Inside a Wauwatosa co-working space, you can sometimes hear an unconventional instrument being played. If you’re lucky, you may have even heard that same instrument at a nearby park, the Milwaukee County Zoo , a friend’s bridal shower, or even a wedding.
“They’ve never seen it before. They can’t believe that all of this sound is coming from this small instrument,” Tony Meister said. “People can’t not walk by and not notice it.”
Meister is talking about the instrument he plays all over Wisconsin called the handpan. It’s two steel shells placed on top of each other that make a flying saucer-esque shape you play with your hands. Handpans make a relaxing, melodic, and warm sound that you could imagine being played during a yoga class.
James Groh“When the music is flowing through you and this instrument can reflect your expression, there’s nothing like that,” Meister said.
Occasionally, he will play inside his co-working space called Expansive Wauwatosa at The Mayfair Collection . It’s an unusual location to play, but that’s what makes it fitting for an unusual instrument.