Over dit evenement
November asks you to turn inward, and this instrument is good company for that. Low light, a small group, a warm sound — it is my favourite month to teach in.
Ninety minutes, and a sound you didn't know you had
You sit down, the handpan rests on your knees, and the first note you play is already a beautiful one. That is the gift of this instrument — you don't have to earn the sound. It is there from the first touch. From there we go slowly, and by the end of the afternoon we are playing together.
What you will learn
- How to strike so a note opens instead of closing — the difference is in the hand, not in the strength
- Your first rhythm and your first short melody, from nothing
- Simple phrase and rhythm exercises you can keep playing at home
- How to play together with others, without anyone having to count
What you feel, and what grows
Striking a handpan with your bare hands settles the body — most people notice it in the first twenty minutes, long before they can play anything. The rest builds with repetition: each time you come back, the phrase that resisted you last time plays itself, and you find you are listening rather than trying. That growth is what turns one afternoon into something you keep doing.
Included in your ticket
A handpan is waiting for you — rental for the day is included in your ticket, so you can come with empty hands. If you have your own, please bring it.
Timetable
15:15 Doors open, tea, and choosing your instrument
15:30 We begin — how you sit, where the hands go, your first notes
16:00 Rhythm and phrase exercises
16:30 Melody — dynamics and waves
16:50 We play together
17:00 Finish
17:30 Doors close
Practical information
Who? Anyone who would like to play the handpan — whether you have never
touched one, or tried it once.
When? Sunday, November 15 2026, 15:30 to 17:00 (doors open at 15:15)
Where? MAX's House at NDSM | Hellingbaan 150, Amsterdam
Cost? €77 per person, handpan rental included. Maximum 5 people.
Places are limited, so book early if you can.
About me
I'm Reo, from Japan, living and playing here in the Netherlands. I won the Japanese Beatbox Championship in 2011, then left home with thirty dollars in my pocket to play on streets around the world. Somewhere on that road I met the handpan and never put it down. Eleven years later I organise the Tokyo Handpan Festival, have taught more than 500 students, and in 2026 I am a guest instructor at Pan Paradise here in Europe.
What matters more is what happens in the room: I listen for what you already do well, and build from there. Nobody is corrected in front of the group. Everybody plays. Coming to an afternoon like this is also what keeps this work alive — thank you for that.
Supported by
Ayasa Instruments · MAG Instruments · Root Harmonics · Selected HandPan · HandPan Studio · Yishama
I play and teach on instruments from these makers. If you are ever looking for a pan of your own, just ask — I'll tell you honestly what suits your hands.
Any question before booking, just send me a message. I answer them all myself.
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