I've been doing art of some kind ever since I was in grade school. Here's the "rest of the story":

Name: Ronald Cook (AKA Coog)

Born: 1946, San José, California

Raised in the Sunnyvale/Cupertino area of the Santa Clara Valley when apricot, plum, pear, and cherry orchards filled the countryside as far as you could see. Lived in an early pre-Silicon Valley suburban community of Navy personnel, Westinghouse employees, and career cannery workers. Father was a carpenter, mother was a housewife, and brother was 12 years older and a good artist and caricaturist. I started raising horses at 14, and we moved to a small ranch in Gilroy, California, in 1964. That same year I started going to Gavilan College, where I began my real arts education.

Drafted into the Army in 1966. Spent 6 months in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, and 13 months in Korea. Became part of a touring Army Entertainment Corps group playing bass guitar in a folk-rock/psychedelic-rock-style band. Spent one year touring the length and width of South Korea four times from the peace center at Pan Mun Jom to Pusan. Entertained thousands of troops and did several good-will tours of Korean schools, and appeared on Armed Forces Radio, and Korean television. This is where I became known as "Coog."

After release from the Army in October, 1968, joined a band with other ex-Korea Army friends and formed a commune in San José. Played original music for two years at colleges, be-ins, and concerts, including a gig at the Fillmore West and an exciting job backing Chuck Berry at the San José Civic Auditorium.

Started four years of carpenter apprenticeship training in 1972. Spent 7 more years as a journeyman carpenter and accumulated power and hand tools for my home workshop. During the recessionary period in the 1980s, when carpentry work was scarce-to-nonexistent, I went back to college and became a technical writer, switching from analog to digital employment. However, I kept my hands on wood every weekend in my own shop.

I began building dulcimers around 1972 while living in Mission San José. (Now part of Fremont, California.) Became interested in early music and the history and construction of early/medieval instruments around that same time. In the 1980s, decided to specialize in American and European folk instruments.

I also began repairing and restoring instruments around 15 years ago. I've restored several violins, including a 75+ year old home-made folk fiddle, and a 100+ year old French violin. I've also repaired several folk guitars, a zither, and a Marxolin.

After working in the private sector for 30 years, I can now work at my crafts full time. I'm showing at American Craft Council Shows, Arts Festivals (like the Scottsdale Arts Festival), and our local Open Studios Tour.

And the beat goes on...