 He honed his skill for musical composition at the Schola Cantorum de Paris (1980–82) under Pierre Doury.In 1971, foregoing a promising career as a young soloist, he joined the historical bowmaking school of Mirecourt as a student of Bernard Ouchard.During these four years of intense training he developed the skills that were to make him become the youngest ever Meilleur Ouvrier de France "Best Artisan of France".