Skip to content
Bonus Time Music: Live-Looping with Brandon Blake!

Bonus Time Music: Live-Looping with Brandon Blake!

Musician, Child Educator and Animal Rights Activist Brandon Blake of @bonustimemusic went live on Facebook during the NAMM 2021 virtual Show "Believe in Music" Week to demonstrate his unique way of working with the WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER family of instruments including: Hokema Kalimbas, Metal Sounds Tongue Drums, and feeltone Monochords & Tinka Tongs - combined with electric bass and live looping. We think you'll find this video inspirational and will hopefully give you ideas of how you can utilize your instrument in intriguing combinations. 

Brandon is truly an innovative musician - having created a specialized playing technique with the Hokema Kalimba Sansula in which he taps and strikes the drumhead of the instrument while plucking and muting the metal tines. Plus - he's figured out a brilliant method to instantly retune the instrument in the middle of his playing - using tiny weighted magnets!

Brandon is also a bass player who skillfully incorporates live looping. Watch him create incredible soundscapes in real time by looping Kalimba, Tongue-Drum and Monochord accompanied by some satisfying bass-bombs to build a body-moving groove overlaid with rich sonic textures and thrilling overtones. 

Best of all, Brandon will charm you with his infectious positivity and playful outlook, helping remind us we all have access to our own childlike playfulness. This is the essence of living in "bonus time" - the time on earth that we get to be here and choose how to live each moment meaningfully. 

Brandon offers weekly Facebook Lives and hosts a weekly room on Clubhouse called "The Kalimba Campfire" in which anyone is invited to drop in and play their live instruments! Join us on the Sounding Circles Club on Clubhouse and drop in on Wednesday nights at 8:00 pm Pacific. (If you need an invite to join the new Clubhouse App please email us and we'll get you set up. Clubhouse is now available on iPhone as well as Android in the US!) 

You can learn more about Brandon and listen to his music at: www.bonustimemusic.com

Previous article The Metal Sounds Story!

Blog posts

Based on 96 reviews
98%
(94)
1%
(1)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
1%
(1)
R
Monolina Travel Set
R. N.-.C.S.
Life changing vibration

This set elevates one’s instruments to the next level. Having all these components really sets one up for success and allows room for growth to grow into your sound practice.
The versatility that comes with having the leg extensions allows the player to be comfortable in a variety of ways while playing. The mallets add additional ways to play.
Tuning is a breeze with the template. When not being played or on the go with this monolina, the mats keep everything safe and the backpack makes it so you can take it to the studio or out into nature to play.
I can’t say enough great things about it, it’s a must have in the sound tool kit for sure.

Sansula Basic("basic" feels like it's selling it short!)

The floor model sale price feels too good to be true for such a fabulous instrument. So easy to create varied, beautiful sounds. This is the 3rd instrument I've purchased from WPWT and they're always efficient, friendly and helpful.

Sweet Sound

My first experience with a Hokema Kalimba was at the gift shop of the Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. I was blown away by the big, beautiful sound of those instruments, but I wasn’t ready to plunk down $200 for it.

Fast forward, I read about the Twin Kalimba and was encouraged by a review that suggested it was great for events. This particular person, evidently a musician like me, gave out ten of these during his shows and was thrilled by how the audience members enjoyed the experience.

So, given these two experiences, I had high hopes for the twin.

It is a sweet sounding instrument, but the sound is very quiet. The wood is solid so it doesn’t resonate like its higher priced solo cousins (that feature a resonator) or traditional kalimbas that have found holes.

So, I’m a little underwhelmed by the sound, but it’s still a great concept. Perhaps it will be fine and dandy when I share it with audiences. Let’s see!

'Secrets' of the Monochord Training

Joule is an excellent teacher! Her lessons flow from topic to exercises with so much ease and class time is so enjoyable. Joule makes sure everyone's questions are answered before going to the next lesson. Before this training, I had no idea of all the many different ways to play the monochord. After this course, I now have so much more knowledge and I'm able to tap into my creativity with a deeper love and appreciation with this beautiful instrument.

A beautiful addition to my musical instrument library

I love the "water" collection and this chime is one of my favourite instruments (so far!). The D minor tuning is said to be the "saddest" key, but I find it soothing, ethereal, and utterly charming. The gentle tones of this chime bring gentle, meditative tones. Do yourself a favour if you can and get the matching Koshi chime. They sound absolutely amazing together!

Hokema Sansula Deluxe

Thank you for sending me the Hokema Sansula Deluxe. I am enjoying the unique sound as I relate it to similarly designed instruments in parts of Africa. It creates a beautiful sound world with which you can improvise and expand infinitely. I will be using the small ones for my gatherings. It's a beautiful instrument and as I explore and improvise with it, I'm sure I will find something new that I will want to share with you. - Kevin Nathaniel

Wonderful, perfect to play on top and bring my sansula basic everywhere!

Beautiful sound

It’s my first Kalimba and I absolutely love how it sounds, such a magical instrument

D
Tuning Tool
Dimitri

Never got the delivery

Hi Dimitri ,
It looks like the tracking information indicates your package was delivered to your mailbox. Could you check to see if perhaps a neighbor might have picked it up by mistake?

If you still can't locate it, no worries at all—just let us know, and please provide a secure shipping address where we can resend your item.

Looking forward to resolving this for you!

Warm regards,

Gabriele

Aqua Koshi Chime (432Hz)

This is a very beautiful chime that I can play with my Aqua Zenko Element (432Hz), Aqua Tinka Tong (432Hz), & my Aqua Hokema B5 Kalimba (432Hz) with a little help from my friends. Of course, I can mix & match the chimes with other elemental instruments & be amazed by the way that the sounds blend perfectly.

Terra Koshi Chime (432Hz)

This is my favorite chime that I play before bed for a more restful sleep. I have noticed a little hum with beautiful overtones & undertones when moved around in a circular motion that I particularly enjoy. I can play this with my beloved Terra Tinka Tong or my beautiful Hokema B5 Terra Kalimba.

Ignis Koshi Chime (432Hz)

This is a lovely chime that I play with either my Hokema Terra B5 Kalimba or my Ignis Tinka Tong. The great thing about these chimes is that they sound great mixing & matching them with other instruments from WPWT.
I play these chimes for self care before bed for a more restful sleep.

Hokema B5 Kalimba Elemental Soundscape Tuning-Terra/ Aqua

This Kalimba is pleasing to the eye because of the cut & quality of the cherry wood. The size is perfect for small hands such as mine. I particularly love the Terra Tuning & fell instantly in love with this Kalimba that reminds me of a music box when played.
I also received the Aqua B5 Hokema Kalimba which is equally as beautiful as the Terra.
The Aqua Kalimba completes my Aqua Elemental Soundscape bundle. I cannot say how much I have loved jamming with my set.
This B5 Kalimba may be small, but its sound output is excellent & the tone is perfect. The B5 Kalimba can also be paired with the matching Koshi Chime & easily played. I think that I prefer the size of the B5 Kalimba & would highly recommend it for sound & ease of play.
Thanks & best wishes to the WPWT team.

Aqua, Aria, Ignis, & Terra Koshi Chimes

All that I can say is that I love my Koshi Chimes. Each Elemental Chime is unique & complete in its own light tinkling playful sound & becomes even more beautiful in the complexity of two chimes paired together. I particularly enjoy the calming quality of Aqua & Aria. I also like the joyfulness & energy of Ignis & Terra as they are played together. I bought the Koshi Chimes because they were highly recommended for their durability & because they never go out of tune. I also like the earthiness of the color of bamboo. One day I might like to pair Koshi Chimes with a pop of color from matching Zaphir Chimes.
Now let me throw in the beauty of the B5 Hokema Kalimbas - Terra & Aqua as they are paired with their companion Koshi Chimes. I have small hands & can easily hold & play the B5 Kalimba as I am holding the chime of the same tone in the other hand. This is indeed as lovely as the Elemental Soundscape video.
I like to play the Koshi Chimes before I go to bed as it helps to empty my mind, offer relaxation & sounder sleep.
My thanks again to the WPWT team for providing yet another pleasant experience as I keep adding to my ever growing collection of musical instruments.

Divine

The packages arrived in a timely manner and packaged with care. The instrument had the richest tone and a divine frequency, I look forward to using this for sound journeys.

Hokema B9 Kalimba Aria

I was pleased with customer service & by the work ethic that this company has. This is my first kalimba that I have ever owned. It is easy to make pretty little melodies & pairs well with the chime of the same key, but admittedly the kalimba sounds louder & sweeter when held & played so it works better when these instruments are played by 2 people. Overall I was pleased with my purchase.

Aria Air A Minor Koshi Chime

Customer service was yet again excellent. My question was answered promptly by email. Items were mailed promptly & in excellent condition upon arrival. I purchased my Aria Chime & was thrilled by its beauty & by how easy it was to learn to play. All I need to do is slightly move my arm to emit the best sound. Please do not sling your chimes from side to side as it will sound chaotic. There are instructional videos on Youtube that will teach you how to play your chimes correctly. I did purchase a companion Hokema Kalimba in the same key to play with the Koshi chime. The chimes & kalimba do sound beautiful when played together by 2 people. I personally feel that it would be better for me to play 2 Koshi chimes together as it is easier as my coordination is just so so so. I will be adding more Koshi chimes to my growing collection of musical instruments from WPWT. As always I am pleased with my purchase.

Perfect

This case makes carrying my monalina so easy and I feel confident that she won’t get damaged.

Wonderful

Easy to set up and very sturdy

Tinka Tong (432 hz) 4 Tunings

The wait is over!!! I am now the proud owner of the Aqua (Blue), Aria (Gold), Terra (Green), & Ignis (Red) Tinka Tongs. I purchased the Aqua first just to test the water, & immediately fell in love with the instrument. I purchased the other 3 Tinka Tongs just as soon as they became available. It adds so much more to the experience to play multiple instruments at once. I line the Tinka Tongs vertically & mainly play 2 at a time. It is fun just to hit random notes & to be amazed at the unique sounds to be made. Every note played is indeed beautiful & harmonious.
The majors & minors do pair well together. The Aqua (D Minor) & the Terra (C Major) pair well together.
The Ignis (G Major) & Aria (A Minor) pair well together.
You are not limited to playing minors & majors together. Both the Terra (C Major) & Ignis (G Major) sound well together- so light & happy.
The instruments are well made & sound amazing.
This is a great company to do business with. Emails are promptly responded to. Orders are mailed via UPS within days. The instruments are exceptionally well packaged & arrive in perfect condition.
I look forward to adding the chimes to my collection in the future- Terra & the Ignis in a few months.
Thanks to the hard working team at WPWT.

Amazing tool for music therapy and sound healing

LOVE this instrument. A calming, soothing sound, played like the wind in a random way, allowing time for pause. This helps clients and participants in a sound bath feel the magic energy of sound.

Great music therapy and sound healing tool

As a music therapist, and doing sound healing work, I am loving this instrument. It sounds great alone as a way to begin and end a session as it allows people to really drop in. I use it with my Native American flutes as well. Affordable, durable, easy to play, great sounding, relaxing, helps you breathe more deeply.

Zenko Element (432hz) Elemental Waterscapes Collection *D Minor)

I first learned of this instrument through Kalani Das of World Drum Club during his Tuesday night video on Youtube & his special guest, Joule L'Adara of We Play Well Together as they were demonstrating the Water Elemental instruments in D Minor & making all of the instruments sound so beautiful. I have purchased a Diatonic C Major tongue drum that Mr. Das recommended in the past that I have been well pleased with so I was confident in the workmanship. I purchased both the Tinka Tong, my preferred instrument, & the Baby Turtle at the same time. The little Zenko tongue drum sounds exactly as it does in the videos on Youtube. The notes are crystal clear & bell like without the annoying reverb. I much prefer the sound of 432 hz as the sound is pleasing filling me with intense pleasure. The carrying case is well made. I really like this instrument paired with the Tinka Tong as it is like PB&J. My Mother ,who is a stroke victim, was able to place the Baby Turtle in her lap while reclining & play beautifully with me for nearly an hour the 1st time that we played together. Now I must give a shout out to Gabriele who promptly responded to my emails, texts, & phone call. Gabriele was courteous & extremely helpful. My shipment went out quickly & arrived via UPS earlier than expected in a well packaged box. I look forward to a long relationship with this company. The employees really worked hard to meet my needs & I am thankful.

Tinka Tong (Aqua) 432Hz - Elemental Soundscapes Water Collection D Minor

I first learned about this instrument through Kali Das of World Drum Club on his Tuesday night video on Youtube and his special guest, Joule L'Adara, of We Play Well Together as they were demonstrating the instruments of the Soundscapes Water Collection in D Minor. I have previously purchased a Diatonic C Major tongue drum that Mr. Das recommended. This drum was very much enjoyed so I was confident that this Tinka Tong was of excellent workmanship & it is. The videos on Youtube of Feeltone & We Play Together demonstrating these instruments are well worth watching as well as the instruments sound exactly as they do at my home. I purchased both, the Zenko Elemental Aqua (Baby Turtle) & The Tinka Tong in D Minor. Both sound great together; however, I prefer the Tinka Tong as it was love at first sight. The Tinka Tong is visually appealing & unique in sound. I like the new design & size of the instrument. While I have no formal music training, I was able to play well immediately. While there are only 6 tongues, there are a never ending amount of melodies & rhythms to be played. Best of all, there are no wrong notes. Warning: the use of this drum is highly addictive as a feeling of pleasure & calm will wash over you. I played with my Mother who is a stroke victim with Aphasia; however, she was able to follow my rhythm at times as she played the Zenko Element. Her musical ability was excellent as she plays the piano. We enjoyed playing for nearly an hour. Music is so beneficial as it yields a total brain workout. I also have to give a shout out to Gabriele (whom I have contacted via email, text, & phone) for her prompt response to my inquiries & for all of the assistance provided. I ordered my items after business hours on a Friday night. Instruments were mailed out the following Monday & arrived earlier than expected via UPS.