Musician rituals. Instrument cleaning.

There are times of the year when I realise my instruments deserve more nurture. Nuts and bolts cleaned and oiled. Drum skins replaced. Wood polished.

Instrument nurture is a meditative, mindful state, caring for these precious friends who allow my creative spirit to find voice.

Without care and nurture our instruments sometime lose their voices. At the same time, so do we.

#musicians #mindfulness #instruments #nurture

What makes us fall in love with the instruments we play? For myself, the feel of drum skin beneath my fingers - the vibrational feedback that creates resonance. I never get tired of the delicate intricacy of a drum I am playing, the warm familiarity of tone and timbre. Every drum is unique, the sound evolving depending on temperature and humidity or the space around us. This is joy.

#drums #mindfulness #instruments #hands #touch #joy #sound #musicians #photography

Back in the early 2000's LP (Latin Percussion) released a fibreglass shelled 'talking drum'. The fibreglass shell made it loud and durable - great for live playing. However, it was a recording conundrum due to the unpredictable "squeaking" caused by the flexing of the aviation-grade wires used to flex the tone of the drum. This noise could best be described as the sound of a door creaking in a horror movie. You just never knew when it was going to #squeak!

#instruments #drums #photography

Homemade percussion rattle made from tin lids. Rich in tone and texture, they move like a wriggly snake.

The beauty of found sounds.

#rattle #instruments #percussion #foundsound #photography #blackandwhitephotography

Shiny bits and delicious wood grain. This is a tumba, the largest and lowest tuned of the conga drum family.

It is not a bongo. Nor is it a table to put your coffee on.

Guaranteed that at every gig someone will ask "can I have a go on your bongos" 😂

#congas #tumba #drums #notabongo #livemusic #instruments #LP