Caledonia — In the fall of her fifth-grade year at Kraft Meadows Intermediate, Kendall Heiss attended the orchestra “petting zoo” with her classmates to explore string instruments.
She knew she did not want to play an instrument that rested on her shoulder, like the violin or viola, and standing on her feet for the entirety of orchestra class did not sound fun either.
“There was something about the cello,” Kendall said, that intrigued her. “I liked the way it sounded and the position you held it in.”
She decided to learn how to play the cello, but needed a bit of help to make her goal a reality.
Born with a partial right arm, playing the instrument in the traditional way was going to be a challenge for Kendall. But her support system of family and teachers were determined to build a bridge over the barrier.
“My mom and dad told me to go for it and try it,” she said.
Kraft Meadows counselor Kelly Green said Kendall came to her to share her desire to play the cello. Green met with her parents soon after and said, “Here is what (Kendall) wants to do. How can we make it happen?”
Creative Problem-Solving
As Green began brainstorming, a former student, Collin Green (no relation), came to mind. He graduated from Caledonia High School in 2015 and now works as a design engineer for a medical equipment company in Traverse City.
Passionate about and experienced with 3D printing, Collin Green said he happily took on the design challenge of finding a solution for Kendall.
“3D printing has a lot of applications and more people are utilizing it for problem-solving in sports and medicine,” he said.
Despite not being able to fully assess Kendall’s needs in person, Green was able to find ideas online on how to create and print a bow-holding device.
“I found something for a viola player and modified it for what Kendall would need to play her cello,” he said. “My brother played cello, so I knew what holding a bow looked like and imagined how it would feel if I had nothing to grip the bow with.”
Green said he wanted to make sure the device would be “like an extension” of Kendall’s arm, not something that would get in her way.
“When we think of doing things with athletes and performers, there is an interesting space for flexibility,” he said. “We can blend performance with their body and optimize connectivity and the device you’re using.”
After developing the first version of his design, he sent it off to Kraft Meadows for Kendall to try. She also got to choose a sparkly blue filament for the device.
Blending Art and Engineering
As an engineer, Collin Green said he expected to create and revise several versions of the design, but the first one worked for Kendall.
“It was just so cool that I could blend art and engineering to create something on the computer and then have it right in front of me,” he said.
Kelly Green worked with Kendall to find the right velcro and other materials to allow it to fit comfortably on her arm. One of Kendall’s worries was if she would have the right pressure to hold her bow down on the strings, but Collin’s design took care of that.
“It makes me feel so happy,” Kendall said. “I was very happy because it worked and I was able to do everything everyone else was doing.”
The week before her first orchestra concert, Kendall even felt confident enough in her abilities to volunteer to sit in the front row of the cello section.
“There isn’t much she can’t do; she just makes it happen,” Kelly Green said. “She is a pretty amazing student.”
Looking forward to sixth grade this fall, Kendall said she is excited to continue playing the cello; she also wants to try playing basketball when she gets to middle school.
“My parents are really supportive and empowering, so I’m going to try it,” she said.
Kelly Green added: “We want kids to know they can do anything and we’re here to help them.”
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