I went to a drum making workshop yesterday! Made a 16' deerhide drum! (oops 16") LMAO
It's SOOOOOOO cool!!! The whole process is fascinating. The guy is a great teacher and he's been doing this for a couple decades so he has made the best design that is easy to teach and SOLID AF!
She's so pretty, looks like the moon with some marbling and scars. The hides are aquired from Native hunts in the nevada-montana areas. It was funny when he started pulling out the wet hides, I was like, well, yeah...you didn't think it was gonna be dry did you? I had no squeamishness about it, and using your hands to craft5 someth8ing llike this is such a very primal feeling. Like our ancestors were doing this for 50,000 years, so of course it's in our soul memory!
Also was an interesting process watching myself learn to let go of my preconcieved notions of self judgement and letting go to allow for the process and trusting the teacher. I am so excited. I have been drumming for almost 30 years, and never made my OWN. so this baby has a LOT of meanng, especially since she will now be my sidekick for my classes.
The teacher was also an old renfair dude, and we figured we probably partied back in the 90s when I was ale-wenching! LOL He is gonna come up here to Tahoe for Solstice and we're gonna do another workshop weekend for my folks up here.
This was a first time for many things, especially going to a workshop where I didn't KNOW the teacher or any of the other people (my GF came with me and she's so stoked too!) When he comes up for Sostice, I'm gonna do a Horse hde, which is WAYYYY thicker and harder to manage. I am seriously surprised at how little my arthritis hurts today.
All of this is just more proof that I am loved and supported in my New Life and healing from all the past trauma etc....!!
I'll post pics downthread when they upload to my cloud. 
and maybe I'll figure ot how to post a video of the sound!!!
= new reply since forum marked as read
but now you said that, I'm not gonna edit it! 
I love drumming, too.
Enjoy your new companion!
I have a feeling you will reach new heights with this one!
I used to make leathergoods out of cow hides in the 70s & sold them through head shops on consignment. It was a deeply spiritual experience for me and, hopefully, for those who purchased my creations.
Enjoy!
My friend is down to go, so we're gonna figure out if we're gonna do it in June or October... I've never been to Shasta, I th8ink it would be an amazing way to experience it. And I really like the teacher, Don. He's a cool dude and I am excited to have met some people outside of Tahoe in this same spiritual vibe 
Who knows what Oct. will bring?
I'm happy for you to have such wonderful experiences!
I had a boyfriend who worked with leather & stamping it. He made a lot of belts, but also these cool boxes with lids. They weren't really profitable to sell considering the time he put into them, but a local western wear shop sold them & he made enough to pay for his weed. 
Have you seen the movie "The Visitor" with Richard Jenkins? I had no idea what it would be about but I enjoyed it a lot!!
Richard Jenkins stars in the movie "The Visitor" (2007) where he plays Walter Vale, an economics professor whose life is transformed by learning to play the African drum (djembe) from a Syrian immigrant named Tarek.
Can't wait to see your pics!!
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The bottom pic could pass for an old wooden stool we have in the garage. 