Drummer discovers new journey through sound

Taylor Sol has spent the summer sharing the sound healing properties of handpan and Native American Flute.
From showcasing the instruments at festivals and schools, to releasing an ancestral album on the summer solstice, the former Tairua resident has taken inspiration from the nature around him and is now embarking on a South Island roadie.
Taylor, 29, stumbled across the handpan around two years ago during a trip to Bali. As a seasoned drummer who grew up competing in regional music events such as the Smokefree Rockquest and Battle of the Bands, he was attracted to a “spaceship-like drum” in a shop called The Drifter.
“They had sticks there to drum it with, and it was quite mind-blowing because, as a drummer, you’re only really playing rhythm, there’s no melody. This tongue drum had notes on it that you could play like a drum,” he said. “It was combining the rhythm with the melody, which was a first for me.”
The tongue drum was tuned to a 432 hertz frequency, which Taylor said was the “planet’s frequency – the sound of nature”. He ended up buying a small version of a handpan and back home in New Zealand, started taking it to friend’s gatherings and barbecues.
“I’d be jamming out, and it would cultivate a really beautiful space; it drew a lot of people in. I thought: ‘Maybe I can offer this more often?’ and it just evolved from there.”
Taylor went from playing at yoga studios to market fairs, and in mid-2021, launched his sound healing workshops and performances which consist of native and contemporary healing instruments such as Native American flutes, handpans, Shamanic drums, crystal quartz singing bowls, and taonga pūoro.
He said even first-time listeners resonate with the sound, especially young tamariki. He shared the instruments with students at Hikuai School and has offered private and public workshops to people across the Thames-Coromandel.
And while he heads south on a new sound healing journey, Taylor also has plans to facilitate a 10-day wellness retreat in Bali in the coming months. He’s also been invited to play at a wedding in India.
“Playing in nature is something else,” he said. “It’s beautiful to play inside but there’s nothing quite like connecting nature with music.
“All of the instruments I play are tuned to the sound of nature, so, for me, it’s like coming back to the nature within and the nature without. I don’t know what’s coming next, but it’s all beautiful.”
DETAILS: To get in touch with Taylor or for more info, visit taylorsol.love