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“I wanted the best for my students,” Trachy said.

He discussed a collection of various chin and shoulder rests, which were displayed on a board and entered into evidence.

“(The rest) always puts the violin into the right place,” Trachy said, noting the aim was to prevent pain or injury.

He said the breast supports the instrument to a “large degree” and that it was therefore unnecessary to measure his male students.

If any student didn’t want a rest, or to be measured, he said he didn’t force them.

Nowhere in this book does it say anything about measuring the breast of a student assistant Crown attorney Lisa Defoe

He added that a typical measurement involved a ruler and took about three minutes.

Marley asked if there was any “sexual gratification,” to which Trachy replied, “not at all.”

Marley also gave a rundown of the different complainants, with Trachy saying whether or not he remembered each of the students.

The defendant agreed that measurements occurred in many of the cases, although he denied some of the complainants’ versions of events and various comments that he allegedly made to them.

He admitted to sometimes watching them play partially disrobed to see if there were any gaps between the shoulder rest and the skin.

Trachy cited literature from the 1970s that touched on a violin player’s body development and muscle activity. He also stood with an instrument to show the court how a shoulder rest would normally sit.

However, while cross-examining the defendant, assistant Crown attorney Lisa Defoe asked where it showed in the book about measuring a female student in such a fashion.

“Nowhere in this book does it say anything about measuring the breast of a student,” she said.

Mentioning a picture of a student playing, Defoe added, “there’s a good four inches,” to the nipple.

Trachy testified that the position of the rest depends on a person’s build.

He estimated he taught about 1,100 students over nearly 50 years. He said about 30 per cent were adults and 35 per cent were males.

Justice Thomas Carey is presiding over the trial, with cross-examination slated to continue Thursday.

tterfloth@postmedia.com

@DailyNewsTT