i am often asked, "what are wabi sabi drums?"
Wabi Sabi isn’t necessarily a style of drum...not, exactly...and yet it is. Wabi Sabi is a life style as well as an aesthetic style in Japan. It is embracing what life brings you, the beautiful as well as the messy. It embraces and finds beauty in the imperfections and impermanence of life; not from a place of resignation (the head), but from a place of surrender (the heart). I read somewhere that Wabi Sabi, simply put, is “Perfectly, imperfect”. For the curious, I suggest you prepare yourself a cup of tea and ask Auntie Google to provide you with more information. When you start exploring Wabi Sabi, you will understand why I said a cup of tea instead of a cup of coffee!
I will be the first to tell you that my Drums aren’t “perfect”...I’m not even sure what a “perfect” drum would look like. I’m not even sure what “perfect” really is. However, my Drums are perfectly imperfect and made with love, reverence, and respect for the Trees and Animals that are used to craft the Drums. I build the frames, cut the hide, and lace the drums myself. I believe everything and everyone carries Medicine. The medicine of the Trees and Animals live through the Drum. The forging of Tree and Hide also brings forth a new medicine. The medicine is shared when the Drum is played as well as heard. No two Drums are alike even if I use hide from the same animal and wood from the same tree. It is one of the reasons I name the Drums. It is a way to honor them. To say, “it’s just a drum,” couldn’t be more inaccurate. These Drums are living and have their own personality as well as their own unique medicine. I invite you to find the Drum or Rattle that is the right fit for you.
If you don’t see a Drum or Rattle here on the site that resonates with you, I invite you to design your own. Tell me what you want; size, which type of wood (color of stain or paint), what kind of animal hide, and what you would like it to sound like. I will custom build the Drum for you.