Although I have never received formal training in woodworking, my passion for working with wood has grown from a childhood hobby into a lifelong artistic pursuit. As a child, I began by experimenting with a fretsaw, crafting simple wood mosaics and marquetry, and later moved into carving. There was a pause in my practice during my teenage years, but by the age of 19, I returned to woodworking, focusing on the creation of artistic objects for interior spaces. When I transitioned from violin to viola, I also began experimenting with building musical instruments. My first attempt involved constructing a viola body, using pre-fabricated parts for the neck, pegs, and bridge. The process was slow and intuitive, with each new project deepening my connection to the craft of instrument-making. In 2019, a friend and I built a dedicated woodworking studio. The isolation of the Covid period gave me time to refine my techniques and develop new ideas. After moving to Germany, I brought with me a variety of woods and materials, committed to continuing the creation of both instruments and sculptural objects. One of my earliest projects in this new phase was redesigning my first viola. Originally made with standard tonewoods, it took on a more personalized, non-traditional shape—an approach that reflects my way of composing music. This experiment deepened my interest in alternative tuning systems and their cultural resonances, prompting me to study musical instrumentation with renewed curiosity. Today, my approach to building instruments centers not only on form but also on sound and the tuning systems that shape musical experience. I often work with recycled materials and salvaged instrument parts, bringing new life to both objects and the sounds they create. Working with wood is also a dialogue with tools. Sometimes, before I can build an instrument, I need to design and make the tool required to build it. Understanding materials is an endless journey—but so is understanding design. Instrument-making, for me, is not only technical; it is philosophical. It touches on language, the body, communication, history, and nature. It explores how human creativity shapes the tone, form, and meaning of sound. Instrument-making, in this sense, is an extension of composition—designing not only a body but a voice. I repurpose discarded instruments, experiment with new forms, and study the histories embedded in materials and tuning systems. Whether standard or non-standard, each instrument I build carries a reason for being, a reflection of how sound and silence are shaped by intent.