thumb|Two German Carpenters working (1975)A carpenter (builder) is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors.

Carpentry skill is gained through experience and study. In some countries (such as the United States), there are no formal training requirements other than in trade unions, and the trade can be easy to enter. In other countries (such as Germany, Japan and Canada) there are strict standards.

The word "carpenter" is the English rendering of the Old French word ''carpentier'' (become ''charpentier'') which is derived from the Latin ''carpentrius [artifex]'', "(maker) of a carriage. The Middle English and Scots word (in the sense of "builder") was ''wright'' (from the Old English ''wryhta''), which could be used in compound forms such as ''wheelwright'' or ''boatwright''. In British slang, a carpenter is sometimes referred to as a "chippy".

Carpentry in the United States is almost always done by men. With 98.5% of carpenters being male, it was the fourth most male-dominated occupation in the country in 1999.

Types and occupations

A finish carpenter (North America) also called a joiner (traditional name now obsolete in North America) is one who does finish carpentry; that is, cabinetry, furniture making, fine woodworking, model building, instrument making, parquetry, joinery, or other carpentry where exact joints and minimal margins of error are important. Some large-scale construction may be of an exactitude and artistry that it is classed as finish carpentry. A trim carpenter specializes in molding and trim, such as door and window casings, mantels, baseboard, and other types of ornamental work. Cabinet installers may also be referred to as trim carpenters.

A cabinetmaker is a carpenter who does fine and detailed work specializing in the making of cabinets made from wood, wardrobes, dressers, storage chests, and other furniture designed for storage.

A ship's carpenter specializes in shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair techniques (see also shipwright) and carpentry specific to nautical needs; usually the term refers to a carpenter who has a post on a specific ship. Steel warships as well as wooden ones need ship's carpenters, especially for making emergency repairs in the case of battle or storm damage.

A cooper is someone who makes barrels: wooden staved vessels of a conical form, of greater length than breadth.

A scenic carpenter in filmmaking, television, and the theater builds and dismantles temporary scenery and sets.

A framer is a carpenter that builds the skeletal structure or framework of buildings. Techniques include platform framing, balloon framing, or timber framing (which may be post-and-beam or mortise-and-tenon framing).

A luthier is someone who makes or repairs stringed instruments. The word luthier comes from the French word for lute, "luth".

A formwork carpenter creates the shuttering and falsework used in concrete construction.

In Japan, Miya-daiku (Temple carpenter) performs the works of both architect and builder of shrine and temple.

Green carpentry is the specialization in the use of environmentally friendly,energy-efficient and sustainable sources of building materials to use in construction projects. They also practice building methods that require less material to be used yet have the same structeral soundness.

Training

Journeyman carpenter

Tradesmen in countries such as Germany are required to fulfil a formal apprenticeship (usually three years) to work as a professional carpenter. Upon graduation from the apprenticeship, he or she is known as a journeyman carpenter. Up through the 19th and even the early 20th century, the journeyman traveled to another region of the country to learn the building styles and techniques of that area before (usually) returning home. In modern times, journeymen are not required to travel, and the term refers more to a level of proficiency and skill. Union carpenters in the United States - United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America - are required to pass a skills test to be granted official journeyman status, but uncertified professional carpenters may be known as journeymen based on their skill level, years of experience, or simply because they support themselves in the trade, and not due to certification or formal woodworking education.

Master carpenter

After working as a journeyman for a period, a carpenter may go to study or test as a master carpenter. In some countries, such as Germany or Japan, this is an arduous and expensive process, requiring extensive knowledge (including economic and legal knowledge) and skill to achieve master certification; these countries generally require master status for anyone employing and teaching apprentices in the craft. In others, it can be a loosely used term to describe a skilled carpenter.

In Canada, each province sets its own standards for apprenticeship. The average length of time is four years and includes a minimum number of hours of both on the job training and technical instruction at a college or other institution. Depending on the number of hours of instruction an apprentice receives, he or she can earn a Certificate of Proficiency, making them a journeyman, or a Certificate of Qualification, which allows them to practice a more limited amount of carpentry. Canadian carpenters also have the option of acquiring an additional Interprovincial Red Seal that allows them to practice anywhere in Canada. The Red Seal requires the completion of an apprenticeship and an additional examination.

In the modern British construction industry, carpenters are trained through apprenticeship schemes where GCSEs in Mathematics, English and Technology help, but are not essential. This is deemed as the preferred route as young people can earn and gain field experience whilst training towards a nationally recognized qualification.

Fully trained carpenters and joiners will often move into related trades such as Shop fitting, frameworking, bench joinery, maintenance and system installation.

Notable carpenters

;Religious figures

Jesus of Nazareth

Saint Joseph

Maya

Noah

Viswakarma

* ;Historic figures

Hugh Herland

William Hurley

Robert Lyminge

Matthew Banckes

Sympson the Joiner

Harry McNish

;Contemporary

Adam Carolla

Norm "New Yankee" Abram

Mike Holmes

Harrison Ford

Andy Kane

Roy Underhill

Brian Haw

Jeremy Broun

Theo Wade Brown

Paulinho da Viola

Alan Peters

Thomas J. MacDonald

Nick Offerman

See also

Building construction

Guild

Carpenter (theatre)

Atlanta Community ToolBank

References

External links

the Institute of Carpenters

Carpenters - from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook

Category:Construction trades workers Category:Crafts Category:Occupations Category:Woodworking

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name	Natalie Merchant
background	solo_singer
birth name	Natalie Anne Merchant
birth date	October 26, 1963
Birth place	Jamestown, New York, USA
instrument	Vocals, keyboard, piano
occupation	Musician, Songwriter
years active	1981–present
label	Elektra RecordsMyth America RecordsNonesuch/Elektra Records
associated acts	10,000 ManiacsMichael Stipe
website	NatalieMerchant.com }}

Natalie Anne Merchant (born October 26, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She joined the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs in 1981 and left it to begin her solo career in 1993.

Early life

Natalie Merchant was born October 26, 1963, in Jamestown, New York, the third of four children of Anthony and Ann Merchant. Her paternal grandfather, who played the accordion, mandolin and guitar, emigrated to the United States from Sicily; his surname was "Mercante" before it was Anglicized. Her maternal grandfather, a cartoonist, piano tuner and member of a barbershop quartet, was Irish. Her parents divorced when she was eight years old, and her mother later remarried.

When Merchant was a child, her mother listened to music (The Beatles, Al Green, Aretha Franklin) and encouraged her children to study music, but she wouldn't allow TV after Natalie was 12. "I was taken to the symphony a lot because my mother loved classical music. But I was dragged to see Styx when I was 12. We had to drive 100 miles to Buffalo, New York. Someone threw up next to me and people were smoking pot. It was terrifying. I remember Styx had a white piano which rose out of the stage. It was awe-inspiring and inspirational." "She [her mother] had show tunes, she had the soundtrack from ''West Side Story'' and ''South Pacific''. And then eventually... she'd always liked classical music and then she married a jazz musician, so that's the kind of music I was into. I never really had friends who sat around and listened to the stereo and said 'hey, listen to this one', so I'd never even heard of who Bob Dylan was until I was 18." During 1988–1989, Natalie claimed she still didn't have a TV: "I grew up in a house where no one watched the news on television and no one read the paper. I've been discovering these things as I get older, and the news has affected me more than it ever has before."

"A suicidal high school dropout", Merchant started working in a health food store at 16. She considered a career in special education following her taking part in a handicapped children's summer program. But eventually in 1981 she started singing for a band called Still Life, which was to become 10,000 Maniacs.

Career

10,000 Maniacs

Merchant was lead singer and primary lyricist for 10,000 Maniacs, joining in its infancy in 1981 while she was a student at Jamestown Community College. The group recorded their album ''Human Conflict Number Five'' and performed a corresponding Music video at The Hotel Franklin and at Group W Westinghouse studios (Jamestown, New York) in 1982. Merchant sang lead vocals, and later played the piano as well, for 10,000 Maniacs for seven studio albums. In 1993 she announced that she was leaving the group.

''Tigerlily'' (1995)

Merchant has said in interviews that after her split with 10,000 Maniacs she was so eager to begin writing her own material that she went home that very day and composed the song "I May Know the Word", which was originally meant to appear on the soundtrack to the Tom Hanks movie ''Philadelphia''. The song was eventually cut from the soundtrack, but it would go on to appear on Merchant's debut solo album, ''Tigerlily'', which was released on the Elektra label in 1995. Merchant chose to name the album ''Tigerlily'' as she felt it captured the feel of the album, which she described as both "fierce" and "delicate".

The third song on the album, "Beloved Wife", was featured as the first song in the trailer for the movie ''Message in a Bottle''.

Seeking creative control, Merchant chose to fund ''Tigerlily'' herself, refusing the advance from the record company. She also wanted to work with a core-group of young musicians who she felt would be enthusiastic about the music. The group would consist of guitarist Jennifer Turner, bassist Barrie Maguire, and former-Wallflower and eventual boyfriend to Merchant, Peter Yanowitz, who played drums on the album and who continued to do so with Merchant until their abrupt split in 2000.

''Tigerlily'' was a critical and commercial success, spawning her first top-ten hit in the single "Carnival", and achieving top-40 success with subsequent singles "Wonder" and "Jealousy". The album would go on to sell over 5 million copies, and continues to be Merchant’s most successful album to date. Merchant did extensive touring for the album and made numerous television appearances, including performances on ''SNL'', The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and all late-night talk shows. The media's immediate and critical impact on culture and cultural icons was of particular interest to Merchant. In "River", a song from Tigerlily, Merchant defends River Phoenix as she castigates the media for systematically dissecting the child actor after his death. Much of their emphasis was on Phoenix' suspected drug-using lifestyle. In "River," Merchant asks, "Why don't you let him be / Give his mother and father peace." Merchant's anger is later replaced with quiet reflection, asking, "It was such a nightmare raving, 'How could we save him from himself?'"

''Ophelia'' (1998–1999)

Three years passed before Merchant would release her second solo effort, ''Ophelia''. While ''Tigerlily'' contained a lot of sparse instrumentation, the music on ''Ophelia'' featured plenty of lush symphonic arrangements composed and conducted by British composer Gavin Bryars. Merchant treated the recording of ''Ophelia'' as a series of workshops, where she would invite various musicians she had met over the years into her home studio to collaborate and record. In the end, 30 different musicians featured on the album, among them Brand New Heavies frontwoman N'Dea Davenport (with whom she duets on the song ''Break Your Heart''), famed trumpet player Chris Botti, and the husband and wife duo, Don and Karen Peris, from the band The Innocence Mission.

While ''Ophelia'' is not a concept record in the traditional sense, the album-cycle saw Merchant flexing her creative muscles in surprising ways. The name of the album and the title track are a literary reference to Shakespeare's Ophelia, who in the play ''Hamlet'' becomes mad and eventually commits suicide when Hamlet remains non-committal and lost in himself. Merchant's ''Ophelia'' describes a series of women throughout time—women who dared question the patriarchal status quo and who were often castigated for doing so—and is a cry for women's rights and for more understanding of female archetypes beyond the scope of the "mother" and the "whore", both of which severely limit women and attempt to turn them into little more than chattel. The portrayal of the women in the song is a tribute to the non-traditional, the "too smart for her own good" type of woman who is often misunderstood by society. As a lyric to the title song cries: "Your common sense, your best defense, was wasted and in vain!" A reflection of women driven mad by social limitations, Natalie's tribute described Ophelia as being at once a "novice carmelite," a "suffragette," a "circus queen," a "demigoddess" and a "mafia courtesan." The album sleeve saw Merchant pictured in colorful and ornate costumes as each of these different characters. As a companion to the album, she also released a film where she portrays each of these different characters, with voice-overs used for the "novice carmelite," the "sweetheart" and the "courtesan" as they are Spanish, German and Italian, respectively.

The first single off the album was a happy and uncharacteristically simple song called "Kind and Generous", which received massive airplay on VH1 and which solidified Merchant's role as a bona fide solo artist. That summer, Sarah McLachlan invited Merchant to co-headline the year's biggest music festival with her, Lilith Fair. The exposure from the tour helped the album reach Platinum status in just under a year, with subsequent singles "Break Your Heart" and "Life Is Sweet" receiving moderate airplay on adult contemporary stations. No video was filmed for the latter, however, with a clip from Merchant's appearance on VH1's ''Storytellers'' being used instead. She would also go on to appear on PBS' ''Sessions at West 54th'' and VH1's ''Hard Rock Live'' before the year's end. In 1998, Merchant also recorded George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" for the Red Hot Organization's compilation album ''Red Hot + Rhapsody'', a tribute to George Gershwin, which raised money for various charities devoted to increasing AIDS awareness and fighting the disease.

The ''Ophelia'' tour ended in 1999 with the final few shows being performed and recorded on Broadway. The performance would be released as the album ''Natalie Merchant: Live in Concert'' with a companion video of the same name. The performance was notable in that it featured numerous covers including songs by David Bowie, Neil Young, and the Breton-Welsh singer-songwriter Katell Keineg.

American Folk Music Tour (2000) and ''Motherland'' (2001)

In 2000, Merchant embarked on a folk tour in the United States with many shows being supported by alt-country band Wilco.

Merchant's next studio album on the Elektra label was ''Motherland'', released in 2001. ''Motherland'' saw Merchant at her most experimental musically. ''Motherland'' achieved Gold on the Billboard charts after debuting at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 and No. 13 on the Top Internet Albums of 2001, respectively. ''Rolling Stone'' favored this album with 3½ stars, and also noticed a difference in Merchant's voice, which was more deep and gritty than her previous albums. Singles that were released from ''Motherland'' were "Just Can't Last", "Build a Levee" and "Tell Yourself".

Merchant embarked on a year and a half world tour to promote ''Motherland''. The first leg of the tour started in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 17, 2001, trekking all over the United States, and then heading to Europe with some special acoustic shows in Europe. Merchant also participated in the Rock am Ring Festival and Rock im Park in 2002. In the summer of 2002, she was paired with Chris Isaak and both played at stadiums and arenas.

''The House Carpenter's Daughter'' (2003)

After her contract with Elektra expired in August 2002, Merchant decided not to sign with them again, or any other major label. Her next studio album, ''The House Carpenter's Daughter'', was released in September 2003 on her own label, Myth America Records. To date this has been the only release on Myth America.

''Leave Your Sleep'' (2010)

In October 2009, the official websites of Nonesuch Records and Natalie Merchant announced that she had signed with the label. ''Leave Your Sleep'' was released on April 13, 2010 and is a compilation of five years of inspiration from a "conversation" with her daughter over the "first 6 years of her life." The album debuted on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 17, Billboard Folk Albums at No. 1, Amazon.com at No.1, and ITunes, No. 3. The album was co-produced by Grammy winning Andres Levin.

Merchant contributed a cover of Buddy Holly's "Learning the Game" to the tribute album ''Listen to Me: Buddy Holly'', released September 6, 2011.

Personal life

In 2003, Merchant married Daniel de la Calle and had a daughter with him named Lucia. However, in an interview in 2012, she indicated that she is now divorced. She likes gardening and painting. Some paintings can be seen at her official website.

She has been a vegetarian since 1980, save for the duration of her pregnancy when she temporarily resumed eating meat. In 1997, she said:

"The '60s aesthetic has never really appealed to me, the tie-dyed Deadhead running barefoot through the forest on LSD. I don't think that's really me. But I've been a vegetarian for 17 years and I consider myself an environmentalist in as much as I can be, considering the job that I have. I prefer living in the countryside rather than the city; I find it more sane and sustaining for myself..."

Discography

With 10,000 Maniacs

''Human Conflict Number Five'' (EP) (1982)

''Secrets of the I Ching'' (1983)

''The Wishing Chair'' (1985)

''In My Tribe'' (1987)

''Blind Man's Zoo'' (1989)

''Hope Chest: The Fredonia Recordings 1982-1983'' (1990)

''Our Time in Eden'' (1992)

''MTV Unplugged'' (1993)

''Campfire Songs: The Popular, Obscure and Unknown Recordings'' (2004)

Solo

1995: ''Tigerlily''

1998: ''Ophelia''

2001: ''Motherland''

2003: ''The House Carpenter's Daughter''

2005: Retrospective (1990 - 2005)

2010: ''Leave Your Sleep''

Filmography

Films

One Fine Day Ophelia Bringing Out the Dead Natalie Merchant: Live in Concert When in Rome Cheaper by the Dozen Purgatory House Candida Earthlings

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1990	Time Capsule	Herself (Vocals, Piano, Organ)
1996	|	Performer "One Fine Day"	Soundtrack
1998	|	Performer	Short Film
1999	|	Performer/Writer: "These Are Days"	Soundtrack
1999	|	Herself (Vocals, Piano)	Live Concert Video
2002	|	Performer/Writer: "These Are Days"	Soundtrack
2003	|	Performer/Writer: "These Are Days"	Soundtrack
2004	|	Performer/Writer: "My Skin"	Soundtrack
2006	|	Performer/Writer: "Motherland"	Soundtrack
2007	|	Composer	Documentary

Television

Saturday Night Live MTV Unplugged Rock & Roll Inaugural Ball MTV VMAS Concert for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Saturday Night Live Sessions at West 54th Saturday Night Live Hard Rock Live VH1 Storytellers Sessions at West 54th Man in the Sand Late Night with Conan O'Brien Lifetime's Intimate Portrait ABC 2000: The Millennium Come Together: A Night for John Lennon's Words & Music Up Close and Personal Austin City Limits Go Further Good Morning America

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
1990	MTV Unplugged	Herself (as 10,000 Maniacs)
1992	|	Herself (as 10,000 Maniacs)	(NBC) Aired 31 October 1992; songs: Candy Everybody Wants and These Are Days
1993	|	Herself (as 10,000 Maniacs)	First artist to make 2nd appearance
1993	|	Herself (as 10,000 Maniacs)
1993	|	Herself–Presenter	TV Special
1995	|	Herself–Performer	Sang "I Know How to Do It"
1995	|	Herself–Performer	(NBC) Host David Schwimmer
1997	|	Herself–Performer	(PBS) "Planctus" with Philip Glass
1998	|	Herself–Performer	(NBC) Host Matthew Broderick
1998	|	Herself–Performer	VH1
1998	|	Herself–Performer	Later released as DVD
1998	|	Herself–Performer	(NBC) Host David Byrne
1999	|	Herself	Video Documentary
1999	|	Musical Guest	(NBC) "Life Is Sweet"
1999	|	Herself	Biographical
2000	|	Herself–Performer	"Kind and Generous"
2001	|	Herself–Performer	"Nowhere Man"
2001	|	Herself–Performer	Oxygen
2002	|	Herself–Performer	PBS
2003	|	Herself	Documentary
2010	|	Herself–Performer	ABC News

Talk Shows !! Years
The Late Show with David Letterman:	1995, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2001, 2004
The Rosie O'Donnell Show:	1996, 1996, 1998, 1998, 1999, 1999, 2001, 2002
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno:	1992, 1993, 2001, 2002, 2010

References

External links

Natalie Merchant at the Ectophile's Guide to Good Music

Launch's page on Merchant

Natalie Merchant interview at musicOMH

Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:10,000 Maniacs members Category:American contraltos Category:American female singers Category:American pop pianists Category:American pop singers Category:American singer-songwriters Category:Female rock singers Category:American musicians of Irish descent Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:People from Jamestown, New York Category:American vegetarians Category:Elektra Records artists Category:Nonesuch Records artists Category:American people of Sicilian descent Category:American vibraphonists Category:Musicians from New York Category:American alternative rock musicians Category:American folk singers Category:Folk pianists Category:American rock pianists Category:People from Ridgefield, Connecticut Category:American folk rock musicians

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