MARC TAYLOR, CRAFTSMAN

Born and raised in south Louisiana, Marc has deep Cajun roots in Cecelia and Arnaudville where his parents were from. Marc’s fascination and love of the violin was enkindled early in life while listening to family members play, and, of course, dance to the music of the fiddle and accordion. His dream to build violins was revitalized when he came into possession of the neck of the last violin that his grandfather, Thomas LeBlanc, had started as a young man.

Twenty five years of carving realistic duck decoys laid the foundation for Marc’s career as a luthier building violins. In the mid nineties Carrol Hebert, a retired school principal, who happens to make a very fine violin, took Marc under his wing and taught him the skills to become a competent luthier.

One of Marc’s pride and joys is a violin that was carved from sinker cypress retrieved from the Sabine River. It is now on display at the Louisiana State Museum in Baton Rouge representing part of our rich Cajun music culture.

Marc’s passion as a luthier is expressed in his own words:” The greatest thrill is when the violin is finished and I draw a bow across its strings and hear its voice for the first time. I know then that everything is right with the world, and this is what I was born to do.”

Marc Taylor
Cajun Fiddles