News

January 27, 2023

Our New Livestream Series on YouTube & Facebook Live!

We're Launching a New Livestream Series for 2023 with our friend Kalani Das of YouTube's WORLD DRUM CLUB

Watch this short video below recorded from a recent livestream Kalani gave on his World Drum Club YouTube channel playing our instruments while utilizing a live looper. On Sunday, January 29th, Kalani will be joined by We Play Well Together's Joule L'Adara to talk about how the instruments are played in this video, offer more live demonstrations and interact through a Q&A format. Come with any questions you have about playing intuitive instruments and we'll be ready to answer!

Kalani has been a long time friend and collaborator of We Play Well Together, so we've decided to join forces this year and offer a monthly Livestream where we can offer special interaction opportunities with our audience and customers. Look out for this on the last Sunday of the month on our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page.

Our First collaborative Livestream with Kalani is:

Sunday, January 29th

1pm PT/ 2pm MT/ 3pm CT/ 4pm ET

Watch on YouTube Live

Watch on Facebook Live

Read now
August 30, 2022

Brother & Sister Spacedrum Duet in the Rocky Mountains

We bring this sweet little 4-minute video featuring a Spacedrum handpan duet played next to Mary's Lake in Estes Park, Colorado, by a brother-and-sister duo:

Now here's the BIG question: Can you make beautiful music on a handpan as a beginner? We say YES as this video features Joule L'Adara on Spacedrum Evolution (Atlantic'o Tuning) who'd been playing the handpan just a few months along with her brother Mike Moss on Spacedrum Nitro (Sonoro Tuning) who'd only played the handpan for two days before this recording! Granted, Mike's a trained percussionist and many of the drumming skills translate, but Joule's not a drummer at all. Yet by creating a simple pulse in a 5-count that's repeated with a few variations and combining it with accent notes, they were able to bring you this meditative handpan duet after jamming only a couple of days together.

.

Anyone can learn simple patterns on the handpan (even in "odd time!") and create lovely sounds- which can be a wonderful bonding experience for family or friends. Mike & Joule ended up with an audience: a family of hikers with small children who sat quietly enraptured throughout the playing. The parents couldn't believe their small children sat so still listening! We told them these sounds are very soothing to the nervous system and hyper kids are naturally calmed by these instruments. Here's the "audience" behind the video:

Note: We usually have a few Spacedrums in stock in California that can be delivered immediately within the US - BUT! They sell out quickly and if you'd to choose your particular tuning the wait time can be up to 12 weeks, so be sure to place your orders early. (And remember - we have payment plans to help make that handpan wish come true :)

Read now
May 6, 2022

All About Metal Sounds

Learn all about this exquisite line of steel pitched percussion crafted out the highest quality materials in the South of France, and how WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER has brought them to the American Market for musicians in the ever widening handpan community. We're now convening an interconnected international network around these unique melodic instruments that anyone can pick up and play.

A Story of Passion, Quality & Integrity...

In 2006 Philip Maignaut and the Djoliba Music Store began a collaboration and research project that five years later resulted in the birth of the Spacedrum and a new company: SAS Metal Sounds founded in October of 2011.

For more than 25 years, Philip Maignaut has been researching the machined manufacturing of steeldrums, complimented with traditional methods for producing 'Pans', The Spacedrum resulted from this craftsmanship and expertise.

This artisan instrument maker, the Metal Sounds Company is based in Toulouse, France, and today manufactures Spacedrums and Zenkos, as well as importing steeldrums (steelpans) and other instruments...

Read now
April 13, 2022

We're going to 🌸SUPER BLOOM: A Women's Handpan Gathering in May!

Join us next month at SUPER BLOOM: a Women’s Handpan Gathering taking place May 13th-15th located at Peace Temple in the Catskills Mountains near Hancock, New York.

“We aim to bring women handpan players and enthusiasts together for a relaxing weekend in the woods. Steeped in nature, with the handpan as our guide, we invite women looking to awaken, explore and expand their divine inner-compass. We are grateful for this opportunity to Super Bloom inner abundance into life … together.”

🌸

WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER will be providing Metal Sounds Spacedrums to try out and we’ll be giving away a Zenko Drum, Hokema Kalimba Sansula and other goodies to some lucky participants. We're looking forward to getting to know our handpan community up-close and personal at this gorgeous location for their inaugural gathering! (And wow, this is the first in-person event we'll be attending in 2 years! It's been a looong pandemic...)

LEARN MORE + REGISTER FOR SUPER BLOOM HERE

We chat together with the team behind

🌷🌷🌷 Super Bloom...

Last week, We Play Well Together's Joule L'Adara hosted an Instagram Live session with the creative team behind Super Bloom. The women share why they were drawn to work with the handpan, how this gathering came into being, and why time in nature with music and sisterhood is so nourishing and especially needed at this time. You can check out the YouTube version of this long-form IG interview on our channel...

Read now
February 15, 2022

How to create mesmerizing sound compositions on handpan and tongue drum 🎶

Are you curious about handpans and tongue drums? Perhaps you've seen them on our website but aren't sure what the differences in tonal quality are and how they might each be used separately or together? And what about singing with these instruments?

We're excited to bring you this long-form interview featuring our long-time friend Kalani Das of World Drum Club - a YouTube Channel with with over 200K subscribers that features hundreds of tutorials and reviews of percussion instruments. Kalani takes us on an in-depth exploration of our Metal Sounds instruments, offering a beautiful demonstration featuring the Spacedrum Evolution and Zenko Drum.

Kalani also shares with us how he creates mesmerizing sound textures using live looping to layer the sounds and play both drums together - even as a solo performer. This is a showcase for how We Play Well Together instruments truly play well together!

Watch our interview with Kalani Das...

Read now
January 19, 2022

We're back for the NAMM Show's 2022 Believe in Music Week!

Founded in 1901, NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) has a mission to strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music.

What is Believe in Music?

Believe in Music is the global gathering to unify and support the people who bring music to the world.

Building on the success of last year’s Believe in Music Week, this online event will feature a mix of comprehensive programming and professional education as well as an interactive brand pages to connect buyers and sellers – all designed to elevate the innovation and inspiration found across the industry, kick-off the New Year, and look ahead to reuniting in-person at The 2022 NAMM Show (which is scheduled to take place in Los Angeles this June - we hope to attend!)

The online celebration will be held on Thursday, January 20, 2022 and Friday, January 21, featuring a global livestream, interactive brand pages and unique content. Select content will be available on-demand Saturday, January 22 – Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Sign up for free at: registration.namm.org

Then check out our latest video montage featuring our favorite handcrafted musical instruments ranging from pocket-sized kalimbas to handpans, to Sound Furniture from feeltone, Hokema & Metal Sounds.

Read now
October 8, 2021

Music Therapists on utilizing our instruments for Music Therapy
The We Play Well Together family of instruments - which include monochords, tongue drums, handpans, kalimbas and hanging chimes - have all been utilized in a variety of different music therapy applications.

According to Music Therapist Katie Down (LCAT, MT-BC, MMT, MM):

"possible clinical uses of our instruments include:
Bedside for Hospice Care

Ameliorate somatic symptoms associated with emotional stress

Recreative and Receptive Methods

Clinical Improvisation

Song Writing

Self-Soothing Methods

Supporting Children and Adults with Special Needs

Early Childhood Development

Therapeutic Group and Relational Work

Supporting Vocal Exploration and Breath Work"
We created a 15-minute highlight video just for music therapists to get an idea of the many different instruments and possible applications for their use, featuring instruments built by Hokema Kalimbas, feeltone and Metal Sounds.

(Click "READ MORE" below to access the video..)

...

And be sure to join us in our digital booth this week at the American Music Therapy Association 2021 Conference October 14th -17th!
Read now
June 18, 2021

The Metal Sounds Story!

Metal Sounds:

Handpans Handmade in France

SPACEDRUM®, the intuitive handpan, is a metal melodic instrument inspired by the original steel drum (aka the steelpan) and by the Hang® invented by PANArt® in 2000. Metal Sounds' handpans have been designed and handcrafted since 2006, and were the first handpan producer in France.

As requirements, tastes, and desires vary, Metal Sounds offers two different lines of handpans:

Read now
March 15, 2021

How do you MAKE a handpan??
How DO you make a handpan?

We got to go behind the scenes with our friends at Metal Sounds the South of France to find out!

...turns out the answer is a LOT of care, craftsmanship, heaps of hammering, laser-cutting, patience, and good ears (along with high-precision tuners!)

We put together this video showcase for Metal Sounds and can't wait to share it with you...

Metal Sounds:

A Showcase of Passion, integrity & quality!

In this video you will get to:

-GO behind the curtain at the Metal Sounds workshop in the South of France to see how they build the Spacedrum handpans and Zenko tongue drums

...

Read now