Schools

Are you a music educator that already knows the incredible value offered by the instruments of Gatchell Innovations?  If so, go to our Special School Assistance Program application page to enroll your school, or music program, for discounts of up to 50%. To get product details or to make a purchase, go to the product page for Endeavor Violin or the Endeavor Cello now.

If you are not familiar with these instruments and would like to know more, please continue reading.  We believe you will find the following overview interesting and worth your time.

Violins, violas, cellos, and basses are indeed all wonderful to play but require a significant commitment from students if they are to be played well and enjoyed.  Students working hard, but unable to sense an improvement, can easily become frustrated and question the effort needed. This is unfortunate, but also avoidable.

The challenge – What if every music student’s first instrument helped them achieve their goal to become an accomplished player?  Today’s instruments frequently do not live up to that challenge. Wouldn’t it be incredible to design and make the next generation of instruments from advanced acoustic materials that are very playable, sound great, and are extremely responsive to the student’s input while being impervious to changes in environmental conditions? We believe that would have a very positive impact on the experience of students and would inspire them. The fact is, these challenges cannot be overcome using traditional tonewoods. However, through research and extensive ten-year study, we have been able to handcraft modern day material that actually exceeds the performance of wood while having a number of other important benefits. The result is lightweight and well-balanced instruments that enable players to feel the music they are making. This helps accelerate the learning process and makes practice more enjoyable and rewarding.

Gatchell Innovations, Inc. has a passion for traditional instruments, but its core passion and focus is on the player and their experience. Ten years ago it became apparent it was time to open a project to achieve a very worthy goal – the creation of extraordinarily playable instruments that will address the issues of traditional wooden cellos and provide every student with an instrument that will help them become accomplished players.

At the National ASTA convention, Three Palms Strings and Atlantic Strings announced the availability of two new instruments made by Gatchell Innovations, Inc. from materials that are acoustically and structurally superior to wood. They are the Endeavor violin and the Endeavor cello. Each fully addresses all problems associated with the wooden cellos and violins that are typically found in schools. Each has an emphasis on a very positive playing experience for every student. The quest to create these instruments began many years ago. There were a few setbacks along the way, but each one of them helped us to better understand these materials and how they needed to be crafted to enhance: power, playability, timbre, balance, color, and projection while addressing issues of cost and problems created by rapid changes in environmental conditions.

Speaking of cost – In recognition and support of school music programs everywhere, and with the enthusiastic assistance of the Gatchell Innovations, Inc. Three Palms Strings has created a Special School Assistance Program (SSAP). Its purpose is to make these truly incredible instruments affordable to every school system in the country. To qualify your school, or music education program for this assistance, please complete our single page SSAP application now.  After submission, we will contact you to directly to set up your school or music program into our SSAP system. If you join before December 2017, discounts of up to 50% can be realized. The program is expected to expire on December 31, 2017, at which time no new members will be enrolled.

Other issues overcome by the Endeavor Cello and Violin – We have all seen and experienced the ongoing financial pressure on school music programs. If they have not been eliminated due to budget cuts, they are surely challenged to do more with less. The first reaction is usually to cut the cost of instruments. In conflict with that is the fact that good quality and well-aged tonewood (and ebony) is becoming very hard to find, and its cost is going up. Frequently this puts the better quality instruments out of the hands of students that have the potential to begin a lifelong love of playing music. It is becoming harder and harder for schools to provide instruments that exhibit good: playability, sound, responsiveness, and the ability to inspire.

Not only are school music programs under great financial pressure, but it is common that other cost-saving measures require the shutting down of heat and air-conditioning in these facilities at night and during breaks in the year, causing instruments to need frequent tuning and lots of attention to their pegs, strings, and bridges. This takes away valuable teaching time while each instrument is being adjusted.  In more severe cases, it is common for instruments to develop cracks in the top and bottom plates and/or open seems along the ribs.  There is also the all too common problem of fingerboards losing their shape resulting in strings that buzz or lay flat on the fingerboard. This makes instruments unplayable until they can be taken to a repair shop. Instruments needing repair are time-consuming and the cost of the repairs only adds to the issue of the budget problems.

The Endeavor cellos and violins from Gatchell Innovations overcome all of these problems while providing an instrument to the student that is truly inspiring because it: sounds great, is very responsive, has outstanding power, and is easy to play. So complete your application today to receive discounts of up to 50% for all instruments ordered for your school or music program.