At the 71st International Trade Fair “Ideas – Inventions – New Products” (iENA) in Nuremberg, Germany, two Department of Cultural and Creative Arts academics at The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) received bronze medals for their inventions.
Associate Head and Assistant Professor Dr Koji Matsunobu developed A Mouthpiece with a Supporting Windway for tubular musical instruments, such as flutes and recorders. The innovative mouthpiece is useful for beginners and young children who may not have sufficient blowing strength or dexterity. It directs the air stream towards the blow edge of the instrument’s top opening to easily produce sounds. For more advanced players, the mouthpiece can produce a pitch bending effect. By positioning the chin to cover or partially cover the top opening, the musician can get a different pitch for the same note.
The latest medal for The Grid and Grid Notation for Music Education, developed by Assistant Professor Dr Leung Chi-hin, follows the gold medal and special prize he received at the International Invention and Innovation Competition 2018 in Canada. By substituting solfège/letter names for pitch, colour for dynamics, and tailor-made symbols for articulation, Dr Leung’s invention lowers the barrier for music score reading and provides unlimited possibilities for music performance and composition under the tablet orchestra e-Orch setting.