Episode 41

Flute 360 | Episode 41: “Ho-Fan Lee, Thumbport Inventor” (37:22)
Thumbport, Ho-Fan Lee, Carolyn Nussbaum Music Company, CNMC, Plano, Texas, flute, flute shop, flute music, flute inventions, flute life, flute player, piccolo, William Bennett, Bennett, Albert Cooper

In today’s episode, Heidi talks with Ho-Fan Lee who is not only the inventor of the Thumbport, but also a flutist and engineer! Heidi and Ho-Fan talk about his creative process, resources that he utilized, and obstacles he overcame while creating and producing the Thumbport. You can follow and see his flute products here! Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Episode 41 – Main Points:

  • 0:56 – Welcome!
  • 1:15 – Ho-Fan Lee lives in Ohio!
  • 1:50 – Question: What is your background?
  • 2:12 – Answer
  • 3:34 – Norman Claire, mentor to Ho-Fan
  • 3:42 – William Bennett, flutist
  • 3:50 – Albert Cooper, flutist
  • 4:12 – Geoffrey Gilbert, flutist
  • 4:17 – Alex Murray, flutist
  • 4:54 – Ho-Fan studies temperament and acoustics.
  • 5:18 – “I like to think of myself as a flute designer.” – Ho-Fan
  • 7:01 – Alexander Technique
  • 7:13 – Question: How did you come up with your Thumbport invention?
  • 7:25 – Answer
  • 7:53 – Rockstro Method
  • 8:13 – Michel Debost, flutist
  • 8:34 – “I saw many themes and one of those themes was the stability [of the flute].” – Ho-Fan
  • 9:51 – Question: Were there other team members involved?
  • 10:11 – Question: What was the Thumbport’s timeframe from conception to production?
  • 12:00 – “We do need to sleep things over.” – Ho-Fan
  • 12:12 – Question: Did you have any obstacles throughout this process?
  • 12:21 – Answer
  • 13:25 – James Galway, flutist
  • 13:39 – William Bennett, flutist
  • 16:18 – Thomas Edison’s Quote
  • 17:17 – Question: What resources did you use throughout your journey?
  • 17:40 – Answer
  • 19:00 – Bo-Pep
  • 19:15 – “The Development of the Modern Day Flute” by Nancy Toff
  • 21:29 – Question: Can you give us an elevator pitch of the Thumbport?
  • 21:45 – Answer
  • 26:21 – Another observation offered by Ho-Fan.
  • 27:46 – Question: Final thoughts?
  • 28:12 – “Listen to ourselves first to know what we want to do. Then, observe other people to see, hear, and listen to what they want.” – Ho-Fan
  • 30:00 – Picks!

Picks:

Ho-Fan

Heidi

Episode 41 – Resources Mentioned:

Episode 41 – Sponsors:

Episode 41
Episode 1