Guthman Musical Instrument Competition
For the past 26 years, Georgia Tech University has hosted the Guthman Musical Instrument Competition, a showcase celebrating the innovations of instrument designers from around the world. I learned about the competition when I came across an article in The Guardian about a past finalist whose instrument was eventually played by world-renowned musicians like Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick Jr., and Vulfpeck.
As soon as I learned about the event, I knew I had found My People.
Instrument design is a niche that demands a curious blend of eclectic skills—skills I didn’t possess before embarking on this project. Despite my initial reservations, I applied, eager to connect with fellow inventors and designers. Although I didn't make the top 10 finalists, I was excited to receive an invitation to attend the public exposition and showcase Coloratura there.
To prepare for the event (our first time taking Coloratura on an airplane), we streamlined our demo boards from a Jeep-load of gear to two (slightly overweight) suitcases and hoped that the TSA agents wouldn't ask too many questions about all of the weird wired boxes in our bags!
Once we got to the expo, I started to feel anxious. The majority of the exhibitors were graduate students, faculty members, or somehow affiliated with an academic institution. I was worried our instrument, designed to be so simple and accessible that anyone of any age or ability could engage with it immediately, might be viewed as too simplistic.
My fears were unfounded, and Coloratura turned out to be a smash hit. Before the event even officially began, people swarmed our booth, and their enthusiasm didn't wane, even after the event was over. Over 2 and a half hours, hundreds of people played with the brushes, watched others play, offered invaluable feedback, discussed potential collaborations, and just reveled in the act of creation and wonder.
Many were surprised to learn that my husband and I, weren't students or faculty members, we were just a couple of curious nerds from Kansas City, who'd simply followed our passion for connecting with like-minded individuals.
What drew me most to the Guthman Competition was not the pursuit of fame or acclaim, but a deep-seated desire for community. My work straddles the boundaries of many different sectors (art, music, technology, education), but I don't quite fit into any one group, which can be very isolating. At Guthman, I met so many like-minded people who not only understood what Coloratura was but had the vision and skill set to help me envision what it could be in the future. Between the folks I met at the exposition and the amazing finalists that I saw perform at the competition concert (my favorite was Max Addae's VocalCords , which won 1st Place!), I was overwhelmed with inspiration and gratitude to be a part of this wonderful group of curious, creative individuals.
Because there were so many people in the event space, most of the video I captured is unusable, but I do want to share one short clip I recorded of Dr. Francesco Fedele, an engineering professor who created beautiful images with our brushes. His own work is quite fascinating: he uses brain waves to create art and music!