A hide drum begins long before the making.

It begins with the hide - an animal that lived, was harvested, and whose skin has been prepared for this purpose. I work with kangaroo, deer, goat and calf, each bringing its own character to the drum it becomes.

Dreadlocks are living things. They grow, shift, and change over time — and like anything living, they benefit from occasional attention. That’s what maintenance is for.

Creating dreadlocks is not a quick process. Done well, it’s methodical, considered, and deeply attentive to the individual hair in front of you. Here’s what the process actually looks like.

Dreadlocks exist on a spectrum. At one end, perfectly uniform cylinders, identical in size, neat and symmetrical. At the other, something that looks like it grew from the person wearing it - varied, characterful, alive.

For many people, the attunement is the most mysterious part of Reiki. It’s often described in dramatic terms - a ceremony that opens channels, activates abilities, or initiates the student into something new. My experience of it is quieter than that.

Shoden is the first level of Usui Reiki Ryoho - the system of Reiki founded in Japan in 1922 by Mikao Usui Sensei. The word itself translates as first teachings, though “first” here doesn’t mean beginner in a dismissive sense. It means foundation. The ground from which everything else grows.

Most people come to Reiki expecting a definition. Something clear and manageable - a healing modality, a form of energy work, a Japanese practice involving hands.

A hide drum is a living instrument. Understanding how to care for her means understanding that she will always be in relationship with her environment — responding to temperature, humidity, and the seasons in ways a synthetic drum never would. This isn’t a flaw. It’s the nature of working with something that was once alive.

Choosing a hide drum is both practical and intuitive. There are real differences between hide types, sizes and construction methods that are worth understanding — and at the same time, most people find that once they know the basics, a particular drum simply calls to them. Trust that when it happens.

A hide drum is a living instrument. Understanding how to care for her means understanding that she will always be in relationship with her environment — responding to temperature, humidity, and the seasons in ways a synthetic drum never would. This isn’t a flaw. It’s the nature of working with something that was once alive.