道班房 / Maison Forestiere

道班房原是提供負責維護鐵路公路狀況工作人員的住所，只要鐵公路所及之處，就會有她的存在，於是在荒郊深野人煙罕至之處，都還是可以找到她樸質孤獨又堅毅的身影。而因為維護道路的關係，看護道路所及之處的環境狀態，也自然而然成了道班房的任務之一。而法文的Maison Forestiere也正是森林守護者的駐在所。

"Maison Forestiere (forestry worker's house)" was originally a residence for the staff responsible for maintaining the condition of railways or roads. She can be found mainly in the deep wilds and unpopulated places. Simple but lonely. Because of road maintenance, taking care of the environment where the road reaches has naturally become one of the tasks of the maison. "Maison Forestiere" in French is also the residence of the forest guardian.

1993~2007

1990年，甫自輔仁大學法文系畢業兩年，因緣際會地開始為台灣的鳥類與生態環境進行繪畫記錄，1993年開始自組工作室，有感於自己工作的意義猶如一位負責守護環境的道班工人，於是援引”道班房 ”為工作室命名。

In 1990, two years after graduating from the French Department of Fu Jen Catholic University, I began to paint birds and plants of Taiwan. In 1993, I started to set up my own studio. I felt the meaning of my work like a person responsible for protecting the environment, so named my studio after "Maison Forestiere".

1997年，班房增加了一位班房長工—內人，就這樣兩人每個月進入山區進行野外觀察，並以攝影與繪畫方式記錄台灣鳥類生態；曾多次舉辦生態繪畫展，每年也為中華郵政設計台灣生態系列郵票。

In 1997, a long-term worker jointed to the Maison, my wife. We two went to the mountainous area every month for field observations, and recorded birds and landscape by means of photography and painting; From that time on I designed many wildlife postage stamps for Chunghwa Post Co. of Taiwan.

而十年後，道班房的新任務正悄悄形成中...

Ten years later, the new mission of the Maison was quietly taking shape...

2007~2014

班房在2003年新添了一位小小長工­­—我兒之後，漸漸有了新的任務方向。為了尋找好的教育方式，內人接觸到了華德福教育，並在兒子斷奶後每個月從台北赴宜蘭參與師訓課程。2007年，當兒子大概4歲時，因為從內人所上的課程中了解市面上所售的玩具多半不適合孩子，於是我開始嘗試為他製作一些木頭玩具；同年，內人在某一次的課程結束回到宜蘭，告訴我華德福學校的木工老師帶著孩子做一種特殊的樂器­­—萊雅琴（lyre），這訊息興起了我內心深處一股衝動，於是便上網蒐集一些文字與圖片資料之後，道班房任務新方向於焉開展...

In 2003, another small long-term worker—my son, jointed in. In order to find better education for him, my wife started to learn Waldorf education, and went to Yilan from Taipei to take teacher training courses every month after my son was weaned. In 2007, when my son was about 4 years old, I learned from my wife’s courses that most of the toys sold on the market were not suitable for young children, so I started to try to make some wooden toys for my son. Once after returning from Yilan, my wife told me that the carpentry teacher of the Waldorf school took the children to make a special musical instrument — lyre. This news aroused an impulse deep in my heart, so I started to find informations and pictures on web. A new way of the Maison appeared...

初始的起心動念只是一位為人父者單純想為自己的孩子親手做把琴，當然也有滿足自己從小未被滿足的玩心成分；加上原本工作與生態、環保密切相關，於是突發奇想地想用身邊唾手可得的材料甚或廢料再生來做，於是首先相中的是內人準備汰舊換新的一塊舊砧板；接著按圖索驥參考網路搜尋所得照片中的五金配件尋找材料，最後在網路向美國下單買到無法尋得替代物的配件後，「菜板lyre」就此開工，並在數個月土法煉鋼的摸索後，或許是台灣第一把自製五音lyre發出了第一聲弦音！ 

原本一塊滿是刀痕與霉斑的舊砧板，經過一番整理打磨之後又呈現出嶄新的面貌；說也奇怪，打從有了這把琴之後，每天晚上哄兒子睡覺不再是難事，媽媽說故事爸爸彈lyre寶寶睡覺就成了標準的睡前儀式。就這樣這把琴伴著兒子度過數個寒暑，而我也一直很滿足於為兒子做了這把琴。

The initial idea was that a father simply wanted to make an musical instrument for his son. For my job was closely related to ecology and environmental protection, so suddenly I wished to use the materials that were easily available around me or even recycled waste to make the lyre, so the first target was the old chopping board that my wife was planning to replace with a new one. After getting all materials from hardware store or web, the "cutting board lyre" started construction, and after several months of groping, perhaps the first home-made pentatonic lyre of Taiwan made its first sound!

After some sorting and polishing, the old cutting board full of knife marks and mildew spots showed magically a brand new look. It's a miracle that since I got this lyre, it is no longer difficult to put my son to sleep every night: mom's story, dad's lyre playing and baby to bed has become a standard bedtime ritual. In this way, the lyre accompanied my son through several winters and summers, and I have always been very happy with making this magical instrument for my son.

2008年因為華德福教育舉家自台北移民來到後山宜蘭，應許多家長要求開辦工作坊分享自己做琴的經驗；2011年英國lyre專業演奏家John Billing先生首次來台演出，掀起了一股旋風；經過這一番洗禮之後，原以為終我一生能做五音lyre就滿足的心突然開了竅：若把原來的五音琴多按上幾根弦多幾個音，不就可以跟著兒子的成長多奏出一些曲調嗎?! 於是跳脫了五音開始往半音階lyre邁進，接著是挑戰共鳴箱的製作；如蝸行般一步一步地徐行，直到2012年John二度來台演出並舉辦工作坊，我湊了前前後後幾把試驗琴提供在工作坊裡使用。一天，John突然問我：「你為什麼不做大琴呢？這麼小的琴只適合孩子！」這一問有如當頭棒喝！「是啊！為什麼不？」我自問。

In 2008, because of Waldorf education, we moved from Taipei to Yilan. At the request of many parents, I started workshop to share my experience in making lyre. In 2011, Mr. John Billing, a professional lyre player from the UK, came to Taiwan for the first time, setting off a wave of lyre enthusiasm. After this baptism, my thought of being satisfied with making pentatonic lyre in my life suddenly cahnged: if I put more strings on the small lyre, can I play more tunes when my son grow up?! So I started to make a small chromatic lyre with sound box. In 2012 John came to Taiwan for the second time. One day, John suddenly asked me: "Why don't you make a bigger lyre? Such a small lyre is only suitable for children!" This question was like a slap in the face! "Yeah! Why not?" I asked myself.

所幸在這之前已傻傻地做了六、七把小琴，半音階、共鳴箱與琴橋等都累積了一些經驗，現在就是把規模放大，最後在2012年底日本lyre演奏家吉良 創先生二度來台授課前完工，而在吉良 創先生的彈奏工作坊中第一次公開亮相；面對這麼一把在台灣土生土長的lyre，在我與吉良 創先生的個別課結束前，吉良 創先生也忍不住用這把琴彈奏了一曲巴哈的大提琴小步舞曲！這把41絃琴也就是後來Kavalan 41 solo lyre的前身原型；而取名Kavalan，則是為了紀念這把琴是在宜蘭（噶瑪蘭）孕育誕生的。而道班房也自此由原本的平面生態繪畫逐漸轉型為靈性樂器lyre的製作！

Fortunately, before this, I have accumulated some experience in chromatic scale, sound box and bridge. My first big chromatic lyre was finished before the Japanese lyre player-Hajime Kira came to Taiwan, and it was the first public appearance in Kira's lyre playing workshop. Facing such a lyre that was born and bred in Taiwan, before the end of my individual class with Mr. Kira, he played Bach's cello minuet with this lyre! This 41-strings lyre is the prototype of the later Kavalan 41 solo soprano lyre; the name "Kavalan" commemorates the birth of this lyre in Yilan (Kavalan). Since then, the Maison has gradually transformed from the wildlife painting to the making of spiritual musical instrument-lyre!

2015~2023

2015年，把握陪伴兒子赴澳洲半年的機會，帶著Kavalan 41前往拜訪兩位澳洲製琴師: Murray Wright和Justin Montfiore。兩位大師對我毫無保留有問必答，提供非常多寶貴經驗與意見。帶著滿滿收穫回到台灣後，便著手變更設計製作新款琴。2017年，新款蝶詠(Chrysalis)41問世，音質與共鳴大幅提升。為了讓品質更加穩定，2021年再次精進改版為洄聲(FlowForm)全系列萊雅琴。由於蝶詠與洄聲系列琴音質與做工已逐漸達到成熟穩定，道班房於2017年始以專業里拉/萊雅琴工作室的面貌正式公開。期待15年來的摸索與經驗累積能為台灣的里拉/萊雅發展貢獻一份心力!

In 2015, I seized the opportunity to accompany my son to Australia for half a year, and took my Kavalan 41 to visit two Australian luthiers: Murray Wright and Justin Montfiore. The two masters answered all my questions without hesitation, and provided a lot of valuable opinions. After returning to Taiwan, I started to change the design and make a new type of lyre. In 2017, the new Chrysalis 41 came out, the sound quality and resonance were greatly improved. In order to make the quality more stable, in 2021, it was upgraded again to the full series of lyres of FlowForm. As the sound quality and workmanship of Chrysalis and FlowForm series lyres have gradually reached maturity and stability, Maison Forestiere was officially opened in 2017 as a professional lyre atalier. I hope that my 15 years efforts will contribute to the lyre development in Taiwan!