Nomad

Here is a link to my etsy store

http://www.etsy.com/people/NomadHang

Hope everyone is enjoying the unraveling spring.

Winter has set in, really looking forward to getting back out with the hanghang in the spring/summer season. Sooon the powers that be will start announcing festivals and gatherings for the upcoming part of the year and my feet will start itching once again. If anyone has any traveling/touring stories from the past summer I'd love to hear from you. See you out there.

The weather is warming and my feet are itching. Next week I'll be taking the van out on the open road to hit some festivals with the hanghang. Wakarusa>Bonnaroo>Telluride then back to Fort Collins/Boulder area before launching off again. See you there!

I heard from the hangmakers today and am super stoked to be considered as a recipient of another one of their creations. The new Hang and the way he describes it sounds interesting. Here is part of my correspondence with Felix in Bjern.

Letter from the Hangbauhaus

.........people were mainly attracted to the energetic vibrations of the Hang. They were delighted by the richness of the overtones and even attested to healing powers of this new instrument. We responded to their ideas and built Hanghang with lunar or solar sounds and healing scales. Whereas the percussionists could envision the Hang as a platform for their rhythmic abilities, others were attracted by the hypnotic sound itself.

Sound therapists came to us and told us about the positive effects the Hang had on their patients. Psychologists, psychiatrists, shamans and healers were interested in using this hybrid instrument in their work. In the past few years, hundreds of people from all over the world have obtained a Hang, either directly through us or up until 2006 from distributors on all continents. You can see Hanghang being played on YouTube, on sidewalks, in concert halls, churches, at rituals, in studios, in commercials and films, and at techno parties. Around 200 CDs have been sent to us and we marvel at their diversity. Many people play in the silence of their homes, outdoors in nature, or in their circle of friends. Some just touch it now and then.
The loud hammering sounds in our workshop opened up a deeper insight into the nature of the Hang. We initially sold the Hang in certain music stores and through distributors, but we felt the demand to produce so many Hanghang uncomfortable and the sheer pressure made our strength wane.
The wishes of our clients were hard to satisfy as some of the scales did not fit harmonically with the Hang body and we began to lose the vision of the Hang as an entity. While it takes artistry and dedication to sculpt a Hang, our work was scientifically validated by researchers who concluded the nature of the Hang as a wholistic resonant body. We needed to pause and regain our vision, and thus a new chapter was opened. We realized more and more the fascinating and challenging work ahead of us. Our desire was to form a whole, a cosmos, not another musical instrument in a standard context. This meant that we had to clarify our views and distance ourselves from the current system that had become susceptible to popular perceptions.

The scales of the earliest Hanghang were bright and higher, and then in 2006 the sound became warmer, more organic and pleasing to the human body. We began to listen more intently and expanded our understanding of the nature of the hand on this complex membrane and how it affects our body, mind and spirit. Through better understanding of our Pang material, we succeeded to manage the high stresses in it. The controlled distribution of these forces is of the utmost importance. The reduction of the tonal circle around the central dome resulted in a better balance in this complex system of forces. A more suitable relationship was established between the choir and the dome. The acoustic relationship of both sides of the instrument with the human body became evident when played on a person’s lap.

The Integral Hang was developed in spring 2008 and it became increasingly clear that we were not dealing with a system of separate notes, but with individual voices exciting other voices that are harmonically related, creating a unique dynamic which defines the Hang. The chant of the overtones was like a choir singing in a cathedral, which is how we see the Hang. We were entering a multi-dimensional walk to a vast potential. Some say it is an intuitive dance, an improvisation, a hypnotic state, a trance, a dream, a meditation...but who could tell?

Now in late autumn of 2009 we have reaped the Free Integral Hang and it rests on our lap, born without the use of tuning instruments. We have arrived at a place of trust with our inner resonance and the result is a highly sensitive Hang body with intensified vibrations that does not need the company of another musical instrument or Hang. The free-tuned Integral Hang is intended for individuals who yearn for balance and inner peace in a world that can be chaotic and unsettling. Our concepts, developments and implementations are far from the musical norms of modern times which require study, practice and performance. Playing with this Hang can lead to a form of freedom, an intimate conversation that can only unfold without pressure and coercion. If individuals are aware of this concept they will be strengthened by this Hang. Thoughtless use can weaken a person. We as Hangmakers and you as potential player need to be conscious of the importance of this fact. We were forced to accept definitions and activities around the previous generations of the Hang to which we could not agree. Treating it as a drum and promoting the name Hang Drum, for instance, has created a ripple effect of misinformation that leads to damaged Hang, physical injury, and mental and emotional turbulence. With the Free Integral Hang we have to exercise more caution.


Yours sincerely,


Sabina Schärer and Felix Rohner

The snow has fallen and inside I go. Working out the full length but here is a preview, please help support and purchase the full 12 minute track

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/panart-hang-journey-through-void/id327286854

I've lived in Colorado for two years now and am very happy with this beautiful place. Growing up I spent alot of time at the ocean in small beach towns. The vibe that emanates from the ocean into the coastal communities has a profound positive affect on people. I have discovered this same kind of vibration on the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Living on the shoreline of this vast mountain range is much like a beach town, only much cleaner and conscious than the beaches I remember from the south east.

Just got back in Colorado from 10k Lakes Minnesota. Had some really heart warming experiences at this festival. Haven't heard a "welcome home" this summer until 10k and it really started me off in high spirits. Will be posting some memories and maybe pics/vids of the festival if any of those nice people I handed a card to will please email me with anything they shot :)

www.welcomehome.org