Great Falls Area News

Montana man invents chin piece for violinists

Posted: Dec 26, 2012 8:21 PM by Beth Beechie - MTN News
Updated: Dec 26, 2012 8:22 PM

GREAT FALLS - Jordan Hayes started playing violin by chance in fifth grade after he won a drawing.

But years later in college, when his 4'11" instructor tried to teach him correct motions to help him play, he realized he needed to overcome physical limitations.

"She could demonstrate the motion and show me what motion she wanted. But the angles that she was using the violin at was totally different than me," Hayes said.

Over the following winter break, he and his father came up with a design for an adjustable chin piece to help make those correct motions with materials from a scrap yard.

"I spent the next few days grinding and welding and everything like that, this rudimentary and adjustable chin rest into shape. But it actually functioned and I took that to my presentation at Eastman and ended up winning."

After 25 modifications, what started as pieces of scrap is the Kréddle, pronounced like "cradle", an adjustable chin rest for the viola and violin.

Hayes has spent the last few years working out the business plans. Now all that's left is his fundraiser on Kickstarter, a website aimed at funding good causes around the country.

Hayes hopes to raise $18,000 and is about halfway there. He's accepting donations of any amount, and $75 gets the donor their own Kréddle.

But Kickstarter campaigns are "all or nothing," and if they don't reach the goal, no one will be charged and the campaign won't be successful.

"And in my case, nobody will get a chin piece that's adjustable."

Hayes is using social media to help spread the word to musicians all over the world with about $10,000 left to go.

Just like the Kickstarter is a key piece to make his creation a reality, the chin piece is the defining piece to help make musicians make their music sing.

"The bow is really our life on violin. It's like our breath," he said.

Hayes says if the Kréddle takes off like he hopes, his plan is to create adjustable chin pieces for kids.

Click here to visit the Kréddle Kickstarter.