Home → News → Polygiene BioMaster → Unraveling the Science Behind Antibacterial Solutions for Musical Instruments
Playing, making and listening to music is one of life’s great joys. It’s a unifying human experience and something that almost everyone appreciates.
Which is why we love World Music Day so much. Created to encourage musicians of all ages and abilities to get outside and play music in public spaces, it calls attention to the importance of music in our everyday lives.
With this in mind, we wanted to celebrate this year’s World Music Day by highlighting the work of Warwick Music Group (WMG) and exploring how Polygiene BioMaster™ is helping it provide opportunities for young people to pick up an instrument.
Bringing the pCorder to Welsh schools
Warwick Music Group isn’t afraid of a challenge. Way back in 2010, they developed the world’s first plastic trombone. Lightweight, affordable and less prone to damage, wear and tear than traditional instruments, the pBone was an attempt to shake up the traditional music industry and introduce a new generation to the joys of brass instruments.
And boy, was it a success.
The pBone went on to become the best-selling trombone in the world and paved the way for WMG to develop an entire range of plastic instruments. As well as a pBone mini, the brand now retails a pTrumpet, pBuzz, and pCornet, amongst other products.
Emphasizing the importance of accessibility to instruments and music education opportunities and resources, WMG is working to ensure we’re blessed with plenty of talented musicians in the future.
Who knows, the next Miles Davis, Glenn Miller, Dizzy Gillespie, or Wynton Marsalis may grow up playing and learning with a WMG instrument.
WMG’s commitment to future musicians was further demonstrated by the recent release of the pCorder. Designed in response to a Welsh government initiative to introduce tens of thousands of new fully-recyclable and carbon-neutral plastic recorders into Welsh schools, WMG was an obvious choice of partner.
As part of the product development, WMG opted to incorporate Polygiene BioMaster into the instrument to improve hygiene and ensure safe use in an environment where each recorder is likely to be shared between multiple users.
This decision was the latest development in a partnership with Polygiene that stretches back many years. Polygiene BioMaster is already utilized in the pBone and pBone Mini’s black pipes, the pTrumpet and pCornet’s pipe, and the pBuzz’s mouthpiece. In the case of the pCorder, the Polygiene BioMaster additive is applied to the entire instrument.But what is Polygiene BioMaster? And how does it work?
Polygiene BioMaster is an antimicrobial technology that provides 24/7, long-lasting protection against bacteria and other unwanted microorganisms. It proactively inhibits and disrupts bacterial growth via a powerful silver ion technology that binds with the bacterial cell wall, disrupts enzyme production to limit energy production, and interferes with cell DNA to prevent replication.
Crucially, Polygiene BioMaster is integrated into products and materials at the manufacturing stage. This means it stays active for the product’s entire lifespan and can’t be washed away or removed. Which makes it perfect for musical instruments.
Polygiene BioMaster makes products more hygienic and prevents the spread of potentially harmful microorganisms between people and items.
The importance of antimicrobials like Polygiene BioMaster cannot be overstated. Take the Welsh pCornet initiative as an example.
Without Polygiene BioMaster, sharing instruments would have been far less hygienic, potentially putting the program at risk due to health concerns. We can also assume there would be greater transmission of illness between students. Considering how disruptive missing school can be for tren – there is scientific evidence that links attendance with educational attainment – any step that reduces the potential for absences is a positive thing.
Solutions like Polygiene BioMaster are essential in busy, public environments like schools, where bacterial spread is quick and can have significant consequences. Previously, studies conducted in office environments have shown that microorganisms introduced into the workplace spread to 50% of all surfaces in as little as four hours (WebMD). High footfall and enclosed spaces combine to make antimicrobials more important than ever.
Antimicrobials aren’t a silver bullet or a magic solution, though. They need to be used in conjunction with other hygiene measures to maximize efficacy. Regular hand washing and surface cleaning are two of the most common safeguards.
But WMG has also gone the extra mile to ensure that pCorder players benefit from extra protection. It has created cleaning instructions for users – washing down with soapy water and a cleaning brush is the way to go – and provides a protective recorder case.
The case is manufactured from sustainable materials and is designed to keep kids’ recorders moisture-free while protecting them from damage. It features a QR code that links to recorder learning resources. And you can purchase additional colors if you want to mix things up at the start of the new school year or you have two budding musicians in the family and there are regular squabbles about which recorder belongs to who.
At Polygiene, we are very proud of our partnership with WMG. It’s great to work alongside an organization focused on such positive goals, with a mission we can all get behind. And we’re proud of the role Polygiene BioMaster plays in enhancing access to safe and hygienic instruments, particularly in educational settings.
Polygiene BioMaster is one of the most advanced antimicrobial solutions in the world and companies of all types and sizes utilize it to enhance their product offering. Warner Music Group is an excellent example of a brand that recognizes the value of built-in antimicrobial protection and leverages the technology to deliver outstanding value to its customers.
With that in mind, we want to wish everyone at WMG and music lovers everywhere a very happy World Music Day!
