News

This past summer, We Play Well Together's Creative Community Director Joule L'Adara traveled to Germany to work directly with our instrument builder the feeltone Company, helping to create a series of videos for our new Elemental Soundscapes instrument collections.

Read on to learn more about her adventure.

Alessandro Pierini, a friend and artistic partner of WE PLAY WELL TOGETHER, embarked on a journey to the Middle East, bringing the Monolina monochord to the deserts of Jordan for a series of stunning video shoots. These cinematic pieces, designed to highlight the Monolina's versatility for feeltone, were set against the backdrop of Jordan's expansive landscapes, with Ale tuning the Monolina to an Arabic scale to capture the region's musical essence. The versatility of the Monolina is showcased, highlighting its ability to be tuned to any 5-note scale, encouraging listeners to explore new musical territories.

In "Breathe Me," Alessandro performs atop a sacred valley, combining Arabic melodies with the desert's tranquility, a feat achieved with climbing gear and drone cinematography. The "Sands of Serenity" video features him on a sand dune, blending the Monolina's tones with the vivid orange sands of the Jordan-Saudi border. The series concludes with "Healing Vortex," set in the "Star Wars" Valley, where Ale's meditative music echoes the film's iconic landscapes, drawing praise from feeltone's Ingo Boehme for capturing the essence of solitude and connection to nature.

We're excited to announce a new Livestream series for 2023, featuring our friend Kalani Das from the WORLD DRUM CLUB on YouTube. Kickstarting this series, a recent livestream showcased Kalani playing our instruments alongside a live looper. This collaboration is set to continue with a monthly livestream event, offering our audience and customers unique interactive opportunities.

The first session in this series, happening on Sunday, January 29th, will see Kalani joined by We Play Well Together's Joule L'Adara. They'll dive into the instruments played in the initial video, provide live demonstrations, and host a Q&A segment for any questions about playing intuitive instruments.

Mark your calendars for the last Sunday of each month to catch these special livestreams on our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page. This initiative is part of our ongoing collaboration with Kalani, aimed at enhancing our connection with the community and sharing the joy of music. Whether you're interested in Koshi Chimes, Zenko Drums, Tinka Tongs, Kalimbas, feeltone Monochords, or more, these sessions promise a wealth of musical exploration.

If you can't join live, no worries—the recordings will be available on our YouTube Channel and Facebook Page. We're looking forward to playing well together with you in 2023!

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, feeltone is renowned for its high-quality wooden instruments, expertly crafted in Northern Germany. These instruments, including the versatile Monolina and Monolini monochords, are beloved by sound therapists and musicians worldwide for their ability to induce deep relaxation through harmonious vibrations. Founded by Ingo Böhme, feeltone's mission is to make intuitive music-making accessible to all, transcending traditional musical barriers.

Feeltone's unique offerings, such as Sound Furniture, enhance therapeutic practices by allowing direct physical interaction with sound. Collaborations, with Martina Gläser, have led to specialized Monochord trainings that deepen the understanding and application of sound massage.

Through a partnership with We Play Well Together, led by Gabriele Schwibach, feeltone has significantly impacted the North American music therapy and sound healing scenes. As we honor feeltone's legacy, we also celebrate the community and connections forged through the universal language of sound.

The We Play Well Together collective, featuring instruments like monochords, tongue drums, handpans, kalimbas, and hanging chimes, has found a significant place in music therapy across various settings and conditions. Music Therapist Katie Down has outlined the instruments' clinical uses, which range from hospice care bedside support to assisting individuals with special needs, and from facilitating early childhood development to enhancing therapeutic group work. These instruments are instrumental in techniques such as clinical improvisation, songwriting, and self-soothing methods, supporting vocal exploration, breath work, and more.

A special highlight video has been crafted to offer music therapists a glimpse into the potential applications of these instruments, showcasing creations by Hokema Kalimbas, feeltone, and Metal Sounds. Notably, feeltone instruments can be treated for disinfection, aligning with current health protocols, ensuring they remain a safe choice for therapeutic environments.

Further resources for music therapists interested in integrating these instruments into their practice are available, including profiles and methods by professionals like Christine Stevens and Joanne Loewy from the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine. These resources demonstrate the broad spectrum of therapeutic possibilities these instruments can offer.

For an opportunity to explore these instruments and their uses in music therapy further, We Play Well Together will be present at the American Music Therapy Association 2021 Conference from October 14th to 17th, inviting professionals to connect and learn more about these transformative tools.