Jamboxx Pro is Pitch Perfect Prize for Lucky Collegiate Musician
As a music student at The College of Saint Rose, Sean Hastings plays saxophone and guitar, in wind and jazz ensembles. He's also a member of a rock band, Blue Cherry, in his hometown of Utica.
Now, he can add Jamboxx to his repertoire, both as a musician and an aspiring music educator. Jamboxx, one of NYSID's newest products, is a MIDI Breath controller that allows an individual to perform, play and read music with minimal breath and slight head movements.
Sean was the winner of a raffle drawing for a Jamboxx Pro after submitting his name during the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) 2017 Winter Conference in Rochester.
"I attended the NYSSMA Conference last semester with our collegiate chapter of NAfME (National Association for Music Education) to check out various workshops about education," he said. "It's really exciting to have been chosen for the Jamboxx prize."
With Jamboxx, an individual can access more than 100 different instruments and sounds. The plug and play technology allows them to play an instrument and song in minutes.
Jamboxx is a true success story for everyone involved, as it was invented and manufactured by individuals with disabilities to improve the lives and livelihoods of individuals with disabilities.
Dave Whalen, Jamboxx inventor, reached out to Schenectady ARC/Pine Ridge Industries, a NYSID member agency, for assistance in manufacturing Jamboxx. Dave is a musician with significant disabilities who happens to live in Scotia, where Pine Ridge Industries is located.
Valerie Andreoli, Schenectady ARC's business development leader, sings the praises of Jamboxx for its employment opportunity at Pine Ridge Industries.
"We have all the raw materials and recently hired a new employee who will be working on assembly of Jamboxx," she said. "When sales orders roll in, Jamboxx will potentially create three jobs."
Sean won a Jamboxx Pro, which is designed for the professional musician or enthusiast or music student and uses a pliable mouthpiece that provides both comfort and control. Many experienced Jamboxx musicians prefer the low to zero airflow setting as they find they can play faster.
The Jamboxx Pro also includes tactile bumps on the face of the instrument similar to frets on a guitar. Since the Jamboxx Pro mouthpiece is about 1.5 inches in length, musicians have the option to play with or without the tactile bumps. As muscle memory takes over, many will play without the tactile feel.
Disabled-World.Com recently featured Jamboxx in an article and videos.
In 2017, Jamboxx received a National Institute of Health Phase II STTR grant to fund a clinical trial using Jamboxx technology for respiratory therapy at Albany Medical Center. Accordingly, Jamboxx is now headquartered at the Biomedical Acceleration and Commercialization Center (BACC) at Albany Medical College, which is where the prize presentation took place.
Sean is passionate about the music industry, as well as songwriting and composition, although his focus is to become a music educator. He sees Jamboxx as striking the right chord with his musical pursuits -- at The College of Saint Rose, in Blue Cherry and beyond.
"As a future educator, I think the Jamboxx can potentially be very useful to introduce to students and as a tool to teach," he said. "It's important for students to know software and technology, and a course to introduce Jamboxx to students with and without disabilities would be extremely valuable."