David Blaise Kielar received degrees in music but pursued a career in violin repair and restoration. He opened a violin shop in North Carolina in 1978 and began playing fiddle music. Over 15 years he helped many musicians and rehaired over 3,000 bows. Participating in a music workshop inspired him to teach improvisation. In 1999 he opened Music Explorium to sell instruments and host workshops. Rising demand for electric violins prompted him to found Electric Violin Shop in 2002. After considering options for retirement, the staff converted Electric Violin Shop to a worker-owned co-op in 2018.