Wooden Tongue Drum
The top is made of Paduck wood and the sides of the drum can be made out of other hard woods such as red oak, walnut, sapele, etc. Approximate size of the large/double: 24" long x 9 1/2" wide x 7 1/2" deep Approximate size of smaller ones: 18" long x 9 1/2" wide x 7 1/2" deep. About Tongue Drums The Tongue Drum is one of the world's oldest known instruments. These drums were first made from hollowed out trees which were struck with sticks to create tones. In some African cultures a tongue drum language developed. This language system was based on varied pitches, rhythms and intensities of sound. Tongue drums also had a wide variety of functions within different cultures from story telling to beating out war cries over long distances. A Tongue Drum is an elaborate hard wood box that has tongues carved out of its top. Each tongue is tuned to a different note in a scale. When a tongue is played it vibrates up and down producing a warm woody tone. Songs and melodies can be played either with provided rubber mallets or with the tips of your fingers. Hand selected hard woods and quality craftsmanship will make this an instrument that will last and last - and be handed down from generation to generation.
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About my work
Harry & Hio’s Woodworking was named in honor of Skip’s grandfather (Harry) and his father (Hio). Skip has been showing his work at craft fairs throughout New England and specializes in turned pens and bowls, wooden puzzles, kitchen items and drums. The tongue drums are a wonderful intersection between his love of wood and music. These are hand crafted and tuned to either hexatonic or pentatonic scales. He also produces small and medium quijons which are a type of drum used in Latin music. In addition he also has built homes and furniture and prefers the simple lines of colonial and shaker and has begun to appreciate more modern design.
The story of Harry and Hio’s
Harry was the owner of Wiley Manufacturing, a woodworking shop in Gardner, Mass that made baby furniture for Thayer Inc. until the late 1950’s. Skip’s dad and uncle Kenny both worked in the shop until they enlisted for military duty during WWII, and Skip spent many hours there as a young boy. Even after the shop closed both Harry and Hio continued to be involved in woodworking at home, and it was from spending time with them that Skip first became interested in woodworking.
After High School and College days, Skip reconnected with woodworking in the 1970’s when, as a new father, the small cape they lived in needed more room for a growing family. After building an addition to this home Skip and family purchased some land in Portland, Ct. and built a larger home there. Skip continued woodworking as a hobby, building furniture and wooden gifts for his family and friends while teaching chemistry at Middlesex Community College in Middletown, Ct. and serving as an officer and Chief of the Portland Volunteer Fire Department.
When Skip retired from 40 years of teaching Chemistry, he decided that his hobby could become a small business and he formed Harry & Hio’s in July of 2009. With his wife Carol-Ann, he has extended his product line to hand turned pens and other wooden items, holiday lawn decorations and gift items, which they sell at various craft fairs, and a growing furniture refinishing business.
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