Travelling With Music Is Just Good Business
In the future, we may look to find travel-sized instruments, built-in speakers, and even Virtual Reality music education. We are a culture of innovators and as technology changes, music will inevitably change along with it. But what if I told you that the dainty, four-stringed Ukulele could start this revolution?
While musical instruments have seen little change, the ukulele market has experienced a steadily growing market, with model designs making their way in. In the last ten years, sales have demonstrated a significant shift as the ukulele has become in greater demand than the guitar. The ukulele is what one may call the “gateway instrument” as it is one of the easiest instruments to learn. Now, everyone wants the gratification of learning a new instrument, and learning how to play their favorite songs. Musical lessons are now at our fingertips from phone apps to Internet tutorials reaching far and wide.
With the revival of the ukulele, a clear market has emerged, and its one that may impact the future of musical entrepreneurship. The travel market can become more and more relevant if you take a look at your audience. In the rising popularity of becoming a “digital nomad” it is clear that the millennial generation places a high degree of value on travel, prioritizing experience over traditional assets. Products boosting social interaction are also attractive to this population.
Cue the Ava Ukulele. This product, developed by Novako Music, https://kickstarter.novakomusic.com/, provides a portable, travel-sized instrument for adventurers, ‘nomads’, and musical lovers, alike. Individuals may now carry their beloved instruments with them wherever they go, sharing the universal message of music. The convenient travel companion includes a Silent Mode feature, allowing travelers to practice quietly with minimal distraction to others. Ava’s forearm rest retracts to provide for easy storage. In addition, the instrument sends electrical signals to provide amplification of sound over a speaker.
The Ava Ukulele creates a space for social interaction in our digital age of isolation. Its compatibility with travel can inspire people to diversify their experiences and share their stories with each other as well. Looking to the Ava, we may see a progression towards the more portable, accessible and social in the development of the music business.
Founder, Candace Chen is the face of the ‘solopreneur’, herself, managing a variety of tasks from electronic design, creative copy, prototyping, video editing, marketing, and patent writing.
Chen emigrated from Taiwan at the age of three, raised by a single mother on a near minimum wage salary. Encouraged to work hard in school and pick up a musical instrument, Chen cultivated the skills needed to build her entrepreneurial empire. Along the way, Chen took advantage of various platforms to get her idea out there. Utilizing influencer marketing platforms, she was able to connect with influencers in her niche. She also made use of Kickstarter as an effective marketing platform.
Kickstarter is a crowdsourcing resource that allows individuals to connect with people from diverse backgrounds to gain monetary support for their ventures. Crowdsourcing provides greater access and viral potential and is another way in which we are becoming more connected on a global level.
Below is Chen’s advice for entrepreneurs who are ready to pioneer the travel-friendly space or bring their own passion project to life.
“You’re either growing and adapting, or others are taking your place and slowly pushing you out. Stay relevant, humble, and hungry. Learn to adapt to market needs, keep an eye on adjacent industries that are experiencing disruption.”
“Listen to your customer’s problems, and their problems with your solution, but take their solutions with a grain of salt.”
