This is a rattle that I made a long time ago. I use to make rattles and shekeres for professional musicians. Each tiny bead is individually hand-knotted into a mesh that covers a gourd. The mandala patterns were healing and meditative to make. The sound quality and movement of the mesh on the gourd was important to me, too. As well as making musical instruments that would last a long time.

I first started making shekeres in the late 1980s. I was on a quest to make a perfect shekere for my good friend Stevo Leicach, who was also my partner at that time. After years of making shekeres, I eventually succeeded in making a number of great sounding ones for him. Back then I even grew my own gourds, but the gourds often didn't have time to harden during the short Vermont growing season.

Here is the link to videos of Stevo playing the first of several favorite shekeres that I made for him.

Click here to view the post on Instagram and read the comments there.

Return to the Art of the Inner Life main page.