| What is MaestroMD and why is it being
used for musical wind instruments? |
|
MaestroMD is a revolutionary new
service from Encore Etc., Inc. that for the first
time in the music industry offers sterilization of
brass and wood wind instruments.
Until now, music dealers and
schools have used a variety of methods to clean,
sanitize, and disinfect mouthpieces and
instruments, but these methods have only reduced
the bacteria on instruments, not eliminate it.
|
| return to
top> |
| How did the idea for MasestroMD come
about? |
|
Encore Etc., Inc. was established in 2001 by
Dr. Lorenzo Lepore, a practicing Massachusetts
dentist and accomplished musician. In the
mid-1990s, Dr. Lepore learned that wind
instruments loaned through school music programs
were not routinely sterilized. Understanding the
potential health risks to student musicians, he
committed the next eight years to researching a
solution. |
| return to
top> |
| How long has bacteria in wind
instruments been a problem? As Dealers, why have
we never heard of this before? |
|
For years, the importance of not
sharing personal items that we put in our mouths -
from soda cans to toothbrushes – has been
drilled into our consciousness. Physicians,
dentists and government organizations like the
Center for Disease Control (CDC) have cited the
risks inherent in sharing these items.
We know is that infectious
microbes can live inside wind instruments, and
when our mouths come into contact with such an
environment our risk of infection is increased.
The question is, why would we risk getting sick
from playing a wind instrument when there’s a
practical and affordable solution? |
| return to
top> |
| Offering MaestroMD represents a
Profit Center, not a Cost Center |
|
Our volume pricing has been tailored to make
offering MaestroMD a profit center for you, not a
cost center. As a school music dealer, you can
realize discounts of up to 40% by sterilizing as
few as 500 instruments a season, depending on your
sterilization schedule, instrument mix, and
payment terms. This means that you can earn
a $20-$24 profit per instrument while offering
an improved standard of care!
Sterilizing more than 2500 instruments a
season? Email us to discuss a customized solution.
info@MaestroMD.com. |
| return to
top> |
| Offering MaestroMD Differentiates
Your Business from The Competition |
|
By offering MaestroMD you tell
your customers you care about an issue that’s
important to them as parents and educators, and
give them another great reason for doing business
with you. You guarantee them the instrument
that’s 00% bacteria free, and given a standard
of care beyond any sanitizer, flush, sonic
cleaner, deodorizer or disinfectant available on
the market. |
| return to
top> |
| Become a MaestroMD Authorized Dealer
and We'll Send Customers to You |
|
As more and more musicians, school marching
bands and orchestras, parents, local officials,
PTAs, Boosters, and community leaders learn about
Maestro MD, they'll be looking for dealers in
their area that offer sterilization. When you
become a MaestroMD Authorized Dealer, we'll refer
these prospects to you. Learn more by emailing us
at info@MaestroMD.com. |
| return to
top> |
| We'll Give you The Marketing Support
you Need to Succeed |
| We'll give you the
tools you need to successfully market and sell
MaestroMD to schools, Parents and musicans in your
area. The materials in our Reseller Support
Center are free and easy to download and
print. They include:
- Information you can use for school music
distribution nights and events that introduce
students and parents to school music programs
- Press releases for local newspapers and
radio stations announcing the availability of
sterilized instruments through your dealership
- Point of sale materials and posters for your
store
- And soon, an informational video that can be
broadcast through school TV stations or local
cable outlets that discuss the process of
sterilized instruments.
|
| return to
top> |
| MaestroMD is a System that makes
Business Sense |
|
Sterilization is a new standard of care for
wind instruments, and between sterilizations, we
recommend that musicians keep their instruments
cleaned, deodorized and disinfected by using our
Instrument Health Maintenance Kits, or HMK’s.
Kits are available for Clarinets, Flutes,
Trumpets, Saxophones and Trombones, and include
clothes, brushes, flexible neck cleaners, swabs
and spray bottles of MaestroClean™. Quantity
discounts are available for dealers, along with
Point-of-Sale displays. |
| return to
top> |
| How does MaestroMD actually
work? |
|
It's quite simple, and everything can be done
right here from MaestroMD.com.
We send you all the materials required to tag,
pack and ship your instruments. You let us know
when your shipment is ready to pick up, and we
take it from there. Your instruments are shipped
to the closest available sterilization facility,
sterilized in their cases and shipped back to you
in approximately 10 - 15 business days. |
| return to
top> |
| How much does sterilization
cost? |
|
Encore Etc., Inc. charges for sterilization on
a per instrument basis, with prices varying based
on the type of instrument being sterilized.
Please call for pricing. Prices vary by size
and quantity.School bands that want to sterilize
all their instruments at one time can appreciate
significant savings.
Any extra charges you incur will be for
additional freight if you have your sterilization
expedited by having it shipped via next day air.
For instruments not on the list of common
musical wind instruments, we will give you a quote
specific to your instrument and your location.
|
| return to
top> |
| How do I get the best
price? |
|
Our volume pricing has been tailored to make
offering MaestroMD a profit center for you, not a
cost center. As a school music dealer, you can
realize discounts of up to 40% by sterilizing as
few as 500 instruments a season, depending on your
sterilization schedule, instrument mix, and
payment terms. This means that you can earn
a $20-$24 profit per instrument while offering
an improved standard of care!
Sterilizing more than 2500 instruments a
season? Email us to discuss a customized solution.
info@MaestroMD.com. |
| return to
top> |
| What if a customer comes to me and
wants just one or two instruments
sterilized? |
| We recognize that at
first, not all dealers will be placing huge
orders, and may want test the waters and see how
all this works. And we want to work with you! For
dealers placing an order for less than 40 units
we'll give you a 3% commission on the value of
each order at the time of payment. Additionally,
we'll give you a quarterly commission of up to 3%
on the total dollar amount of all orders for less
than 40 units in the previous quarter. |
| return to
top> |
| How do I pay? |
| Your order can be paid
by credit card, e-check, or with pre-approved
credit and a purchase order. If you wish to set up
a credit account, Encore Etc., Inc. will require
information to establish an appropriate level of
credit for your specific account. There is a 50%
cancellation charge for any order that is
cancelled after shipping materials have been
sent. |
| return to
top> |
| What am I going to have to do to get
instruments ready for sterilization? |
|
The instruments should be prepared in the same
way you normally prepare them before distribution
to students. In addition, because the science
behind the MaestroMD sterilization process
involves negative atmospheric pressure, all
containers of valve oil or cork grease should be
removed from the cases.
Please refer to the instrument preparation
instructions for specific details.
When you place your order you will be sent the
appropriate number of MaestroMD shipping
containers along with:
- Serial number labels for each instrument
- Address labels for the return shipping of
the MaestroMD shipping container(s).
Simply affix the self-adhesive serial number
label on the handle of the instrument cases (just
like airline tags), and place the cases into the
MaestroPAK™. When you are ready to have your order
picked up, simply call us for a pick up, or go to
www.MaestroMD.com. |
| return to
top> |
| How many instruments can I sterilize
at one time? What are my options? |
|
The minimum order quantity will be the number
of instruments required to fill one MaestroMD
sterilization container“ or what we call a
MaestroPAK™. Of course, this will vary based on
the type and quantity of instruments you are
sending since a flute takes up much less room than
a French horn!
Encore Etc., Inc's ordering process will help
you determine whether or not you have filled one
or more MaestroPAKs™.
To give you an idea of how many instruments are
required, a single MaestroPAK™ will hold
approximately 80 clarinets in their cases, or 30
trumpets in their cases, or 14 alto saxes in their
cases.
Encore Etc., Inc. has the ability to process
from 16 to 52 sterilization MaestroPAKs™ in a
single sterilization environment and can handle
orders ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands
of instruments at one time. |
| return to
top> |
| Will the process damage my instrument
or impact its sound quality? |
|
Absolutely not. The instruments never leave
their cases, nor are they subjected to extreme
heat or moisture. |
| return to
top> |
| How does this sterilization process
work? |
|
The MaestroMD Sterilization System uses a gas
sterilization process used for decades to
sterilize medical instruments. Your instruments
are loaded into a MaestroMD sterilization
container and placed into a large sterilization
enclosure, which is where the real work begins.
The environment in the sterilization enclosure is
monitored and controlled by sophisticated
scientific equipment with respect to atmospheric
pressure, temperature, humidity, and gas
concentration levels. Your instruments are
monitored every minute of every hour that they
spend in the sterilization enclosure, just as if
they were medical devices. |
| return to
top> |
| Where are these instruments being
sterilized? |
|
Encore Etc., Inc. has several sterilization
locations around the country. Your instruments are
shipped to the appropriate sterilization location
based on the size of your order and the capacity
of the sterilization facility. |
| return to
top> |
| Will all bacteria present on the
instrument be eradicated? |
| Yes, MaestroMD
eliminates all traces of bacteria on outside and
inside of the instruments and inside their cases.
|
| return to
top> |
| How can instruments be sterile if
they never leave the case? |
|
This is the beauty of MaestroMD! The
combination of the molecular properties of the
sterilization gas and the highly controlled
environment in the sterilization enclosure allows
the sterilization gas to flow through spaces so
small that they are invisible to the eye.
The gas actually flows through the MaestroMD
sterilization container, through the special
fabric of the MaestroMD pouch, and completely
fills the air spaces inside your case and
instrument.
Encore Etc., Inc. precisely controls the amount
of time the gas is left in your case and
instrument, which allows it to do its job. Then a
series of steps reverse the process to make sure
that the sterilization gas is completely removed
from inside the case and your instrument.
|
| return to
top> |
| How can I be sure the process worked?
Is it something I can see? |
|
Your instruments are returned in medically
treated sterilization pouches that will have two
"Sterilized by MaestroMD" decals. These labels are
your guarantee that the instruments are
bacteria-free.
It is important that the instrument
stays in the pouch until you give it to the
student musician. Once the bag is opened, the
instrument is, by definition, no longer
"sterilized". |
| return to
top> |
| Is this sterilization safe?
|
| Yes, the MaestroMD
process is safe for both your musicians and your
instruments. The EPA has approved the gas used in
the MaestroMD process for sterilizing musical wind
instruments. The MaestroMD process uses the same
sterilization protocols that have been used for
decades to sterilize surgical instruments,
disposable medical and dental devices, spices, and
even bandages and hospital gowns worn by surgeons.
|
| return to
top> |
| I regularly clean my instruments,
isn't this enough? |
|
"Cleaned", "disinfected", "deodorized", or
"sanitized" do not mean the same thing as
"sterilized". The only way to be sure that an
instrument is 100% free from all harmful bacteria
is through sterilization.
Over the years the methods used by music
dealers have improved, and today, some are more
effective than others.
Regular cleaning and disinfecting of
mouthpieces and wind instruments are critical, but
to be guaranteed of being 100% bacteria free,
sterilization is the only solution.
Encore Etc., Inc. realizes that for some music
programs, and for some instruments (i.e. tubas
shared by multiple players throughout the day),
sterilization maybe impractical or unaffordable.
While sterilization is the optimal solution,
disinfecting mouthpieces between uses, with the
strongest method available in the industry, is
always recommended. |
| return to
top> |
| What types of bacteria are found on
these wind instruments? What types of infections
can result from those bacteria? |
| Laboratory-based
scientific studies proved that bacteria causing
staph and strep infections, two of the most
significant reasons for student absenteeism, sore
throats, and much more serious diseases such as
meningitis and tuberculosis can survive and even
grow inside a musical wind instrument. |
| return to
top> |
| What do I tell PARENTS and SCHOOLS if
they ask me about MaestroMD, and the need for
sterilization? |
|
If you are asked about wind instrument
sterilization because of an article a parent might
have seen in the news, there are two things we
suggest:
- For more information we invite them to visit
our website www.MaestroMD.com,
where they can visit a special PARENTS and
SCHOOLS section where there is lots of
information specific to their interests and
needs.
- If they have purchased a new or used
instrument on an on-line auction site, or
through an ad or at a yard sale, we strongly
recommend they sterilize the instrument and
replace the case.
|
| return to
top> |
| What does the Insurance
cover? |
| While Encore Etc.,
Inc. takes great care to prevent loss of or damage
to instruments, not all damage or loss is
preventable. As part of the sterilization service,
Encore offers you the option to purchase insurance
via Encore's third party Insurance Services. This
coverage insures the parcel and its content
against damage from any external cause while in
transit to and from your premises and in the care,
custody, or control of carriers within the U.S.
and Canada. |
| return to
top> |
| How much does it cost? |
| The cost for insurance
coverage depends on the value of the instrument(s)
being insured and the method of shipping. Based on
these two variables, insurance will not exceed 36¢
per $100 of value. Insurance may not be available
for all instruments. |
| return to
top> |
| How do I know if I already have
insurance? |
| You may already have
insurance coverage for your instruments, for
example, through a corporate insurance policy or
from the credit card company if you pay for the
sterilization service with your credit card. You
are solely responsible for confirming whether you
have other insurance coverage for the
instrument(s), the coverage limits, and applicable
policy limitations. |
| return to
top> |
| How do I purchase or decline
purchasing insurance? |
|
If you decide to purchase insurance, you must
click the appropriate boxes during the order
process. Your decision to purchase or decline
insurance on the order processing screen applies
to all instruments included in that order.
On any order in which you purchase insurance,
you agree that you will pay the then applicable
insurance premium in effect at the time of order.
The premium for the insurance may change from time
to time. The applicable charge for the insurance
will be displayed at the time you place an order
for the instrument sterilization services. After
you have the opportunity to review the applicable
charges, you may elect not to purchase the
Insurance.
YOU MUST MODIFY THE ORDER (DECLINE COVERAGE) TO
REMOVE THE INSURANCE BEFORE SUBMITTING YOUR ORDER.
UPON SUBMITTING YOUR ORDER, YOU WILL BE CHARGED
FOR THE INSURANCE AND THE INSURANCE CHARGES ARE
NON-REFUNDABLE. |
| return to
top> |
| What does this coverage not insure
and what are the conditions? |
| Insurance coverage
does not apply to any fines, penalties, punitive
damages or damages for unauthorized use of service
in violation of the Processing Services Agreement,
and is subject to the terms and restrictions of
the insurance policy. Click here to review and
print the terms of the insurance policy. You
should keep a copy of the policy for your
records. |
| return to
top> |
