Introduction
I am currently applying for a small grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) “Innovation Corp” program, which is a federally-funded program that “prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory and accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic-research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization” (NSF).
I now have my Kundalini Piano Mirroring Platform implemented and patented as a physical product to sell. My next step is to work to “iterate” my product, meaning to refine it based on market-research and customer feedback.
I believe my system is of much use to pianists — and people in general — because it is a novel way to work on achieving ambidexterity, which has many benefits for one’s brain, and one’s ability to be creative. (I am attempting to expound on this thesis in the book I am currently writing, which I am calling Ambidexterity as a Path Towards Self-Actualization; I will have more to say about my book at a later date.)
I have already been utilizing my Piano Mirror for my own use. Additionally, I have taught my daughter how to work with the system, and now have one area music school on-board (!) that is interested in trying to utilize my piano mirror in their teaching curriculum.
So by my own estimation, I already consider my project to be a success. But as I continue to move forward with with my ability to market and mass-produce my offering, it would be my honor to be able to introduce my system to a larger audience.
Therefore, I am going through the process now of trying to bring what I created to the market, probably starting by redesigning the hardware platform that I am using to utilize cheaper electronics so that it can be mass-produced more profitably.
Additionally, now that the real-time hardware component of my system is complete, I am currently focusing on developing the online portion of my offering, which I am considering offering using a subscription-based model, possibly at the $5/month price point.
The subscription will allow users access to:
- video lessons regarding symmetrically-inverted playing that I am creating
- original piano exercises that I composed for use with my system
- access to all the mirror-image scores I have created of traditional keyboard music, using the Online Score Viewer that I created.
(Note: I am almost finished writing a compiler that I am calling my Mozart Transposition Engine. This program allows me to automatically produce scores notated in my Symmetrically-Inverted Notation from preexisting, conventionally-notated scores; once this system is in place, I will use my tool to populate my website with mirror-image scores by the 100’s!!)
Anyway, as part of my grant proposal, and (hopeful) acceptance into a software accelerator program that I’ve applied to here in Akron, I am conducting some preliminary market research.
So please consider answering a few questions from the survey below. Just answer as many or few questions as you would like; any feedback at all is helpful.
Thank you for your time.