From Day Job to Dream Job: My Journey as a Craft Handpan Builder

A Personal Transformation

Every journey starts with a single step, and mine began with a simple fascination—a love for singing steel. What started as a hobby transformed into an endeavor that vastly reshaped my life. Today, as a handpan builder, I am excited to share my path from a conventional job to creating beautiful musical instruments.

Many of you, like me, have been through personal discovery in a multitude of ways. This is just a short summary of some of those discoveries that led me into the world of sculpting sound.

Discovering the Rhythm Within

Before building handpans, I had multiple jobs and was a drummer/percussionist in a prog band. From working a 9-5, recording bands at night, and performing on weekends I was busy trying to find what I really wanted to spend my time doing while starting to experience burnout from the grind. While it provided a steady income, my heart longed for something different—a chance to create and express myself. The turning point came when I discovered the Panart Hang on YouTube.

I spent weeks researching the instrument as I was captivated by performers who effortlessly wove notes into mesmerizing melodies. Having spent years studying other percussion instruments, I knew this new sound was going to be dominant in my life.

One study found that exposure to live music can boost mood by as much as 33%. This experience filled me with a sense of purpose, sparking a deeper interest in music and instrument making.

From Hobby to Craftsmanship

Newly inspired, I began in-depth research on handpan sculpting. My evenings were consumed with "how to build a steel drum" videos, tutorials, and articles about the craft. From Dave Beery's video, to Ulf Kroningman's book on the construction of steel drums, I learned quite a bit about the unique tuning processes that singing steel requires. Though, with every answer came new questions.

Much like the beginning of Colin Foulke's journey I grabbed barrels and mallets and started from the beginning, and from the first strike on the steel barrel I was all consumed. I gave up nights and weekends to spend time in the shop and hammer out as many barrels as I could, trying to understand how these instruments work. After getting my first note in tune I knew it was time to cut my day job down to part time and spend even more time chasing this ethereal sound.

Through this journey, I began to develop my unique style and process. What once seemed impossible became a fulfilling experience of shaping metal into forms the generate mind altering states and captivating tones.

Taking the Leap

As I transitioned from it being a hobby to something I would dream about at night, I faced a crucial decision. Should I continue my steady job or fully embrace my newfound passion? After countless sleepless nights of weighing my options, I took a leap and chose to continue chasing this dream.

Being offered a job by Mark Garner at Saraz Handpans in 2014 I was able to move away from the cold plains of North Dakota and join their team in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Moving to Asheville instantly changed my life.

Building My Own Path

After almost 5 years helping develop and tuning Saraz handpans I was ready to move into a new direction. I loved and learned so much with them and also knew there was something I needed to discover on my own. Among the hardest decisions in my life, I decided to create Veritas Sound Sculpture and dig as deeply as I could into this new journey.

People often ask where the name Veritas Sound Sculpture came from. Veritas is Latin for "truth". Someone once joked and said "Riveritas" as I can be quite honest, even sometimes at a fault! At a time when there were so many scams in the handpan building community, and even more now with the rise of mass produced handpans selling on Amazon, I wanted to have a representation of trust and honesty. Showing my face behind each and every isntrument I build. This instrument truly corrected my path in life, even saved me in ways. Honoring my experience and imparting that into my instruments is and has been among the most important parts of my craft.

The Joy of Community

Before the pandemic, attending handpan gatherings and festivals were among the most important parts of my path. Jamming with other enthusiasts, talking with passionate builders, traveling the world, and tuning instruments from all over the globe have shaped my instruments as much as my hammers have.

With the handpan becoming such a newly prominent instrument that is gaining more and more momentum, I think these gatherings of handpan lovers is what will truly help continue growth, foster more connections of builders and players, and continue to launch this beautiful craft well into the future. I know my playing and building has benefitted greatly from the generosity of others at these gatherings.

An Ongoing Journey

As I reflect on my journey from a day job to handpan building, I recognize that learning is a continuous process. Timbre chasing is lifelong. Every handmade instrument offers a new opportunity for growth—learning new techniques and experimenting with designs. No two handpans are the same; each has its unique personality and timbre.

Looking forward, my goal is to keep perfecting my craft, keep chasing timbre, and to keep experimenting as much as I can. I have lived my life dreaming of being one who can hone a craft and mass production/scaling, etc have never been in mind. Much like one who works with clay, I enjoy as much "hands-on" time as I can physically handle while crafting.

Embrace Your Own Dreams

Wherever inspiration strikes, note it, reflect on it, and if it continues to call you, embrace it. It has been one of the most scary endeavors I have embarked, but as I continue to grow in this world I realize everything I love the most has come with some sense of fear, insecurity, or heart racing moments. I hope this short glimpse into my journey inspires you in some way and helps you understand a little more about each Veritas Sound Sculpture you hear.