Gabriele Schwibach didn't set out to become the U.S. home for German instrument makers – it started with a trade fair, a heat wave, and a stand full of drums she'd never seen before.
Where it started
In 1996, Gabriele met Ingo Böhme, feeltone's founder, at a music fair in Klagenfurt, Austria – during the hottest summer the city had on record. She'd already been importing drums and Rattles from the US; what she found on feeltone's stand was something else entirely. They spent the whole weekend trying out instruments together, and that's where the idea of working together was born.
Building a bridge (1998 to today)
In 1998, Gabriele moved from Germany to Northern California and began importing feeltone instruments to the U.S., traveling to music therapy conferences for nearly a decade to introduce them in person. Over time she brought Hokema's kalimbas into the fold too, and what started as "feeltone USA" grew into We Play Well Together – a small, women-owned business built on relationships rather than wholesale volume.
More than a distributor
Gabriele helped build the U.S. sound bath and sound healing community around these instruments from the ground up, connecting with practitioners, therapists, and teachers back when "sound bath" wasn't yet a familiar phrase. Today, the monochord she helped introduce is one of the most recognized instruments in that space in the U.S. She still hosts a free monthly Monochord Monday gathering and the Kalimba Campfire – because for her, the instruments were never really the point. The community around them is.
In her own words
Asked what sound has given her personally, Gabriele points to something quieter than business success: more self-confidence, and a sense of connection – not just to herself, but to the community and the world around her. Splitting her life between Germany and the U.S. for almost thirty years, she says it taught her that distance matters less than people think: wherever the people you care about are, it starts to feel like just outside your door.
Let's talk
Have a question about an instrument, a training, or starting something in your own community? Reach out – we'd love to hear from you.
Gabriele & Team, We Play Well Together
I recently met with Kalani Das of World Drum Club and hope you enjoy this video that dive into learning a bit more about WPWT and the question that started it all: Have you ever felt like you can’t play an instrument because you’re not a musician?