Madeline Wilks is a doctoral candidate in bassoon performance at the Michigan State University College of Music, where she is also completing a master’s in musicology. She performs as second bassoonist with the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra and serves as adjunct professor of bassoon at Hope College.
I perform and teach bassoon professionally while pursuing my degrees at Michigan State University. Over the course of my experiences, a critical thing I’ve learned is this: the biggest barrier isn’t talent, it is the gear.
To address this, I invented the “Tutti Strap.” It is a device for musicians that I am working to bring to market with support from the College of Music and the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Recently, I went on a weight loss journey. Speaking from my own experience, I was unable to stand and play because the proper gear did not exist. It often excluded me from different performance opportunities including competitions and certain ensembles. These ill-fitting, poorly designed supports can cause injuries, shorten careers and push musicians out of performing entirely.
Traditional instrument supports often neglect those who have diverse body types. This includes women, nonbinary, plus size and disabled musicians. The existing brands still use a one-size-fits-all, male-centered design. For an industry that’s built on creativity and inclusion, it’s surprisingly exclusive. This gap is exactly what my project is attempting to alleviate.
That’s why I named the company Tutti. In music, tutti means “all” — everyone playing, everyone included. Tutti aims to create adaptive instrument straps and supports that are actually built for diverse bodies. This will include multiple adjustment points, modular components, inclusive sizing and hypoallergenic materials. Instead of musicians adapting to the strap, the strap adapts to the musician.
We are very fortunate here at MSU to have so many different resources that are all free and part of the student experience. In the College of Music, the Running Start office holds an annual Running Start Competition aimed at promoting entrepreneurial advancements in the music industry. I worked with Emily Henley, the director of career education and music entrepreneurship who referred me to the Burgess Institute.
The Burgess Institute is a great resource for making this product a reality by providing guidance on the financial and legal aspects of starting a legitimate business. It is really a joy to know that my idea is protected and that I have additional support when taking it to international competitions and through the next steps of business creation.
Fortunately, I took first place in the Running Start Competition this year. I am now focusing Tutti on validation and readiness for scale. The funds from the competition will enable three critical steps towards completing the project:
- To create a fully functional and ergonomic prototype designed specifically for musicians who have historically been excluded from traditional instrument support systems.
- To fund user testing with women and musicians of diverse body types. These trials will document not only the physical outcomes such as reduced strain and improved endurance, but also things like confidence and performance ability while using the strap. By collecting real data from historically underserved musicians, Tutti is going to center their experiences as the standard and not the exception.
- To help me document specifications for the manufacturing process so that this is not a one-off solution, but a sustainable and accessible product.
The Running Start Competition pushed me outside of my comfort zone. I’ve been focused the last few years on performance and the pedagogical side of the music industry, but it’s really important to dabble in a variety of disciplines as a musician in order to have a sustainable career.
Running Start was a way for me to break into the music business side of things in a comfortable and safe environment, while the Burgess Institute opened up a pathway to an incredible network of resources. Through this experience, I have learned how businesses work, how to write a business plan and how to turn an idea into a validated product. It has been an enlightening experience for me so far and definitely one that I would do again.
As students, we have a unique opportunity to turn ideas into action. When you notice a need, a gap or a lack of inclusiveness, take initiative rather than wait for someone else to solve it. There is no downside to learning through the process, and there is everything to gain from bringing an idea to life.
