The world is slow to change

Regardless if they would work well for you personally, what do you think of these finger rings? Aesthetically, are they interesting? If you're answer is a resounding no, then I respect your opinion. And if you love them, that's perfectly acceptable as well.

Ironically, I made this set of finger rings in 2010 in Minneapolis on my first industrial CNC milling machine. In 2010, I asked the public the exact same question. Almost everyone hated not just the finger rings, but much of my work in general. The consensus at the time was that I was messing with something that was already perfect, and that artistic embellishments were completely unacceptable. At the time, I was introducing one unique design after another, stretching what was possible for me to create in terms of machining difficulty, design intent, artistic freedom, and personal preference.

Around the same time, I built the very first Satchmo Summerfest trumpet, which was auctioned off with all proceeds benefiting the non-profit that hosts the event. The first Satchmo trumpet incorporated the opening line of A Kiss to Build a Dream On played by Louis Armstrong on the leadpipe. And it also garnered a similar level of hatred from the online community with people claiming it was too extravagant, heavy, artistic, etc. This did not discourage me in any way as, I've understood since I was very young that, people are very slow to catch on.

For instance, when I was around 10 years old I designed and built a Christmas ornament for my mother that used one AA battery to power a motor and an array of LED lights. Everything was handmade and soldered in my bedroom. My Mom thought this was amazing, or at least told me so, and she believed people would buy ornaments like this at the store. A few years later, I had evolved my skills to animating and lighting up decorations for Halloween. It was another 25 years before I saw anything similar for sale in the store, and these types of decorations are now overly popular, in my opinion. The truth is that I wasn't crazy about decorating for holidays. I simply enjoyed the exercise and challenge of making the animated designs.

The funny thing about these Flames finger rings is that not only do people judge with their preconceived notions and eyes, but they also miss out on what is beneath. They miss the advantages resulting from 30+ years of researching SWE (standing wave efficiency) Technology, Maximum Bell Resonance, the Variable Performance System, and so much more. I haven't been focused on making cool looking horns all these years. I've been innovating the instrument we love to be easier and more rewarding to play every day. The artistic side has really just been a way to tie the aesthetics together with the technology to create playable art.

Full disclosure, I never have liked the look of the Flames finger rings. I simply made them to see if it was possible. When machinists visit my shop, they sometimes pick out one of these rings and tell me it must have been very difficult to make. Well, in 2010 my skills were not what they are today, and yes, they were very difficult to machine. That's exactly why I designed and made them.

Jason