Carmen Used Customized Music Boxes to Connect International Friendship with Her Church Friends (Hong Kong)

Carmen Yu

(Our Hong Kong customer, Carmen, emailed us her following story on 2022/07/31.)

Why I Looked for the Meaningful Gifts

Recently, there are several caring and passionate volunteers about to leave the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where I belong. I admire and appreciate these partners very much.

My original plan was to order the customized 3D printing sculpture of our church to thank them for their service for our Asian church members, and I hope that they will remember the wonderful memories when living in Asia.

However, after I placed the order of the sculpture, I just realized that those friends would leave Hong Kong earlier than I expected. I tried to ask my friend who designed the sculpture to prepare it sooner for me to present the gift in time, and he rejected my request. This friend only made the 3D sculpture as his hobby/side project, so his work schedule cannot match with my sudden request. I understood his concern when he declined my request.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

How I Thought of Ordering Customized Music Boxes as the Gifts

Due to the short preparation time, I was desperate in looking for a suitable gift to express my gratitude to those church friends. Suddenly, I thought of a suggestion that I once mentioned to my designer friend before, “if the Church sculpture can be placed on a music box, then it will be the perfect gift for cherishing our special memories.” Then, I started to google a customized music box that can engrave my words and also prepare its shipping soon.

I Found the Muro Box from Internet
I Found the Muro Box from Internet

To My Surprise, I Found the Muro Box!

I searched for customized music boxes in both Chinese and English, including Taobao (China), Ebay and Amazon (the US). My original expectation was to find a traditional music box that can play my melody and engrave some simple sentences.

To my surprise, I found the Muro Box website and started to get interested in it. Later, I found more videos of Muro Box produced by Youtubers and realized that it is a special gift.

Muro Box uses modern technology to bring brand new meaning to the classical music boxes. It also allows people like me, who are not familiar with the craftsmanship of making a music box movement, to present our creativity in creating customized melodies.

My Hesitating Moment Before Ordering the Muro Box

I reviewed the Muro Box web pages several times, tested playing its app and read its product tutorial because it is a little expensive. It was my first time doing online shopping for this product, and I did not know whether the quality was good yet.

I have already decided that I need to purchase three gifts of the same kind for my three church friends, and there is limited time left for me to look for a meaningful gift. Hence, I contacted the Muro Box team during the weekend to ask about how to place my order, whether they can complete my customized melody and engraving requests in a short time, how to upload the customized melodies to my Muro Box, and the international shipping related questions.

At that time, I thought that they may not be able to follow my tight schedule to get everything ready in time.

To my surprise, the customer support reply was sent from the co-founder of Muro Box, Ms. Shiao-Chen Tsai. She answered my questions quickly and explained that if my customized engraving text is confirmed soon, they will be able to ship it to me in 2 days. Then, the customized melodies can be reviewed online and then uploaded via the Muro Box App from my end.

I was thinking about whether I should simply order 1 unit of Muro Box and test playing it to ensure its quality first and then place more orders later, or should I order 3 units at once.

One of the three units of dark color Muro Box: the back side of the Muro Box has a metal plate that shows the customized laser engraving text provided by Carmen
One of the three units of dark color Muro Box: the back side of the Muro Box has a metal plate that shows the customized laser engraving text provided by Carmen
Muro Box智慧音樂盒-客戶蔡欣芳的客製化雷雕
Muro Box智慧音樂盒-客戶蔡欣芳的客製化雷雕

Selecting Four Church Songs for the Customized Music Box Melodies

At the same time, I was thinking about what melodies can best present my feeling toward them? In the end, I picked four Church songs I loved the most to say goodbye to those friends who I may not be able to meet again. I hope that they will still have a peaceful and wonderful life with God in their lives.

The four melodies are the four hymns: “God Be With You Till We Meet Again” , “Where Can I Turn For Peace”, “Consider The Lilies”, and “If You Could Hie To Kolob”.

Communicating My Melody and Engraving Requests with the Muro Box Team

I do not know how to compose music, so I found some YouTube video links as the reference links for the music arranger to help me create those customized melodies. Muro Box Team emailed me quickly to send me the draft for review.

I appreciated their instant service, but at that time I was not 100% satisfied with the result, so I asked another Church friend who knew how to arrange music to help me explain my request for revision. At first, our email communication did not solve all of the revision details, so the Muro Box Team suggested we have a Zoom online meeting to save the email discussion time for arranging the shipping sooner before my church friends flew away from Hong Kong.

For the customized laser engraving service, the Muro Box Team was very patient in producing the drafts for me to review before officially engraving each metal plate. There is limited space on the metal plate, so we discussed how to break lines, use punctuation marks, and replace lengthy words, until the result can perfectly present my feeling, “Your kindness & service will always be in our hearts like music.”

Finally, they completed all of my requests in time.

The music arranger carefully completes the customized melody composition
The music arranger carefully completes the customized melody composition
Carmen said that Muro Box was exquisite like a piece of artwork
Carmen said that Muro Box was exquisite like a piece of artwork

When I Unboxed the Package to Check the Quality of Muro Box

When I receive my custom-made gift, while worrying about whether it might be “too good to be true”, that can lead to disappointment and regrets (everyone who shopped online must have felt this way before!) I continued looking forward to seeing what my “hard work” looks like (although it was actually made by the Muro Box Team)!

When I opened the package, Wow~ it was not only beautifully packaged, but also handcrafted with a beautiful appearance, like a piece of artwork. I followed the instructions to play music, and when I heard my custom-made melodies, I was really excited. “Yes! This is the gift that I wanted!” I packed the music box and sent it to my friend in a hurry the next day.

Feedback Received after Sending Muro Box to Friends

One of the volunteers had already mailed his household items back to his hometown. When I said I had a gift for him, he laughed and said, “I hope your gift is not too big, because my suitcase space is limited!” But when he received the gift, he was shocked and deeply moved, and thanked me for giving him such a thoughtful and meaningful gift for him to remember their services in Asia.

Another volunteer is a world-renowned engineer, an excellent pianist who also loves creative ideas. He and his wife also love music very much. When I gave them this music box, I laughed and said, “I hope you two will like this gift (it may be a fun toy for you both). You can play it when you get home.”

Not long after, I received a thank-you card from the wife, and then a few days later, I received the email from her husband. I believe that he has studied the usage of Muro Box, when he
said,
“I downloaded the Muro Box App to play many melodies, and its vibration comb has 2.5 octaves that play beautiful sounds, it’s AMAZING! Thank you very much for giving us such a meaningful gift.”

I also intend to make the Muro Box a gift to many of my dear friends.

Muro Box Team’s Photo
Muro Box Team’s Photo

Conclusion: Thanks to the MuroBox Team for Making My Dreams Come True

Thanks to the Muro Box team for making my dream come true, for their creativity and sincere service. Their products have touched many people’s hearts, and I believe more people will order the Muro Box as their gifts in the future.

May the Muro Box business be prosperous, and the beautiful music of the music box can bring a moment of peace that many people in this world long for in an innovative way, and calm the restless heart and wash the tired soul with music.