Garfield UMC member John Elwood makes instruments and music from scratch

Sharing music
WSU grad makes instruments and music from scratch
Monday, May 2, 2011
WSU Today
By Matt Haugen, WSU News

PULLMAN, Wash. - “The heartbeat is the basis of rhythm.”

For 40 years, Washington State University alumnus John Elwood has followed that beat to create music and instruments.

Making something from nothing, to share with others, is his delight, he said.

He carves wood into a variety of instruments. He also makes "canjos" - a take-off of a banjo made from string, a solid wood neck and a can. The can from Cougar Gold - a cheese made at the WSU Pullman creamery - is a local favorite.

To see an article from Washington State Magazine about Elwood, click here.

To learn more about Elwood, his music and the canjo, watch a video here.

Breakfast at Grossmans. Easter service 4/24/2011

Palm Sunday Service 4/17/2011

Transfiguration Sunday service March 6, 2011

Transfiguration Sunday service, March 6, 2011, at Garfield UMC was held downstairs in the church. A brunch was served. Guest of honor during the service was baby (born in January 2011) Emmalyn Elaine Olsen, daughter of Erin and Mike Olsen. She was accompanied by Erin. Two youth church members sang, “This Little Light of Mine.” Pastor Peggy Ray put 72 pennies in the birthday jar and was serenaded by parishioners singing “Happy Birthday.” Peggy served communion.

Notes from Garfield UMC 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011, service…

• --Celebrating her 10th birthday was Taylor, who put 10 pennies into a container on the altar, with a close-up viewing by her friend, Miriam, and Pastor Peggy.
  
  

--After today’s service in the pews, Wanda (center); visited with Taylor (left) and Miriam (right).

--Good news in today’s church bulletin: Pastor Peggy has “been fully approved as a local church pastor and can consecrate the communion elements and baptize!”

Birthday pennies tradition renewed

Tradition was once again renewed during Garfield UMC’s Sunday morning Feb. 20, 2011, service. Tradition says that each time a church member has a birthday, they donate the number of pennies representing the number of years of age being celebrated. In this case, two church members were celebrating. One turned age 64 on Feb. 20 and the other age 63 on Feb. 19. Photo shows a penny donated by the Feb. 20 celebrant.

Garfield’s John Elwood plays the canjo

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.