Activists want to protect brazilwood. Why are musicians worried?

"Some people just use one bow their whole life, said Baker said from his home in the United Kingdom. The bow is really their voice. The violin, you just have a string, and you put your fingers down. But the way the sound comes out all comes from the bow."

"Every musician's choice for a bow is a highly personal one based on a lot of factors: the feel, the weight. And even depending on which repertoire they're playing, it might call for a different bow to create a different sound, said Heather Noonan, vice president for advocacy at the League of American Orchestras. One [potential consequence] is that musicians would not be able to use their best instruments professionally."

Brazil is proposing tighter trade restrictions to protect endangered brazilwood (pernambuco), the primary wood for high-end violin and cello bows. Pernambuco is prized for its reddish hue and durability and is considered irreplaceable by many musicians. Proposed protections could require registration of instruments that contain brazilwood, affecting travel, sales and international touring. Musicians warn that bows are central to tone and technique and that forced limits or paperwork could prevent performers from using optimal bows professionally. Bow makers, orchestras and soloists face potential supply constraints and administrative burdens if export controls and stricter enforcement are implemented.

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