CAS Joins VSA

The Catgut Acoustical Society and the Violin Society of America are pleased to announce that the Catgut Acoustical Society (CAS) joined the Violin Society of America (VSA) as the CAS Forum in 2004 and continues its distinguished research in musical acoustics.

The VSA is an international organization of more than 1500 members whose mission is to advance the art and science of making stringed instruments and bows. This is accomplished through international competitions, conventions, publications, the VSA-Oberlin workshop programs in instrument making, bow making, instrument setup and violin acoustics and a scholarship program.

Prior to the merger, the CAS is an international organization of more than 500 members dedicated to acoustic research and its application to the construction of fine stringed instruments.

The two groups have shared goals and interests and have many members in common. Recent VAS-CAS collaborative efforts have resulted in the addition, in 2002, of a violin acoustics workshop to the VSA-Oberlin summer workshop program.

We are very pleased with the new opportunities that working together will provide. At the time of the merger, CAS members were sent a Letter to the Membership in November 2004, which further explained the benefits of this merger. These include:

1. The CAS organization continues as a CAS Forum within the VSA, allowing CAS to pursue its mission as we have in the past.
2. The combined organization has about 1800 members - a greater audience for promoting our mission and sharing ideas.
3. The merged organization has an annual conference. The CAS Forum has invited speakers in acoustics and science, and will have sessions devoted to such topics - providing an opportunity to share ideas with more violin enthusiasts.
4. The VSA publications were expanded to include two new issues each year, which will consist of papers submitted for review. The new semi-annual issues will contain a wide range of papers appealing to those interested in bowed strings, and will include refereed papers on acoustics.
5. We also plan to make more use of communications possibilities using the Internet - such as an Online newsletter and, perhaps, an online discussion group for CAS Forum members.