Handpan Maker Spotlight: Isthmus Instruments
- Sheena Dela Cruz
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
For this week's Handpan Maker Spotlight, we're checking out Isthmus Instruments, a handpan project inspired by the unique geography of Madison, Wisconsin. Named after Madison’s iconic isthmus location between two lakes, Isthmus Instruments celebrates the idea of connection—both between the city’s bodies of water and among people from diverse backgrounds. Their handpans are crafted with a design that reflects this theme, with the lakes represented in the handpan and the isthmus in the logo’s arms. Each instrument, like Madison itself, brings people together, echoing a sound that many say is reminiscent of the water where they are born.
What is your company name? And what is the meaning/inspiration behind it?
Isthmus Instruments. I choose the name Isthmus Instruments based on geographical location and meaning to me. Madison is a special place. Did you know that Madison is one of only two cities in the USA built on an Isthmus? I’m not originally from the Midwest- but it was the friendly people and beautiful lakes that drew me to stay here. For me Madison is more like a bridge connecting two incredible bodies of water; it is a special location. Like Madison and its lakes, my instruments are two bodies joined together that produce a sound some say evokes water itself.
I find these instruments have an amazing ability to link together people who come from many different geographic locations. Look to our logo for the the theme of handmade handpans on the Isthmus. You can see the lakes in the handpan- and the Isthmus in the arms.
Do you have a specific name for the instruments you make? (Other than handpan) If so what is the meaning behind this?
Right now our instruments are often called Isthmus handpans and we’re fine with that! Small side note, did you know that “Isthmus” is one of the hardest words in the English language to say? We really didn’t think about that in the beginning…So if you get it right, we owe you a big thumbs up! It’s possible in the future we will have a few specific names for our growing collection of instruments.
Who is your company run by? Do you work alone or with a team of people?
Isthmus Instruments is run by me (Jenny Robinson), and my amazing small team of equally passionate and skilled people. I build instruments every day but also wear a number of other business hats that keep the wheels turning.
Year Founded:
2013.
Formally, in 2013-- when I moved myself, my belongings and dreams into a small warehouse where I made my vision a reality, under the business name Isthmus Instruments, LLC. Less formally, back In 2011, in a parking lot, with a great friend. I actually remember the moment I voiced out loud that I had to build handpans. It was a calling so strong I knew I wouldn’t stop, and failure wasn’t an option. My friend was an amazing artist and she hand drew the Isthmus Instruments logo. It took quite a bit of work to digitize it! But I love the hand-drawn look based on old school logo styling.
Today, even more, I love the symbolism and the art in the logo- its emblematic of the grassroots drive and creativity that it took to start Isthmus Instruments and the products we create. You just don’t see logos like this much, and with handpan artisans becoming more rare, I think it fits us perfectly.
Location:
Madison, Wisconsin.
How did you first discover the handpan?
It was first a YouTube video of Daniel Waples, then Manu Delago - Hang Solo, and then Sylvain and David's "Insomniac jam". There were very few views on these videos at the time and I knew I had stumbled into something really interesting, elusive and special. It made me want to learn everything about it.
What made you decide to start building handpans?
I wanted to play one badly and I couldn’t get one anywhere! It was the way people were playing this instrument and the sounds it was creating. It felt expressive, and energizing, just like a little bit of magic. Maybe I took a sign in Manu Delago’s shirt that said “metal music”.
I had recently enrolled in tech school for metalworking, love metal music, and had built instruments in the past. I read a call for more makers from the inventors of the PANArt Hang in their published research papers. I learned pretty quickly that for any chance of playing one- I was going to have to make my own.
What is your goal as a handpan builder?
To connect people to instruments they truly love, to inspire the creative capacity that resides within all of us and provide the unique vessel that facilitates that. We strive to create a strong and informed community of players and educators and work to this goal through developing products, educational resources, and through sponsoring events and community meetups.
What would you say your instruments are known for?
Beautiful and stunning color and sound that creates the experience that started this journey for me personally. That's our tagline, Love at First Sound. Our customers frequently tell us how they love the sensitivity of the instruments and the “lively” sound. They also say that after listening to hours and hours of instruments online, there is something unique about our sound, something that makes them keep coming back to it and leads to them wanting to get an instrument from us.
If you could only play one handpan scale for the rest of your life what would it be and why?
This feels a bit like a cruel question to ask a handpan builder! Hah! I’ll give you two- the C# Mystic and the E SaByeD. The Mystic embodies the sound that drew me to the handpan in the first place, deep, mystical, with a sweeping top end. Making every pattern draw the listener in. The E SaByeD is a major scale that I will never tire of-not too sweet, but thoughtful, it wins me with it’s built in melodic and chordal possibilities, its the perfect compliment to the C# Mystic.
What are your most and least favorite things about being a handpan builder?
I get to be proud of the fact that I created our entire instrument building process, vision and supply chain from scratch in the USA. Everything I learned was through hard won trial and error. Even today there are very few people that have done all of these steps as a handpan builder. I love the aspect of taking a raw form and transforming it into something truly magical that people want to spend time with and that creates positive change for them.
Every day with every instrument, is my chance to bring people that joy. I’m privileged to do this work and it's our customers that drive us every day to continue. The hardest part is getting our handpans to the people, in an increasingly competitive marketplace for the instrument.
Tell me 1 interesting fact about you, your company, or your instruments.
We published the 1st handpan book in the United States with yours truly, Mark D'Ambrosio from Planet Handpan!
What is one piece of advice you would give to aspiring handpan makers?
The path to becoming a handpan maker is not for the faint of heart. Your personal drive to succeed must overtake your perceived capacity for failure and frustration many times over. If you are drawn to change everything about your life in the pursuit of instrument building, then you just might be cut out for this line of work (reach out to us if that’s the case!). But ultimately all builders must find their own way. There is plenty that can be taught, but each hammer strike in building an instrument must later be your own. Take any words of wisdom in the industry with a healthy grain of salt.
Do you take custom orders?
Yes.
Do you have instruments currently available to purchase?
Yes.
For more information about Isthmus Instruments:
Looking to buy your first handpan?
We've got you covered! Planet Handpan partners with the world's best handpan makers to get you an instrument you're sure to love. Every builder, every sound model, and every instrument is individually selected by us to guarantee you end up with a handpan that is truly the best of the best.
Head to the Planet Handpan marketplace to browse handpans from around the globe.
Comments