I’m so excited to say that I managed to find the creator of my steel tongue drum. His name is Adam. I’ve been in touch with him and he’s shared some really beautiful things about how we works – that his work is about being creative and making things that bring joy. He created his design for the drum through a “labour of love” process, including many “failed attempts”, to perfect them to how they are now. They are made from reclaimed steel, by dismantling old steel cylinders, cutting a sound hole and playing notes into them. The top and botton secions are then welded together, and a blow torch is used to heat the steel and create the coloration and pattern.

Adam said he doesn’t play them himself really, but that something led him to create them for others. He’s in Devon and has a workshop called Triple R Workshop – you can find his work on FB: https://www.facebook.com/TripleRWorkshop

I feel so happy to have found him and learnt more from him about my drum! He also said to me that his preference is “drums that play with a bang!” and he’s learning to play a standard drum kit.

I really love the role that fire plays in creating these instruments, and my instrument. That they are made through fire, feels so resonant to me, as I’ve been interest in fire as a medium for a while, reflecting on the energy of my own work as having a fire quality to it, I’ve also been reasearching and exploring over the last few years fire’s role in healing, including healing and caring for the land through aboriginal fire practices for example. I’ve been reading Fire Country by Victor Steffenson which is a brilliant book about this.

I’ve felt that fire is one of those things that can be easily misunderstood, or read differently in different gazes and with different senses of understanding. It can be felt as healing, warmth, regenerative, nurturing through cooking on it, exciting – I loved the fire at the bonfire night I went to last night, so hypnotic – but also can be seen and experienced as frightening, threatening, distructive, something to be put out, a danger. How does fire sit with itself in amongst all of this? I have considered now for some time how that is similar to how I have expereinced myself, in how I am seen also. It links to me with thought and feelings I have had about connection to Kali energy. I know that fire is part of my way, and I’m loving learning more about how to be with that. I feel it on a very physical, spiritual level, fire in my heart body and soul, I feel it in my work.

I’m grateful to Adam.