WAUWATOSA — You might hear an unusual instrument being played in a Wauwatosa coworking space, and if you’re lucky, you might have heard the same instrument playing at a nearby park, the Milwaukee County Zoo, a friend’s bridal shower or wedding.
“People have never seen it before and can’t believe all the sound that’s coming out of this little instrument,” Toni Meister said. “There’s no way you could walk past it and not notice it.”
Meister is talking about an instrument he plays across Wisconsin called the handpan, which is made of two overlapping steel shells shaped like flying saucers and played with the hands. The handpan produces a relaxing, melodic, warm sound similar to the kind you might hear played in a yoga class.
James Grow
Tony Messiter plays handpan at the Mayfair Collection’s Expansive Wauwatosa.
“When music flows through you and this instrument can reflect your expression, there’s nothing quite like it,” Meister said.
He sometimes plays at the Mayfair Collection’s co-working space called Expansive Wauwatosa, an unusual place to perform, but that makes it perfect for an unusual instrument.
“People who are drawn to playing the handpan are drawn to the sound, which feels almost like yoga,” he said.
A longtime drummer, he has gradually become known as a handpan player since acquiring his first instrument in 2016.
James Grow
An example of a handpan. This is Tony Meister’s latest handpan.
“I played in the park and went to the zoo with my son.”
From then on, people started asking him to play at their events, which he never intended – he just thought it would be a fun thing to do after work.
“And pretty soon, this hobby became something bigger than I ever thought it would be.”
But his popularity grew, and he was asked to play live more and more, even performing in front of 1,000 people at a conference. Although Meister can play covers, he loves writing his own songs.
Naturally, that led him to his next big endeavor: recording his debut album, which Meister said will likely be titled Circle of Life and will be released in late 2024.
Meister gets his handpans from Madison-based Isthmus Instruments.
You can check out Meister’s other videos or get in touch for bookings by searching his account handle “Blue Handpan” on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.
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