WSJ: Tiny "Thummer" Could Be Music's Next Big Thing
Here's a press release I sent out earlier today to leverage the Wall Street Journal's coverage of Thumtronics.
Austin, Texas (December 7, 2007) -- If today’s Wall Street Journal’s cover story about Thumtronics Inc. is correct, then a tiny new instrument called the Thummer™ could be music’s Next Big Thing.
In the article, John Jurgensen tells the story of Jim Plamondon’s invention of a new musical instrument, the Thummer, and his struggle to bring it to market.
Grace Newman says that learning to play the Thummer could give working musicians a competitive advantage. "As a VP at BMG’s Windham Hill label, I decided which bands to sponsor, promote, and endorse, from unknown bands to Grammy-winning artists. I looked for musicians that had something new, something different, that would stand out in the market... and so did every other label. The first musicians to master the Thummer will rivet the attention of the entire music industry. If you're looking for a way to break out of the pack, this is it."
Why? Because the Thummer allows musicians to express their emotions musically better than ever before. Dr. Garth Paine, an internationally-recognized leader in the field of New Interfaces for Musical Expression, has stated that “Of all of the musical interfaces that I have seen, I think that the Thummer has the most potential for broad adoption as an outstandingly expressive instrument.”
Yet the Thummer is uniquely simple to learn, which could help the high percentage of music students who quit their lessons in frustration. Dr. Sam Leong, former Director of Music Education at UWA and Treasurer of the International Society for Music Education, said that “Throughout my work in music education for 30 years, I have not seen any innovation with as much potential to revolutionize music education. The Thummer could transform the musical landscape in the 21st century.”
This combination of simplicity and power can change entire industries. Hank Coleman, CEO of Austin’s OpenLabs, makers of the award-winning MiKo™ and NeKo® keyboard workstations, he says that “After half an hour with Jim, I definitely ‘got it.’ The Thummer could be the Next Big Thing in the musical instrument industry.”
A peer-reviewed scientific paper in the recently-published Winter 2007 issue of MIT Press’ Computer Music Journal proves – using the arcane language of mathematics – that a firm theoretical foundation supports Thumtronics’ innovations. This advance in theory is to music what the Periodic Table of the Elements was to chemistry, helping students gain musical knowledge and skill faster while expanding expressive power and opening up new creative frontiers.
So, why isn’t the revolutionary Thummer already on store shelves? Because Thumtronics needs additional capital to complete its development and bring it to market.
If today's Wall Street Journal story is correct, driving a new musical instrument into the mainstream is never easy... but many experts agree that the tiny Thummer has what it takes to become music’s Next Big Thing.
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Wall Street Journal: Tiny "Thummer" Could Be Music's Next Big Thing
New Musical Instrument is Simple, Powerful, and Packed with Potential
Austin, Texas (December 7, 2007) -- If today’s Wall Street Journal’s cover story about Thumtronics Inc. is correct, then a tiny new instrument called the Thummer™ could be music’s Next Big Thing.
In the article, John Jurgensen tells the story of Jim Plamondon’s invention of a new musical instrument, the Thummer, and his struggle to bring it to market.
Grace Newman says that learning to play the Thummer could give working musicians a competitive advantage. "As a VP at BMG’s Windham Hill label, I decided which bands to sponsor, promote, and endorse, from unknown bands to Grammy-winning artists. I looked for musicians that had something new, something different, that would stand out in the market... and so did every other label. The first musicians to master the Thummer will rivet the attention of the entire music industry. If you're looking for a way to break out of the pack, this is it."
Why? Because the Thummer allows musicians to express their emotions musically better than ever before. Dr. Garth Paine, an internationally-recognized leader in the field of New Interfaces for Musical Expression, has stated that “Of all of the musical interfaces that I have seen, I think that the Thummer has the most potential for broad adoption as an outstandingly expressive instrument.”
Yet the Thummer is uniquely simple to learn, which could help the high percentage of music students who quit their lessons in frustration. Dr. Sam Leong, former Director of Music Education at UWA and Treasurer of the International Society for Music Education, said that “Throughout my work in music education for 30 years, I have not seen any innovation with as much potential to revolutionize music education. The Thummer could transform the musical landscape in the 21st century.”
This combination of simplicity and power can change entire industries. Hank Coleman, CEO of Austin’s OpenLabs, makers of the award-winning MiKo™ and NeKo® keyboard workstations, he says that “After half an hour with Jim, I definitely ‘got it.’ The Thummer could be the Next Big Thing in the musical instrument industry.”
A peer-reviewed scientific paper in the recently-published Winter 2007 issue of MIT Press’ Computer Music Journal proves – using the arcane language of mathematics – that a firm theoretical foundation supports Thumtronics’ innovations. This advance in theory is to music what the Periodic Table of the Elements was to chemistry, helping students gain musical knowledge and skill faster while expanding expressive power and opening up new creative frontiers.
So, why isn’t the revolutionary Thummer already on store shelves? Because Thumtronics needs additional capital to complete its development and bring it to market.
If today's Wall Street Journal story is correct, driving a new musical instrument into the mainstream is never easy... but many experts agree that the tiny Thummer has what it takes to become music’s Next Big Thing.
# # #
CMJ Paper: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1162/comj.2007.31.4.15
Jim Plamondon: jim@thumtronics.com, (512) 363-7094.
Jim Plamondon: jim@thumtronics.com, (512) 363-7094.
posted by JimPlamondon | 11:16 AM
1 Comments:
Awesome!!!
Thanks Jim
Gav
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