DOLFINOS in The Strad Korea's March 2024 Issue
We are thrilled to share our recent interview with The Strad Korea, a prestigious publication dedicated to the world of classical music, particularly focusing on string instruments. Featuring Michael Wiener, CEO of DOLFINOS, this exclusive discussion offers valuable insights into DOLFINOS's vision, mission, and innovative strategies shaping the landscape of musical instrument accessories.
Read the translation of the original Korean interview below.
Interview with Dolfinos Founder, Michael Wiener - Innovation for Musicians
Musicians, especially string players, require many items besides their instruments to perform. For violinists or violists who must hold their instruments between their chin and shoulder, finding the right combination of chinrest and shoulder rest that feels like an extension of the instrument is a lifelong challenge. However, once a good solution is found, it often leads to discovering newer, more comfortable alternatives. Yet, despite the size of the industry catering to musicians, innovation through engineering research in the music industry has progressed slowly compared to other fields.
Located in Switzerland, Dolfinos collaborates with musicians and educators to develop products for musicians' comfort based on science and engineering. Founded in 2014 with the goal of developing innovative equipment for musicians after winning the first prize at the Swiss Startup Awards in 2013, the company has since conducted research and testing to develop products that incorporate balanced elements, including chinrests, shoulder rests, and a chin rest, in a single unit that can be replaced in seconds, by early 2020. This system for violins and violas can be used from ages 6 to adult, providing the same level of comfort to students, professionals, soloists, and elderly players with reduced physical abilities. In addition to the rest system, Dolfinos has developed accessories for musicians such as a lightweight portable music stand (Mini-put) and cello grip foot, helping performers immerse themselves in music in a more comfortable environment.
Currently selling products worldwide through their website, Dolfinos plans to visit South Korea in April. They will host demonstrations, lectures, and a concert (scheduled for April 22) at the Swiss Embassy, as well as offering free workshops. Before their visit to Korea, I had a conversation with founder Michael Winner about Dolfinos innovation. Their journey into innovation challenges will surely inspire musicians on a different level.
Strad Korea: I'm curious about what prompted you to start Dolfinos business.
Michael Wiener: I was the project leader of a research program at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences focusing on the biomechanics of string players and the interaction between musicians and their instruments and its impact on sound. At the time, I was a psychology professor, and this collaboration was a major research topic. This project, the first of its kind in history, focused on collaboration between various disciplines. The project involved the top three universities in Zurich, Switzerland: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) for materials science and acoustics, the University of Zurich (UZH) for dermatology and physiology, and the Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK) for masterclasses with Zakhar Bron and Rudolf Koelman.
Dolfinos business started because of the response from musicians and students to a completely new chin and shoulder rest performance test conducted at the ETH Physiology Research Laboratory. They were enthusiastic about this groundbreaking product and fervently requested it to be released as a product. So, in order to fulfill the dreams of musicians, students, and amateurs seeking an acoustically sound, user-friendly, and ergonomic solution, I decided to leave my stable position at the university.
Strad Korea: Dolfinos is researching and developing various cutting-edge technologies for musicians. What is the core corporate value of Dolfinos, which encompasses all these activities?
Michael Wiener: Dolfinos core corporate values, encompassing all our activities of researching, developing, and releasing innovative technologies for musicians, revolve around three main principles. Firstly, we believe that musicians, akin to exceptional athletes, deserve access to the best technologies society can offer. Secondly, we adhere to the principle that the quality of our products must meet the basic requirements of students and amateurs as well as the advanced demands of professionals and soloists. Finally, recognizing the intricate skills required by musicians, we understand that addressing these requires an integrated approach across multiple disciplines, including materials science, acoustics, sports science, music (performance and education), and design. We conduct our research with these three guiding principles in mind.
Michael Wiener: It's natural to be curious about the failures we encountered while developing Dolfinos rest system. One of our key technologies involves applying a user-centered approach. However, as the deadline for product release approached, time constraints prevented us from conducting direct tests with customers on the spring solution.
What happened then? Some musicians experienced issues with the spring solution, which we initially thought was innovative and user-friendly, due to their "old habit" of resting the instrument on their shoulders. This turned out to be a setback, as one tiny component out of approximately 50 embedded parts had a flaw (the rest of the components were fine). Dealing with this post-launch was akin to repairing a bicycle while riding it—it was much more complex and time-consuming, ultimately costing us more than delaying the product launch.
Startups often lack the luxury of ample funding in the early stages, necessitating the sale of a minimum viable product (MVP) to begin generating revenue. This dilemma can sometimes lead to wrong decisions and subsequent failures in the entrepreneurial journey. However, within the company, maintaining a failure-friendly attitude is crucial. It acknowledges that failures are opportunities to learn and improve for the next attempt. Thus, we adhere to Samuel Beckett's words: "Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better."
Strad Korea: What is the value of music and art in your opinion? I am curious about the thoughts of entrepreneurs or inventors, not music majors.
Michael Wiener: From the perspective of an entrepreneur or inventor, there is a simple answer to this question, considering the neuroaesthetic and learning aspects. Art, especially music, has the power to open dialogues between people and inspire them. When attending concerts, we train ourselves in attentive listening and respect, which are essential qualities for successful collaboration and peace-building. The ability to foster meaningful conversations is indispensable for successful communication and cooperation. No one denies that. Just by watching musicians, we learn. Our mirror neurons respond to their performances. Most musicians communicate with each other through music on stage, and if the ensemble doesn't sound harmonious, any enthusiastic audience member will immediately recognize the auditory malfunction.
Strad Korea: What is the reason for visiting Korea, and what potential have you discovered in the Korean market?
Michael Wiener: The reason for visiting Korea and the potential discovered in the Korean market are as follows:
We initiated research with leading musicians and educators such as Joshua Bell, Yoon Soyoung, Anna Chumachenco, and Zakhar Bron. Particularly, Yoon Soyoung's insights on the importance of user-friendly technology and design, coupled with exceptional musicality, left a profound impression on us. Subsequently, we collaborated with Bomsori Kim and Clara Jumi Kang. All of them contributed to enhancing the quality of our products and embodying dedication to the art our company pursues. For these reasons, we are confident that the Korean market will share and welcome our values more than any other market in Asia. Of course, from the perspective of our business's scalability, it is also an important market. Additionally, visiting Korea serves as a means to convey our innovations to consumers who recognize our intellectual contributions to the arts. We look forward to exploring more productive ways to collaborate with musicians, producers, stores, distributors, universities, and associations who are interested in partnering with us during this visit. - by Jeong So-yeon
