Story from Spring 2011 issue of Washington State Magazine by Larry Clark. Photo by Zach Mazur. WS Magazine video. Slight editing of story by by the Herald of Garfield UMC.
You’ve enjoyed the cheese, but what do you do with a Cougar Gold can?
John Elwood (WSU Class of 2001) builds fine stringed instruments—dulcimers, mandolins, banjos, harpsichords— so using the iconic WSU Cougar Gold cheese tin can to craft a banjo seemed a logical choice. The Elberton resident created a canjo, a fretless guitar, tunable instrument for all ages.
“These are three-string, robust instruments, have the scale dimensions of a violin, and are inexplicably pleasant to the ear,” says Elwood. “I blame it on the excellence of the cheese.”
His affection for WSU’s signature cheddar developed early as he helped his father, Lewis Elwood (WSU Class of 1965), clean Troy Hall. WSU cheese, including Cougar Gold, is made by the WSU Creamery. The creamery’s dairy bar, Ferdinand’s, was located in Troy Hall until it moved to its current location in the WSU Food Quality Building.
Elwood was not alone in thinking to put strings on the musical can. Last year, the creamery received a canjo built by Dennis Skelton, an instrument maker in Georgia and father of Pullman resident Duane Skelton.
Here’s bio information based on info about John Elwood posted by The Bank Left Gallery in Palouse:
John Elwood was born Aug. 12, 1951, in Pullman, Wash.
He lived in Albion and attended Pullman schools (K-12). He attended Washington State University in Pullman his freshman year. In 1969, he left the Palouse for a year and attended two quarters at Portland State University.
Following that, he worked on the Ozette Village archaeological site until the end of 1970.
John eventually relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area, living in East Palo Alto and working at a medical clinic in Menlo Park. It was during this period that he built his first dulcimer, at the Genet Nicho Guitar Shop in Mountain View, California.
John spent several years on the southern Oregon coast before meeting Sally Burkhart on a visit to Albion, which began a fruitful musical partnership, as well as a family. He and Sally have lived in rural Whitman County ever since.
They have two sons, Robin Elwood and Brendan Burkhart.
In 1996, John returned part-time to Washington State University, and he earned his bachelors degree there in 2001.
John currently works as a piano technician, which subsidizes his instrument-building activities.
His future intentions include shifting emphasis toward building instruments, songwriting, performing and working with his children.
