Video: Building a future, one beam at a time

Jonah Cadorette ’26, a double major in music and psychology, planned to become a music therapist — a path combining science, art, and a desire to help others. 

But as he explored new courses and clubs, Jonah discovered an unexpected interest: a passion for woodworking.

“An environment like Skidmore allows you to grow and experiment,” he said. “The faculty really encourage you to explore your options and see how different interests connect.” 

That encouragement led Jonah to cofound the Woodworking Club, where he met Nick Russell, owner of Tall Pine Timber Frames. Nick, who holds a bachelor’s degree in music and art history, designs and builds handcrafted timber-frame structures using local wood and sustainable methods. What began as a club collaboration turned into an apprenticeship — an opportunity for Jonah to work alongside experienced craftspeople in a hands-on, environmentally conscious trade.

In Nick’s shop, Jonah traded textbooks for chisels and saws, learning to transform raw timber into structures that honor centuries of tradition. Nick said the apprenticeship offers “a real-time, in-the-shop experience,” giving Jonah the chance to work alongside seasoned craftspeople. “The best way to learn is to do it,” he said.

For Jonah, that experience reinforced the value of experiential learning — one of the hallmarks of a Skidmore education. “Working with my hands exercises a different muscle than academic work,” he said. “It’s a different way of thinking, but it connects back to everything I’ve learned in class.” 

At the same time, he spent the summer conducting service-based research with Assistant Professor of Music Charlotte D’Evelyn and Skidmore's John B. Moore Documentary Studies Collaborative (MDOCS), partnering with Kanatsiohareke Mohawk Community on a larger project to archive and preserve cultural materials. The project, which included designing and building a custom desk for the community’s new research center, allowed him to merge scholarship with craftsmanship. 

Now entering his senior year, Jonah continues to pursue both psychology and music while keeping woodworking at the center of his creative life.

He said Skidmore’s interdisciplinary approach — and the way it empowers students to act on their ideas — has shaped his experience. It’s what he sees as the College’s “mind and hand” tradition in action.