7.5" x up to 4"
Wood, Beeswax & Brass
SWEDEN

Made by Auris, founded in 1978, and located in Järna, Sweden, a center for anthroposophy - Greek for "wisdom of man" - as opposed to theosophy, "wisdom of gods." I think we undervalue the nature of good and pleasing sound; anthroposophists believe music unlocks a pure and accessible spiritual world. When I first heard this instrument, a woman told me how lovely it is to play the glockenspiel for children at bedtime; however, I was referring to my own bedtime when speaking to her. But don't take my word for it: the Orff-based, Kodály-based, and Waldorf methodologies of music education employ the pentatonic scale, and the Steiner/Waldorf method, many theories of special education, and the Camphill Movement all rely on anthroposophic priciples. Entirely produced in Sweden, here is a pentatonic scale for ease; with this glockenspiel, it's nearly impossible to hit a wrong note. What follows are the maker's melodic words: "We make the glockenspiel to meet the need for the true tone and beauty every person carries as an inner longing. Our intention is to inspire the player, awakening the curiosity, and lust, for playful musical creativity. The process of making a new instrument model always starts with careful examination of the basic natural phenomena related to it. We try to refine the most typical qualities of each instrument. By evoking and releasing the inherent sonorous potential of the material, we make each instrument simply and with genuine beauty. The exclusive choice of materials, and the characteristic design, is the result of our aim for perfection of sound, as well as function. The most significant and fundamental goal of Auris is to achieve harmony between what the ear hears, the hand feels, and the eye sees."