FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ArcoArt founder and designer is Matthew Vacanti, a 20 year veteran public school educator, clinician and orchestra conductor with experience teaching orchestra and jazz ensembles from beginners to college level.
As a public school orchestra director, he worked for years motivating students in unconventional ways to join and stick with orchestra. The idea for a fancy violin cover was an extension of this philosophy.
In November of 2014, his idea for a fancy stretchable fabric covering for violins won "The Next Great Idea" contest sponsored by Oswego county businesses. Using the award of twenty five thousand dollars, he started ArcoArt and began making the covers in Fulton, NY.
Matthew Vacanti studied bass and music education at SUNY Fredonia and did his Masters work at Eastman and SUNY Oswego.
1. Does an ArcoArt instrument cover effect the sound?
Surprisingly, the answer is, not very much. Some people may notice no difference at all. Each fabric is a different weight so some thicker, heavier ones might slightly dampen the sound more than others. If you are using a pickup or a mic you probably won’t notice any difference in the sound. However, don’t take our word for it, here is a great video with a “before and after” test so you can listen for your self.
2. Why doesn’t it fit around my chin rest correctly?
Since chin rests generally come in two styles, it is important to choose the correct ArcoArt cover to fit your style chin rest. Some chin rests clamp onto the instrument in the middle above the tail and some clamp on just to the left of the tail. If you have the wrong ArcoArt cover, don’t worry. All you really have to do is cut a slit for the chin rest. The fabric will stretch around it.
3. How do I get my shoulder pad on when I have my ArcoArt cover on too?
Just about every style of shoulder pad will fit and stay on. Just make sure to put your ArcoArt cover on first, then attach your shoulder pad in the normal way.
4. What if my ArcoArt cover gets dirty?
ArcoArt covers are made from Spandex and Polyester. You can throw it in the washing machine on cold and dry it on the line.
5. Who is ArcoArt?
Matthew Vacanti is also a jazz bassist and is one of the founding members of the award winning central New York jazz group E.S.P.
As a composer and arranger, Matt has penned a sizable catalogue of music for jazz as well as educational compositions for school orchestras.
ArcoArt covers are made in the U.S.A. creating jobs right in central New York, with the help of Oswego Industries in Fulton NY.