WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER is a specialist in European-made monochords, kalimbas, chimes, sound tubes, and tongue-gongs for sound healing, mediation, and creative music making. Intuitive instruments create community.
April 23, 2024
Joule L'Adara
"Sound Healing Online: Reduces Pain, Stress and Discomfort with Lasting Effects" - a new study published in the JOURNAL OF MUSIC AND MEDICINE
We hosted a very special Monochord Monday Meetup on April 29th with honored guests Christine Stevens and Aaron Gannon who gave the presentation: "Playing monochord for sound healing - new research findings"
The gathering was also joined by feeltone founder Ingo Böhme (who founded the feeltone company 40 years ago) live from Germany who answered some questions about the instruments' design
We're so very proud to have our feeltone Monochord included in the protocol featured in this study as well as the Hokema Sansula and Koshi Chimes.
Here you may watch the entire recording of the live webinar (with ran about 90 minutues). It includes a time at the end in which we invite you to participate in a 5-minute sounding practice:
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Additionally, here's a 9-minute video produced by Christine Stevens which showcases the different instruments played during the online program, featuring Aaron Gannon, Gloria Taylor, and Christine Stevens. Watch (and enjoy) below:
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Here you may also access a download PDF of the published article and accompanying audio tracks for free:
When I first heard the Monalina at a sound bath I knew I had to have one. I bought one in F just to hear it. And then for Christmas my wife found Joules online course and signed me up for it. I was hesitant at first because I was just strumming it for fun, but I knew that the people that were taking her course would actually be utilizing it more fully than me. I was also nervous because I hadn’t played any instrument in front of people in quite a number of years. But Joule made me feel comfortable and relaxed and made the whole group feel as though that we were one in experiencing the weekend together. It was wonderful and I will never forget one minute of it. Plus as a trained musician it was nice that she actually has a musical education because then I knew that she knew not only how to play the instrument and how to get the most out of it but also the science behind the sound. I wouldn’t change a thing and she did a wonderful wonderful presentation. She was so into it. It was so much fun!
I am very pleased with my new Renaissance Sansula. I purchased it as a replacement to my Sansula Basic after the synthetic head on the basic broke after 3 years of use.
The offer from WePlayWellTogether and Hokema to upgrade to the Renaissance is much appreciated as I love this little instrument. I hope it last me a good long time.
Great quality, so grateful to have had the chance to invest in this! It's sound is so clear! i am glad i went with the renaissance edition. Such a perfect and soothing sound.
In my younger days (I am 83 now) I played the organ and piano. Some time ago I decided to try playing a kalimba where I could sit and play from my recliner. I tried a couple of the inexpensive kalimbas made in China. They were terrible with some dead tines and tuning issues that could not be fixed. So I purchased a Hokema B17 kalimba from WePlayWellTogether and Wow! What a difference. It was tuned to perfection with no dead tines. Having a hearing deficiency, I added a pickup to the back of the kalimba and plugged it into a small battery-powered amplifier. Perfect! I also like the solid body kalimba much better than the hollow box types. I enjoyed the B17 so much that I purchased the smaller Hokema B11 with the built in pickup. Another fantastic kalimba. Now I have two kalimbas, one tuned to C Major and one tuned to G Major. Just to show how much I am enjoying these wonderful Hokema kalimbas, this week I ordered the B15 and electric B9 to add to my collection. WePlayWellTogether has been a great resource for my new hobby. The kalimbas have arrived quickly in perfect condition. A question I had about the scale of the B11 was quickly answered with a booklet sent by the firm at no cost to me. If you are interested in purchasing a kalimba, look no further. Visit the WePlayWellTogether website.
I received my monolini recently and fell in love. My intention is to bring healing to myself and others. This course really brought new understanding to this beautiful instrument. Joule is so authentic and encourages each student. The pace of the two day training is perfect. Plenty of instruction as well as exercises. I highly recommend the course for anyone who is new to this instrument so that they can fully realize its potential. At age 64 having no musical background, I have found an instrument that gives me incredible joy. Also surprisingly confident enough to share with others. Thanks to Joule and her course, I’m deeply in love and have appreciation for the creators, makers, and the wood and metal that makes this instrument possible. I’m looking forward to another Joule training.
Very excellent customer service and the monolina is awesome. Gabriele was understanding, patient and responsive. The consultation with Joule was worth doing as she was able to answer questions that I wouldn't have gotten from the website. The fee went towards the instrument.
I love it. People love it. It's an investment and a good one.
Some say that D minor is the saddest key. I beg to differ. D minor is is a beautiful key and the Aqua collection is a delight. I feel fortunate to obtain the blue "baby turtle" now that they are no longer being manufactured. It's a perfect addition to my D minor collection, including several We Play Well Together offerings. It has a sweet, lovely sound and you really can't go wrong playing it.
I am really enjoying this beautifully crafted instrument. It is the perfect accompaniment to my softly spoken meditation and journey work prompts. Just wish I had purchased a case when I ordered.
I’m loving this kalimba!
However, the highest note does not ring like the rest. And the third to highest note is ever so slightly flat.
But I know I’m going to love her.
The Sansula deluxe has a natural Goat skin that will react to moisture and humidity and a sign the tension of the skin is off is that these notes turn flat.
Try to bring the Sansula to a warm and dry place so the skin can restretch and you can also use the L shaped tuning wrench to slightly tighten the skin by opening the screws a tiny bit .
Please refer to our tuning instructions https://weplaywelltogether.com/products/hokema-kalimbas-sansula-deluxe before you do this. If you open the screws to much to stretch a moist skin you can break the seal and damage your Deluxe. If in doubt on what to do just reach out to us via the chat - we are always here to help
Absolutely stunning craftsmanship in every way!- sounds almost angelic, and so mesmerizing ... feels wonderful on my body. Delightful playing experience. Everything was packaged with the upmost care. Came with tuner as well as spare strings, mallet, and accessories!
Exceeded all my expectations, which were already high. This Monolina is so meticulously crafted and well made. I wish I could purchase one for every tuning. A lovely instrument that is clearly built to endure generations.
My binural tongue drum is so so beautiful. I’m very happy with it and the sound is amazing, healing, engaging transformative! I always have the best experience with everyone at Weplaywelltogther! I’m always supported and well guided by Joule and Gabriele.
The unit came packed well. I reviewed the enclosed information. Having to tune it everyday for two weeks seemed a bit daunting for a newbie like me (no musical training) but proceeded. Ps I put the monolini on the stand but one side didn’t tighten. I tried to tune it but it took me 45 min to tune 3 strings. I tried again the next day but also was having a difficult time. I couldn’t find anything online to assist but when I was talking with my friend who is a musician she said to come over and she would help. The unit packed well in the travel well. The first thing she did was attach a “pick up” to it. And within a few minutes she had all 21 strings done. So my advice is do not buy the Monochord without a pick up. It plugs into the tuner supplied and clips in to the Monochord. For a $10 item it really should be included. Now it is so much easier and enjoyable. Without the pick up the tuner picks up all sorts of background noise even if you have a quiet space. It’s been a couple weeks now and I have bonded deeply with her…Mona is her name. I bought a baby blanket as it’s recommended to keep it covered.
Enjoying my Monolini G thoroughly. I have a D Monolina and the addition of the Monolini added another dimension to my playing experience. The D has a rich, grounding tonality and the G compliments that richness with bringing what feels like (to me) a richer expression, adding another range of subtlety and overtones. Beautiful!
When I first heard the Monalina at a sound bath I knew I had to have one. I bought one in F just to hear it. And then for Christmas my wife found Joules online course and signed me up for it. I was hesitant at first because I was just strumming it for fun, but I knew that the people that were taking her course would actually be utilizing it more fully than me. I was also nervous because I hadn’t played any instrument in front of people in quite a number of years. But Joule made me feel comfortable and relaxed and made the whole group feel as though that we were one in experiencing the weekend together. It was wonderful and I will never forget one minute of it. Plus as a trained musician it was nice that she actually has a musical education because then I knew that she knew not only how to play the instrument and how to get the most out of it but also the science behind the sound. I wouldn’t change a thing and she did a wonderful wonderful presentation. She was so into it. It was so much fun!
I am very pleased with my new Renaissance Sansula. I purchased it as a replacement to my Sansula Basic after the synthetic head on the basic broke after 3 years of use.
The offer from WePlayWellTogether and Hokema to upgrade to the Renaissance is much appreciated as I love this little instrument. I hope it last me a good long time.
Great quality, so grateful to have had the chance to invest in this! It's sound is so clear! i am glad i went with the renaissance edition. Such a perfect and soothing sound.
In my younger days (I am 83 now) I played the organ and piano. Some time ago I decided to try playing a kalimba where I could sit and play from my recliner. I tried a couple of the inexpensive kalimbas made in China. They were terrible with some dead tines and tuning issues that could not be fixed. So I purchased a Hokema B17 kalimba from WePlayWellTogether and Wow! What a difference. It was tuned to perfection with no dead tines. Having a hearing deficiency, I added a pickup to the back of the kalimba and plugged it into a small battery-powered amplifier. Perfect! I also like the solid body kalimba much better than the hollow box types. I enjoyed the B17 so much that I purchased the smaller Hokema B11 with the built in pickup. Another fantastic kalimba. Now I have two kalimbas, one tuned to C Major and one tuned to G Major. Just to show how much I am enjoying these wonderful Hokema kalimbas, this week I ordered the B15 and electric B9 to add to my collection. WePlayWellTogether has been a great resource for my new hobby. The kalimbas have arrived quickly in perfect condition. A question I had about the scale of the B11 was quickly answered with a booklet sent by the firm at no cost to me. If you are interested in purchasing a kalimba, look no further. Visit the WePlayWellTogether website.