Inventor’s love of music was an improbable inspiration
Alesia H. is a no-nonsense individual. One will notice this in how she established her priorities, personal pursuits and her passion for enjoying the simple things in life. Alesia has unique but simple tastes.
She drives a Ford Explorer, is an avid collector of all Betty Boop memorabilia, serves as president of the Marshall Faulk Foundation for the Berkeley Junior Football League for her 14-year-old son and also has a collection of over 500 cassette tapes with original tunes from the 1970-1980 eras.
At a young age, Alesia left her hometown and joined the Air Force. It was a straightforward decision. She had set her goals on being a medical technician and wanted Uncle Sam to pay for it. She served as a trained EMT and traveled/lived all over the world while in the Air Force.
Over her stint in the Air Force, Alesia traveled and lived in many places. She lived in California, Germany and many other places across Europe. After joining up with another active duty Air Force officer, the couple gave birth to an intelligent little “Air Force brat.” Naturally, her priorities shifted. Alesia relocated in 1998 so that her son would know his family.
Alesia works hard and enjoys it. She is a front office supervisor as a rehabilitative physical therapist. In her relaxation time, Alesia enjoys listening to music. As a world traveler, Alesia has been exposed to all kinds of music. Adamant about her preferences, Alesia admits though that her greatest passion is still the music of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s.
Unfortunately, most of Alesia’s favorite music is stored on the 500 + cassette tapes gathering dust on the bottom shelf of one of her cabinets. She said one of her greatest desires is to hear some of the melodic sounds of the Moments, Emotions, Ohio Players, Aretha Franklin, Isley Brothers, Beverly and Maize and Funk-a-delics.
In hindsight, Alesia admits that ‘it was those cassette tapes that finally did it.’ “I don’t want the remix or the greatest hits version. I want the original ones that I have on cassette tapes and right now I can’t because they don’t even put cassette players in automobiles anymore and that’s where I spend a great deal of time,” Alesia emphasized.
Alesia wondered how many others have the same problem of having their favorite music all stored on cassette tapes. She asked over and over again, ‘Why doesn’t someone invent a machine that will convert our cassette tapes into CDs so we can listen to our favorite tunes’. “I became more passionate about it because every time I opened my cabinet and I would see my collection all neatly wrapped up in plastic zipper cases---and not being used,” she stated emphatically.
Late one night Alesia was watching an info-commercial that would change her life forever. The program featured Invent-Tech, a high-tech business which prides itself on being “a launch pad for new ideas.” The company represents individuals who have experience, resources or market connections needed to turn that idea into a profitable product. Watching the television special about Invent-Tech gave Alesia the encouragement to design the audio—cassette converter herself. “After that night, I decided to go for it.”
Alesia researched whether the audiocassette converter already existed and when no designs were found she confidently pursued it with her regular no-nonsense attitude. Jokingly, she said of all the things that she has accomplished in life the one thing she can’t do at all is “draw a straight line”. She said that the picture was in her head but Alesia needed her son, who was twelve at the time, to draw the audiocassette converter for her. Her son proudly created a descriptive art rendition of the audiocassette converter and picture and specifications were sent to the company.
That was the beginning. Since then the high tech phases of “invention” have moved steadily forward. Invent-Tech accepted Alesia’s drawings and specification and assigned an engineer to develop a working model of the audiocassette converter. Once produced, the company has been taking the model to various trade shows to get a company to pick it up.
Alesia on the other hand understates her accomplishment as a local “inventor”. She quipped, “Actually, I’m very excited. I didn’t think about the fact that I was inventing something initially stayed with me. My primary concern has been that the average person could affordably access and convert their own music from cassettes onto Cds—including myself.”
Consumers will have to wait until Alesia’s product hits one of national electronic chains before viewing the audiocassette converter. If others have an invention idea, Alesia advises them to check out Invent-Tech at (800) 940-9020.