A Musician's Portrait: Brandon Blake
Portrait:
Brandon Blake, preschool teacher, head of the brain injury support group, writing artist, musician, volunteer for dogs in need and animal rights activist, was interviewed by the Hokema company in Germany about his daily use of the Kalimba Sansula. Interviewed by: Annalena Horl
Interview
Describe a "normal day" in your life:
Every day starts with “cat feeding”. If it wasn't, the animals wouldn't let me do anything until they got their feed. Then I prepare breakfast for my wife and me. We always use fresh ingredients from the market. On class days I pack my documents and, of course, the sansula for the preschool. I spend eight hours at school and focus on the social and emotional development of these impressive young souls. After such a working day, I am truly exhausted. I go home and rest to play sansula or bass afterwards. Then my wife Sabrina and I have dinner together, mostly with a cat on my lap. On days without lessons, I structure my daily routine somewhat more freely. Then I make music, practice calligraphy, take care of neglected greyhounds, talk to my parents or continue to work on my health status. In the evening we often have friends visiting, or we can be found at sporting events - or I play concerts. No matter what happened during the day, I try to play on the Sansula every night to clear my head. This relieves me of the pressure of everyday life and the Sansula is an excellent tool.
What's the best thing about your job?
In preschool, I primarily focus on supporting the children in their behavioral development. In doing so, we positively work out those behaviors that we need in our world today: friendliness, compassion, empathy, respect, love, humor or the ability to solve conflicts with words without becoming hurtful. I am the first teacher for these children and it is up to me and my team to make learning fun. I hope that every child has a good start in this lifelong journey of learning. I want to contribute to change and make sure that our next generation is no longer xenophobic, racist, aggressive or narrow-minded. I want the children to see each other as friends, appreciate their personalities and differences and respect for each other. Even if we are different, we are similar when we treat each other with love. So I teach kindness and the ability to learn to appreciate each other.
When did you get to know the Sansula?
I wanted a separation from my smartphone and the digital world within it. I wanted to be screen-free, take something in my hand, use my thumbs and make music - and not scroll through a digital world every minute. I needed a line of demarcation to be "attentive to thoughtlessness" and so the Kalimba was the perfect instrument for me. On April 20, 2015, my wife Sabrina and I stumbled into a music store called "Dusty Strings" in Seattle. I tried a few kalimbas, but Sabrina wasn't really thrilled with any of them. Then I saw one that was built into a small framed drum. What was that? When I took the HOKEMA Sansula and started to play, Sabrina turned and said: “You have to take it. It sounds fabulous. That is what we are looking for!" This was the beginning of a wonderful journey that Sansula took me with - and the journey has only just begun!"
How do you use the Sansula and what opportunities does it bring?
I use the Sansula in a few “key places” in my life. I use it as a pedagogical tool in preschool - to give the students a calm mood for naptime. And they fall asleep every time. At music time, the children can play the Sansulas and kalimbas themselves. The successful design of their melodious tone sequences motivates them to make music and they feel more secure in playing. I also use the Sansula when I play for the residents in a retirement home. For me, it represents a loving bridge between the generations and we share very nice musical moments. But I also use the Sansula as a healing measurement. When I play in the "Brain Injury Community". I have already shown many people that the instrument can have a kind of healing effect through careful playing. In addition, it is relatively easy to learn to play the Sansula - this means that people who have neurological and motor impairments can also have success with the instrument. Incidentally, I also use it for myself as a “cure”. It simply helps me to recover, has a meditative effect and is a tool for designing my "mindful, careless moments". But apart from that, you can just make great music with it. I perform regularly in Seattle's music scene and use the Sansula both solo and in projects with other musicians from all over the world. I developed new percussion and touch methods and use small magnets to enable even more effects. If you put the small magnets on the metal tongues, you can change notes and you can change the instrument depending on the song without a lot of tools.
Can you see the sansula as a serious tool?
Absolutely. I don't need to think about that for a long time, because it is self-explanatory for everyone who hears the Sansula. I took them to Tennessee and introduced them to Victor Wooten's world-famous Bass Nature Camp Wooten Woots. I showed my various playing techniques including the idea with the magnets. People were thrilled - both by the sound and the way they played. Victor Wooten and his brothers (all world-famous music virtuosos and also absolutely great people) said that they had never seen a person play the way I did before. The way I use the Sansula, they called it 'groundbreaking'. Victor later came to Seattle for a concert series and invited me to join him and the drummer J.D. Blair to stand on the stage. I was humbled and overwhelmed to be able to stand on one of Seattle's hippest jazz stages with my childhood idol. I performed with them for three evenings and enjoyed playing. It was perfect - even though I had only started playing Sansula nine months earlier. People actually wanted autographs and photos of me after the show, which was incredible. But it would never have happened to me if the HOKEMA Sansula were not simply a world-class instrument. You just can't say it any other way!
Which of the HOKEMA instruments would you call your favorite?
The Sansula Renaissance because of its durable drum and robust sound. This allows me to use the percussive techniques that I incorporate during the playing. In addition, it's also strong enough to be played by very young children without having to worry about damage. It's the only one of my instruments that my 100 year old grandmother can play.
Biographical information about your career
Brandon Blake has seen himself as a musician since he started to drum on his thigh at the age of five. At the age of thirteen he started playing bass guitar. A short time later he met his future wife Sabrina at Florida State University, with whom he played in a Balinese Gamelan orchestra. Brandon only met the Sansula after an all-changing accident happened ... It was July 25, 2013, when his life was about to change fundamentally - and was almost taken away from teaching at a Seattle pre-school as he was on his regular bicycle route home. A car raced towards him and hit him head-on. Life-threatening head injuries were the terrible result and Brandon was immediately put into an artificial coma. When he woke up the next day and was told what had happened, he was on an long, arduous path to recovery. Broken ribs, an almost completely smashed face and, to make matters worse, a violent traumatic brain injury that required extreme treatment. Brandon underwent a full facial reconstruction and still has 7 titanium plates under his skin. After completing the operations, he was allowed to return home and deal with how to continue living with a brain injury. From then on specialists, neurologists, and reconstructive surgeons accompanied his everyday life. Over 150 doctor's appointments and many months later, Brandon had had a hard cure, consisting of neuro-treatments, reconstructive measures, and discussions related to his traumatic brain injury. At that point, he was unable to continue his work as a preschool teacher - recovery and healing had become his full-time job. He quickly became an active member of the local brain injury community in Seattle and, through his positive outlook on life, helped those who suffered a similar ordeal. After two years, Brandon returned to the classroom. He hadn't lost his passion for helping others. In addition to teaching, he began to work in the "Brain Injury Community", where he now leads a group of young patients with brain injuries. "Those who were the first to be confronted with me after my accident kept telling me that it was unclear how I could survive with such head injuries. So if I'm no longer here and yet I am, I call this the “bonus time life”. Every day since, this stroke of fate has given me a new purpose and reward. The time with my students, with my wife, with friends, my cats ... and my Sansula! All this is bonus time and I don’t take it for granted. I am so happy to be here and to share my story with you.”
Blog posts
The instrument brigs such an amazing quality and super easy to play
I recently purchased a D Monolina. Meditative and meditative; a full immersion sound experience that simply wraps you in a beautiful feeling and sound. What an incredible instrument this is! I highly recommend purchasing one, or more, for meditation, relaxation, or sound baths.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
It’s my first Kalimba and I absolutely love how it sounds, such a magical instrument
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This case makes carrying my monalina so easy and I feel confident that she won’t get damaged.
Easy to set up and very sturdy
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.
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.
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.