As teachers, we are always looking to fill a need in our classroom. Today’s post is an interview with my friend, Mike Rostin, a fabulous music educator from Atlanta, GA. When one of his students was unable to play the ukulele the way she wanted due to a physical disability, he stepped up and designed a solution!  Read on to find out about his DIY adaptive device for playing ukulele.

1) What were the students working on in class?
I have been teaching ukulele for 3 years.  I do a Ukulele unit every spring with my 5th grade where I teach a couple of scales and several chords. At the end of the year, the students use what they learned to write their own piece of music and perform it for their class.

2) What supports did the student need?
I have a student who is missing her right arm from the elbow down. She has always had a great attitude and work ethic.  I rarely had to help her because she was so great at adapting to her needs on her own.  However she struggled with the ukulele unit because she was unable to strum the strings.

She tried to solve the problem herself many ways using classroom supplies to help her. From rubber bands, tape, and pencils to string, bags, and paper – nothing worked.

3) So what did you do?
Her dad sent me an email about a musician, Lefty Williams, who is an Atlanta based guitar player. He was missing his right arm from the same place, and built a prosthesis for himself.  I emailed him and not only did he send me the directions to make the prosthesis, but he also offered to come to the school and teach the classes about his journey overcoming boundaries as a touring guitar player. After his visit, I immediately went to Home Depot and Michaels to get supplies.

4) Tell us about the device.
I used backpack straps as the base, and folded it around a metal ring on one end, and a plastic strap adjuster to the other end. I have never sewn before, but a few finger pricks and ripped string later, the strap was complete. Then I used a match to bend a guitar pick, and put the guitar pick on the strap using rivets and a rivet gun.

6) Were there any problems you had to overcome in designing the device? I had never sewn, used a rivet gun, nor bent a guitar pick with fire. There were a lot of problems that were simple user error. The hardest part was putting holes in the pick and the strap to make room for the rivets. The Art teacher at my school let me use this awesome tool that had a round end and heated up to extreme temperatures. I used it to melt holes in the pick and the strap. (Soldering iron).

7) How did your student react to the device? She was so happy! I’ll never forget that transformation. Her eyes lit up and she immediately played so naturally. I think all she wanted to do that day was play ukulele.

8) How do you think this device/accommodation changed things for your student? She was so nervous about signing up for Band, Chorus, or Orchestra in Middle School. I was delighted when I found out she was going to audition to play an instrument.

Thank you so much, Mike for sharing this!  Your students are clearly very lucky to have you!  You have changed this girl’s world and opened up a whole new selection of possibilities.  Thanks for sharing!