Month: March 2018

Harmony Gongs

I travelled to Broome with my family in 2018 and found myself with a bit of time on my hands, so I decided to expand on the experience with Jane Coker (see previous post “Gong for Jane”).  I Procured some cylinders which were no longer useful for gas and set to work.  Lauchie at The Broome Factory kindly made a place for me to work and I set about turning the cylinders into instruments.  Putting a slight angle on the cuts gave a cleaner tone and after sand blasting and painting, they were ready for market.

Broome Courthouse Markets are a long standing tradition, with a huge array of amazing products and a large crowd of willing punters.  I sold most of the instruments over two weekends and met a whole lot of travellers from all over Australia and the world.

Marching Marimba

The Invy Horn Jam need a big bass Marimba to March with!  What do we do?  Talk to Andy Rigby, of course.  He had ironed out most of the creases, and more importantly had identified the appropriate pram for the job.  A vintage Steelcraft frame is just right.  We decided on a scale appropriate for horns (Bb, Eb and C being the concert pitch they most enjoy) and I put it together.  It has made appearances at the Inverloch Jazz Festival Parade and the Shearwater Festival in Cowes.