In 1979 I began suffering from chronic neck pain. The pain was a result of my new hobby: playing 5-string banjo in a bluegrass band. The average 5-string banjo weighs about 13 pounds. My banjo was a top tension, which added 2 lbs to the total weight. Standing 4 hours a day with a banjo strapped over my shoulder pulled my neck, back muscles, and tendons out of balance.
This imbalance over the years manifested itself into a debilitating condition called a reverse curve of the neck. The condition became so bad I walked into the Doctor’s office holding my head up only with the support of my hands. The Doctor’s diagnoses was simple, “You need to play banjo sitting down or play a different type of instrument.” Anyone that has seen a live bluegrass band can contest that most musicians stand while entertaining. Therefore, I began work on the No-Strap™ (patent pending). After years of research and development there now is a strap designed to relieve tired shoulders and place instrument weight on the hips.

Solution to the neck problem:  Find a leather craftsman that could make a new strap for me. I found a leather artesian with a good sense of humor. He tolerated my whim of making a waist strap to hold up my 15 lb banjo. We worked on the strap as I continued to play full time in the band. I would visit the leather worker’s bench weekly for adjustments on the strap until it was working smoothly.

Patenting? Marketing?  Working full time left no energy or time to patent and market this new invention. That is, until I met my business partner, Chad. He helped me to realize that patenting and distributing the No-Strap would help many other musicians with the same neck and back problems.

Naming the company:  Bill Monroe, father of American Bluegrass Music, designed the first bluegrass band. After various combinations of instrumentation, he decided that the fifth and final addition to his invention would be the 5-string banjo. He later commented that the banjo was the fifth child of bluegrass. Since the 5-string banjo instigated my injury, it seems only true to call this company Fifth Child Music©.

Thank you,

Kim K.