The region’s iconic social media figure’s face is painted with the beard of a decade ago and the striking dreadlocks of nearly eight years ago before that.
Adam Foote, 39, joined TikTok in 2020 and now has nearly 9 million followers across his two accounts combined.
“When I first decided to do this for a living, I asked myself, ‘How can I stand out from the crowd?’ When you think of Bob Marley, you think of dreadlocks,” Foote said. “When you think of ZZ Top, you think of beards. I thought, ‘I can put my hair in dreadlocks and grow a beard.’ Those guys were my inspiration to look different and be proud of it. It’s good to stand out from the crowd and be remembered by people.”
His musician name is Ethereal In E. However, fans have nicknamed him “The Handpan Man,” which resulted in his two TikTok handles becoming Ethereal.In.E and The Handpan Man.
A handpan is a percussion instrument made from two metal half shells glued together.
Handpan Man has become famous on TikTok, making a living by playing handpan and singing while swimming in the Spokane River in Coeur d’Alene. In his videos, he is sometimes shirtless, sometimes wearing a hooded sweatshirt, and performing his own original music. He is also known for his happy birthday videos and the release of new birthday songs.
Foote was born and raised in Brooklyn Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Taylor University, a Christian college in Indiana, where he met his now-ex-wife.
After college, the couple married and bought an Astrovan, living there for a short time. The newlyweds had planned a trip to Alaska, but when they arrived in Post Falls in 2006, Foote and his wife discovered she was pregnant and decided to settle down, find work, and have a place to live. Their only son, Logan, is now 16.
The Foote family lived with friends in Post Falls before finding a place to live in Spokane Valley, where they bought three apartments and became landlords, before moving to Coeur d’Alene two years later.
Foote and his wife divorced shortly after moving, but he still lives in Coeur d’Alene and has no plans to leave anytime soon, and he talks about his love for the North Idaho wilderness.
“I was feeling very depressed, but I started to feel drawn to make a change and do things that would make me happy,” Foote said. “Now I’m doing what I love, in a place I love, every day.”
Foote’s career as a percussionist began at a young age when he was always banging on things. His earliest memory is crawling up the stairs from the basement of his childhood home and banging on different parts of the stairs, noticing that different places produced different sounds. Foote first played on a drum set when he was 11 years old.
He grew up playing drums in church, and performing on stage in front of a crowd gave Foote a taste of what it was like to be a rock star.
“As a kid, I thought it would be amazing to be a drummer in a punk rock band. Then I went through a dark period in my life and a divorce and my passion for percussion was reignited,” Foote says. “After my divorce, I was really lonely and sad and was trying to figure out how to get out of that blue mood.
“I remember sitting at my drum set, getting lost in the rhythm and forgetting all my troubles.”
One night, while playing at an open mic at the Iron Horse in downtown Coeur d’Alene, a singer approached Foote and asked him to join his band as the drummer.
Foote said his time in the band was one of the most joyful experiences of his life, and although he was disappointed when the band was replaced a few months later, he was determined to maintain the joy that playing the drums gave him.
In 2013, out of work, Foote discovered the handpan while lying in his plasma donation bed. He stumbled across a YouTube video of Daniel Waples playing the obscure instrument. Foote thought this might be his ticket to becoming a professional musician. After three years of searching, he finally got his first handpan.
After playing the streets of Coeur d’Alene, Foote recorded his first album funded by public donations, and the release of the album led to several live performances at venues.
Foote worked as a counselor at Borah Primary School from 2013 to 2018. As his music career progressed, he became dissatisfied with his day job and found joy in music. He quit his job after an argument with his boss, which prompted him to focus on music full time.
“What I really enjoy about playing music is that my music draws people in,” he says. “I’m an introvert, so I find it easier to interact with people who approach me than to approach them.”
At first, Foote focused on promoting himself on Facebook. He connected with handpan player Dan Byrne online and saw Byrne’s rapid growth on TikTok under the account cymaticharmony. Foote decided to give the app a try.
“In the first few months of using TikTok, I was trying to do the same things I was doing on Facebook, but eventually I realized that TikTok is all about engagement,” Foote says. “Around six months after I started using the app, I hit a million followers.
“It certainly hasn’t been easy. At this point, my only goal is to keep going and eventually pay off my mortgage.”
Social anxiety has been an obstacle for Foote in the past, but he makes an effort to be kind to his fans.
“I really enjoy being recognized in public,” Foote said. “It used to scare me, but I’ve come to realise that online fame doesn’t last forever and now I see things through a new lens.”
“I feel more grateful to my fans now. My music career is my life. I always try to make people happy and I love being loved more than anything.”
Foote’s mother, Karen Bergen, said it took her son some time to get used to his new look, but she believes he has changed for the better.
“Now I see that he’s very creative in what he does best. It was difficult at first, but I finally understand why he felt so stifled in his previous job. He cares about the community and gives back to people. I don’t think he takes what he does for granted.”
Foote’s father committed suicide when she was 11, and Foote has experienced her own mental health struggles, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017.
“I can be very extreme sometimes. I’m very bold and stand out online, but in person I’m very shy and introverted,” he said.
Foote said that while he initially saw bipolar disorder as a drawback and was ashamed of his diagnosis, he now sees it as a superpower.
He said the increased focus that bipolar disorder gives him helps him stay focused on the positive.
“I want to tell anyone struggling with mental illness that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. I was working as a therapist at the time and I felt ashamed. When I started experiencing mental illness I felt like I’d failed but that’s not true,” Foote said. “Medication has changed my life for the better. I’ve said many times before that everyone can benefit from mental health services at some point in their lives.”
In the comments on Foote’s posts, his followers said they love his kind and unique personality, both online and offline.
“I think I’m the kind of person who tries to make the most of every moment. Life is short and you never know when your last moment is going to be,” Foote said. “What’s the point of spending your last moments worrying about something that may never happen?”
“Are you living the life you want? Are you happy? If not, it’s time to make a change.”
