditional craft perspective, where creativity is seen as emerging from within a continuum of past practices. Crawford argues that true creativity involves a deep engagement with tradition, which allows for a richer and more contextual understanding of craft, ultimately enabling craftsmen to produce work that is both historically informed and uniquely their own.