Hi, I am a beginner violinist. I use a dampit, which I refill once a week. I am going home for xmas break so I won`t be able to refill the dampit for a full month. Is this going to damage my violin? I`m afraid it will crack... I am living in the upper peninsula of MI, so it`s cold here and probably dry...

Also, this leaves me in confusion because I`m sure a lot of violinists have to go out of town and leave their violins for several weeks once in a while. What do they do? How do they keep their instruments from "drying out" and cracking...or whatever?

Please, I would really appreciate some advice.

Well you would be suprised at just how much heat or cold a violin can take. Usually with the dampits you only need to immerse them in water when they become dry, and thats all depends on were you live. For a little money you can buy a hydrometer that you can put in your case. This will let you know of the humidity and any danger to the violin. Really most instruments can be left for some time (hell ive seen violins in schools that have been left next to radiators for years and still no wrps to the wood). Basic rules :
1. Never leave instrument near a rad.
2. Never leave it outside.
3. Never leave it in the boot of a car when its too hot or cold.

The batroom can be a good place with the blinds drawn and leave some water in the bath when you are away.

Why don`t you take it with you? I always hesitate to leave my violin somewhere for more than a few days if I don`t trust the heating in the apt or studio. You picked a small instrument; it`s portable. Be glad it`s not a cello.

Totally agree

If you are worried about humidity, just leave it in Michigan, but in a cold space--say 40 degrees or even less.

What changes the moisture content of the wood is more the "relative" humidity--not the absolute humidity of the air.

When you increase the temperature of a parcel of air with a given amount of moisture, you lower the relative humidity. The converse is true for lowering the temperature of the air--this is why we get "dew" or even fog in the morning--the lower temperature of the air goes so low that the relative humidity exceeds 100%--the air cannot hold all the moisture.

The extreme difference in temperature between the outside and inside is what causes the dryness. If you keep the violin at a colder temperature, then the humidity will be higher.

Incidentally, wood shrinks and swells much, much more with moisture content than it does with temperature. The shrinking due to cooling is really not significant and so "cold storage" (really, ambient temerature storage) is not a hazard.

Remember that violins were around long before central heating was developed!