ENTERPRISE — Mike Burns’ search for a meaningful career led him from an office job to spending a year in Minnesota learning to become a luthier.

A luthier (loo-ti-er) is someone who builds or repairs string instruments. The word comes from the French word “luth,” meaning lute.

Burns says he enjoys working with his hands and buys instruments in “various states of disrepair and tries to repair them.”

He spent a year learning his craft of repairing and restoration. The school he attended is the only one in the country that focuses on repair, he said. He’s been doing violin repair and restoration since 2009.

He also does some private rentals of instruments and sells some at regional festivals.

“(It) draws me to it because in a fast-paced world, it is a fairly static craft,” he said.

It also, he said, provides endless possibilities for discovery.

He plays the fiddle, and said he dabbles in guitar and bass, too.

Originally from Tacoma, he had a business there before coming to Wallowa County. Offering his services, he said, is helping put music back into the community.

“I want other people to experience that — making music in the community is a big part of who we are,” he said.

Of his craft he said, “I find it extremely fulfilling and have no intention of giving it up.”

For more information, visit burnsviolins.com.