Fall quarter is here and everyone knows what that means – Ohio State marching band season is back.
Most of us only see the final on-field performances of the “Best Damn Band in the Land,” but what many do not realize is there are endless hours of scripting, choreographing, practicing and rehearsing that go into those shows. That kind of nonstop work can be exhausting not only for the musicians but also for the upkeep of their instruments.
Never fear, band members. Jim Akins, associate professor in music, has come to the rescue. He has invented a better and quicker way to repair all those nasty dings and dents that instruments get on the field.
His invention, which he calls the Dent Eraser, is designed to smooth out surface defects on brass instruments – specifically tubas.
Tubas are much more fragile brass instruments than trumpets or trombones, Akins said. The tuba is structurally weak because it is made out of a brass that is very thin, usually only a few millimeters, because of the immense size of its tubes and bell.
The size of his invention prohibits its use on smaller brass instruments – it would not be able to fit inside many other instruments because of the lack of space. Thus, the Dent Eraser is limited to being used on only sousaphones, concert tubas, baritones and euphoniums (concert baritones).
Consisting of an 8-pound ball bearing and a potent magnet, it works by simply placing each part of the contraption on opposite sides of an instrument and moving them back and forth over dents.
“You just rub the dents away,” Akins said. “It’s very simple.”
Specializing in teaching the euphonium, the tuba and instrument design at OSU, Akins has also played tuba in the Columbus Symphony Orchestra for the past 20 years. He first came up with the idea for his invention during one of his many visits with the symphony to area high schools, he said in a recent interview.
“Those kids’ instruments were destroyed,” he said. “How could anyone learn to play an instrument in that condition?”
High schools will not be the only ones to benefit from Akins’ invention. Plans are already under way for the OSU marching band to purchase a Dent Eraser as well.
“Mr. Akins came in to do a demonstration for us of his new invention, and he sold us right away,” said Jon Woods, director and coordinator of the athletic band program and professor in music. “I think it’s phenomenal, and I’m telling all of my colleagues all over the country about it.”
With 28 performance and 28 practice sousaphones, the OSU marching band has one of the largest tuba sections of universities nationwide. Tens of thousands of dollars go into the repair and maintenance of these instruments each year.
“This invention will benefit everyone, whether they be in concert band or marching band,” Woods said. “I think that it will be especially valuable for the marching band because instruments can go through a lot of wear and tear on the field during drills and half-time shows – the larger instruments are more prone to being dented under those conditions.”
These larger instruments not only enhance the visual beauty of a band, they also provide the base of its sound. When these instruments get banged up, that structural sound base can deteriorate. Those dents not only look unattractive, but they can also change and distort the sound waves moving through the instrument, making it sound flat, Akins said.
The Dent Eraser was first put on the market late last year at an inventor’s convention in Chicago and a patent on the product is still in the works. C.G. Conn is now distributing Akins’ Dent Eraser to music stores and, although it is advertised to cost around $900, schools and universities will be offered reduced prices.
