Copyright ©
2005-2012
Mark Holdaway
2005-2012
Mark Holdaway
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If you have a testimonial about the kalimba or kalimba music and what it has done for your life, please share it with me! I enjoy playing the Hugh Tracey Kalimba, that I purchased from Kalimba Magic a few years ago. It is a great sing-along instrument for stuttering speech therapy. I also have been playing the marimba for a few years. I have a chromatic box Kallisti-Percussion Marimba, that sounds pretty good. Jim, 2011 I wanted to write you to tell you about a trick I've been using to fix buzzes - which, in my opinion, works ever so slightly more effectively than actual paper. I picked up a pack of extra-thin tobacco rolling paper and my local convenience store and have been using thing strips of this paper to slide underneath the tines, instead of white paper. These papers are much thinner than regular paper and I find they seem to deaden the notes much less once they're in place, especially on the treble Kalimba. I thought this might be something you want to pass along or give a try yourself. I also have lots of pictures of my kalimba I've taken in the outdoors over the last few weeks, and I would be happy to give them to you for your site, if you'd like to look them over. I'm available anytime through my e-mail address. I'll be buying more Kalimbas from you in the future, certainly. I hope everything is well. Justin, 2011 I am thoroughly enjoying my Hugh Tracey Alto that I bought from you, and have been bitten by the Kalimba bug! It is a joy to play and listen to, and lots of fun too. Just want to thank you for the great job that you are doing to promote this instrument...your website is very informative and in depth. Your book "Kalimba Fundamentals for the Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba" is an excellent source of learning material and is also fun to read. A *must have* for the owner of this model Kalimba. Kerry, 2011 I loooove introducing people to kalimbas. They're such an unknown jewel in modern life. I think people really get attracted to the beautiful simplicity of them. I don't know. There's just a lot of underlying joy in kalimbas that I get a lot of satisfaction out of watching people tap into for the first time, you know? Andrew Lain Owen, 2011 Kerry had bought an old Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba on ebay, and two of the notes were dead. I sent a few links showing how to how to fix those "dead notes", and got this reply the next day: Thanks to you and the information that you forwarded to me, my Treble Kalimba is 100% fixed and sounds awesome! I cut a short piece of dowel, and inserted it just inside the soundhole on the affected side. Instant pure tone from both formerly bad notes! Not a bad note on the entire kalimba now. A couple tines I had to use the paper trick on, but they even sound pure and ring nicely. Many, many thanks for helping rescue my kalimba and giving it a new life. Your kalimba on Joyous Jesu looks very much like mine, but mine has blue paint on the tines. It looks practically brand new, too. I'm so glad , it sounds great now! Kerry, 2011 Around Feb - Mar of 2008 I had three heart attacks, a stroke, and a 5 week coma. Thanks to my wife, prayer, brilliant medical attention, and God's will, I'm "back to normal". It was my brother placing a karimba in my hands that proved I wasn't a "vegetable" - and it was playing the same karimba that saved me from an over-zealous therapist also. Thanks! Rick, 2011 Thanks for the Kalimba Magic Newsletter. I enjoy playing the Hugh Tracey Kalimba, that I purchased from Kalimba Magic a few years ago. It is a great sing-along instrument for stuttering speech therapy. I also have been playing the marimba for a few years. I have a chromatic box Kallisti-Percussion Marimba, that sounds pretty good. Jim, 2011 Kalimba magic just keeps on rocking and grooving and well......love those kalimbas. definintly making the planet a better place to be!!! Gregory 2011 I've been meaning to write for quite some time to thank you for all that you do with Kalimba Magic. I've been playing kalimba since around August, and I never would have thought I'd find an instrument that I'd love to play so much or that would become such a large and enriching part of my life. I've always been more artistic than musical, and though I did play piano and guitar when I was younger, I was never able to improvise or play for hours on either instrument like I can on the kalimba. Playing kalimba just makes me happy. All the wonderful information and videos on your site have been an immense help. I wouldn't have come along anywhere near so quickly without them. Thank you, it's an amazing thing that you do. All the best, Warning! Playing the kalimba might induce a deep state of Oneness..other side effects are : feeling balanced and at ease; it could even result in ultimate Freedom. Jah bless, Warning , playing the kalimba can be highly addictive, it can cause enjoyment and happiness for yourself and other people around you. Jah bless, Good to hear from you...and yet another book coming out! I really like the two books that I have, both the Hugh Tracey Alto and Sansula book. Packed with the meat and potatoes of owning and playing them, and a CD to boot, at a very reasonable price. Most people would be lost with their kalimbas if it wasn't for the information available from your website and books. Kerry, 2011 I just got back this evening from our long weekend in Florida and our Christmas celebration with our grandkids. They LOVE the Kalimba’s. Each one of the children ages 7, 10 and 15 did a great job of jumping in and playing. We would sing the tune and sing the numbers as we played each song. The kids did very well. The youngest child liked making up her own songs. The middle child (female) practiced a lot and played with confidence and the 15 yr old male, enjoyed the ease of leading the pack. The middle child was determined to learn some songs “by heart” so that she could take it to school for sharing day. She wanted to play for her 5th grade class. The activity created a cooperative, peaceful and fun atmosphere and it contributed to the children’s self esteem. We now have great memories of our Christmas Celebration 2011. We are so thankful to you for making the instruments affordable! Thank you for the music books and we are enjoying the Christmas CD. How refreshing it is to have a wholesome, peaceful activity that we do not have to sensor! Dorinda, 2011 So loong time I'm looking for this kind of help and material for Kalimba .... Thank you so very much Stong, 2011 Hey Mark - I'm writing this e-mail off to you a few days after receiving my pair of Hugh Tracey kalimbas. First and foremost, thank you for giving me a beautifully paired set - they are truly the yin and yang to each other (one a very light grain of wood and the other much redder and deeper). I felt a connection with them right away, though I already own a Hokema pentatonic kalimba, something just clicked with these ones. I have never felt as connected or inspired by an instrument. It's even inspiring my music as a guitarist, which I've played for a few years now. Thank you so much for everything, and I look forward to making music on my beautiful kalimbas. I hope more people find out about and obtain these beautiful instruments. :) Justin, 2011 Thanks for the quick delivery of the kalimbas! They are fantastic!! Janice, 2011 I had a dream a few months ago, and in the dream I was really really jamming on this kalimba - it had a tan box and it was about 14 15 keys - I was really jamming - on one side I was jamming with 2 fingers, on the other side I was playing with 4 or 5 fingers like a piano. When I woke up, I said "OK, I gotta get a kalimba". I'm 64, but when I was in my 20's, I had three kalimbas. When I told a friend about the dream, she looked kalimba up on the internet, and thats how I found you. Sao, shamanic astrologer, 2011 I cannot thank you enough for sharing The Secrets of My Success. My mailbox was already overfull when your newsletter arrived, so I nearly deleted it, but something told me I needed to look inside. Sure enough, you sent just the practical inspiration I needed at this stage in discerning and following my own ministry in writing and art. I read it once, printed it, and read it again today over lunch with tremendous appreciation. I still hope some day to do more than plunk along on my kalimbas (I enjoy the plunking along, although it seldom feels like music to others), but your love of the instrument, your work, your ministry is truly an inspiration to follow the call and find one's own wholeness. Thanks! Rob, 2011 My 9 month old grandson just got surgery yesterday and I played kalimba and flute to comfort. I have always played the harmonica and flute for my grand children. I got the 12 note Gourd Kalimba just 3 days ago, and am just familiarizing myself with using my thumbs to play music. I have played for sick and just for fun in the past on my other instruments. Little Luke liked kalimba music best. His eyes lit up and he almost forgot his pain. Beautiful for all involved. I am loving your "Two Thumbs Up" CD and reading all the daily tips I can fit into my busy days. I believe you might make a better musician out of me yet. Your KalimbaMagic.com is one of my frequent stops each day. LennyHarp, 2011 Thanks for your kindness, your tuning skills, and all you do to share your music! Susan, 2011 I am so pleased to know you are there for many who choose to acquire musical delights from you! This Treble kalimba with pickup will bring me much joy! Milton, 2011 Mark your the man! My Kalimba arrived this afternoon and I've been teaching myself to play and haven't put it down since I took it out of the box! All the inserts are going to be very useful for playing and maintaining my Kalimba. Nico, 2011 The box with the kalimbas arrived yesterday and what a delight! I have already been enjoying working with my larger kalimba to play songs, and my clients have already started playing the little chord based ones--they are thrilled with them. The sound is great; and it is so appealing to everyone--truly remarkable the response that this instrument gets from people! Thank you again for the quick turn around on my order! With much appreciation, I have had such a fun time learning and playing the Kalimba and looking forward to many fun filled hours getting better at the instrument. My wife who had never heard of the Kalimba before was surprised what a nice and relaxed sound the instrument had. So much so in fact that we have played your CD that came with the Kalimba to relax us and drift off to sleep. I am a professional drummer/percussionist so I am looking forward to getting a little better on the Kalimba to use in my teaching sessions and to also create some tracks using the Kalimba and different world percussion. Thank you once again and I wish you and your family every success for the future and with Kalimba Magic. God bless. Jonathan, 2011 For a two hour workshop, I was completely activated. I really loved being able to play with other people. I am such a novice, the sound of everyone playing together was so completely captivating - I was enraptured and magical! It was a totally magical experience - I could have been part of that experience all night and every night - it is so hard to decribe because it is such a special instrument. Marcy, 2011 I play Christmas Carols everyday for Christmas day this year. These are very heart warming songs! Yoshihiro, 2011 It's been a few weeks since I've got my 2 kalimbas. I love them both (Pentatonic & Alto), finding myself having fun with one of them sometime each day. They are simply beautiful! I want to sincerely thank you for includng a copy of your 'Two Thumbs Up' CD (it's wonderful) in my last shipment. I also appreciate you having included a copy of your Pentatonic kalimba manual. I recently met Gary Diggins in Calgary, as he's run a few sounding workshops which my wife has taken part in. It's through Gary that I learned (through my wife) about your company. I must say, I am so impressed and applaud your energy, passion and excitement of sharing your love for the kalimba. And the Hugh Tracy kalimbas I have are beautiful instruments which I am thoroughly enjoying bcoming more familar with. Your website is great and I really enjoy reading your newsletters. Thanks for everything you're doing, Mark. Pete, 2011 My newly refurbished kalimbas are great. I am intrigued that the fix was in the box, not the tines. My 36 year old alto sounds great! And my other (evil tuning) alto sounds better than ever!!! Thanks again. Tom, 2011 [Upon learning of some of the many possible tunings Kalimba Magic offers for the 12-Note Catania kalimba} Wow ... it really is kalimba magic. apt name for your website - it's great. i'm slowly working my way through the different tunings you have posted to listen to. such beauty. warmly, The karimbas arrived yesterday. Kept me busy today while I sat in the stairwell waiting for tornado sirens to stop... Have to say playing and listening to them made the nerves calm down.. Thanks for keeping such a great instrument alive... Jeanell, 2011 Not a question, but a compliment. Thank you for such quick service. I have my Kalimba order, and am very impressed and excited. I just purchased the Ktabs software and some of the add ons. I'm working my way through your book. Thank you again. Karen, 2011 Sincere Greetings, I communicate with you to advise that the Kalimba has come to my house in perfect condition. It's pretty amazing, their live sound is much better than youtube. Many, thank you very much for their treatment of you with us. I'm thinking about the next order for you. Sincerely, from Spain with affectionate, My Pocket Sansula finally arrived last Saturday but I was able to get it just today morning. I'm absolutely amazed! It will surely help me with my Zen meditations and geting rid of my bad habits ;) Big thanks my friend :) Lukasz, 2011 I hope you are in this business for many more years because there is still nothing like this anywhere. Thanks Mark! Steve, 2011 Hi, I was shocked to have my alto Kalimba arrive here in Canada only five days after ordering. It's lovely and the book super informative. I really like your method of tab for it. Thank-you so much for super fast service! Janine, 2011 I worked out a chant, accompanying myself on the Kalimba! I chant often, especially when the pain is bad, and found myself working my thumbs to the rhythm of the chant. This morning I picked up the kalimba and it worked! Yippee!!! Deb, 2011 Hello Mark, it's Justin checking in with you again. I want to say thank you again for my two beautiful kalimbas; they have become inseparable companions for me and capture the hearts and attention of many people I encounter. It is such a beautiful thing how gradually the Kalimba reveals its secrets to you; what at first look like a basic instrument has evolved in my eyes many times since I first sat down with it. I never feel limited by the Kalimba. I wanted to write you to tell you about a trick I've been using to fix buzzes - which, in my opinion, works ever so slightly more effectively than actual paper. I picked up a pack of extra-thin tobacco rolling paper and my local convenience store and have been using thing strips of this paper to slide underneath the tines, instead of white paper. These papers are much thinner than regular paper and I find they seem to deaden the notes much less once they're in place, especially on the treble Kalimba. I thought this might be something you want to pass along or give a try yourself. I also have lots of pictures of my kalimba I've taken in the outdoors over the last few weeks, and I would be happy to give them to you for your site, if you'd like to look them over. I'm available anytime through my e-mail address. I'll be buying more Kalimbas from you in the future, certainly. I hope everything is well. Justin, 2011 i've received it yesterday and since can't leave not even for toilet. it's just magic!!. i'm black african leaving in europe playing many percussions ....... this will open to me new possibilities. if i improve i will pass to the chromatic..... thanks so much Frank, 2011 I just wanted to let you know my kalimba arrived last week, and to say thanks, I'm having a great time with it. It sounds lovely, and the Ake Bono tuning is so pretty. I really appreciate the exercises you wrote, they've helped me find lots of patterns and relationships amongst the notes, and have also helped me train my thumbs to do different things than if I was just playing. I think there's every chance I'll be getting another kalimba sometime in the future, hopefully one of the Hugh Tracey ones for Christmas. Thanks again, Thank you Mark for all of your knowledge and support! I am almost jumping up and down like a three year old, with a new toy...I HAVE ENTERED A NEW WORLD!!!! BLESSINGS, I received my Kalimbas today and am VERY excited thankyou very much. I am a pianist so I quickly jumped in and tried out a couple of things with them! It is such a plasing instrument to play as you can get decent results so quickly! Thought I should tell you, I compose music for Film and TV here in Australia, my website is www.russellthornton.com.au if you are interested in having a look. One of the reasons I bought the instruments was to use them in my work so I really look forward recording with them on a project soon! Russell, 2011 Thank you very much for your new Kalimba-newsletter. I'm proud to be a member of the Kalimba Community in this way, even if I'm not a really good Kalimba player. I'm involved in many other things and I'm also playing the guitar, the recorder and a panflute. But it is indeed always a special and relaxing time for me, when I can take my Kalimba and can listen to her lovely, tender voice. With interest and joy I'm reading the newsletter, this idea is really great and it will inspire many people to keep up their interest and enthusiastic to go on with the Kalimba. In this sence, the best for you I've got great expectations about these, Mark. I already use my H. Tracey Hotshot 11 celeste daily at work, and in my opinion the kalimba is the PERFECT instrument for child life specialists. I love to spread the word about them: will bring my kalimbas to the Child Life of Greater NY conference next month as well as the national child life conference in D.C. in May. Someday I hope to spring for a Hotshot 11 pentatonic celeste, because adults can be so shy about their musicality -- walking wounded, really, such an unfortunate side effect of growing up -- and I think the pentatonic will better convince child lifers that they can do this and should carry one in their coping kit. One example of the perfection is the quiet range of kalimbas. I do often amplify using a box, bedside patient table, xray screen, the side of the CT scanner, etc, but just as often I use it as a soft chord accompaniment to relaxing songs I am singing for procedure support - even just keeping the bass note of the chord going with one tine like a drone helps focus the moment. Child Life Specialists often try to create these visual/auditory/tactile intimate moments that the child can focus on to manage their stress during all the sounds and sights of a procedure room, and an unamplified kalimba's dynamic range is very intimate. Plus, as you can imagine, it's rare that I meet a child who lets me play for any length of time without reaching for the kalimba. They assume the same position as when they play a gameboy/ipod touch (batteries not required!). To see it and hear it is to want to touch it, which goes for babies up to doctors and nurses and everyone in between. So you can imagine my excitement for the hokema choir. Jon, 2011 I was enchanted with the sound and size of the Bothe 9-note kalimba. I work as a harp therapist for a hospice company, and play lap harp or a small floor harp for patients. For myself, as a break from the harp and to relax and relieve stress, I play the kalimba. Perhaps, if I'm comfortable with the Bothe, I might order a resonator and try playing it for my hospice patients! I will leave it up to you to select an instrument, as I don't have a particular key in mind. If there's one that sounds particularly soothing, that would be the one for me. If you've developed any instructional material for the 9-note Bothe yet, I would be interested in ordering that as well. Thank you and take care Hi Mark! *waves excitedly* Hope TODAY is full of light and love for YOU. Went ahead and ordered the African-tuned Karimba, looking forward to playing and recording myself playing it. Still struggling along to work out little ditties for my EP "Kalimba Fire". The process is fun, but frustrating b/c I can't devote the time I'd like to it. Work and other stuff, YOU KNOW how it is. Once again...THANK YOU for being there. It's difficult to express adequately how much Kalimba Magic means to me. PLEASE don't stop doing what you're doing, brother. Maybe I'm crazy, but to me, the Kalimba has been instrumental (no pun intended) in healing my world, NO JOKE...and so have YOU. Take care. Peace and Highest Vibrations, When I was very young I believed certain things were beyond questioning, they would "be" forever and that was that. But at 45 I now look at life as much more fluid...changeable, even fleeting. I want you to know how much the mbira/kalimba has meant to me this past 2 years. I took up playing a small 8 note kalimba after my father, grandfather and two beloved cats all passed away in 2010 and '11. Then the tornado on May 22nd....well, needless to say, with losses and change of that magnitude you cope however you can. I truly do feel that the Spirit of the kalimba/mbira came to me and it comforts me. It's the one and only thing that utterly stills my mind and what's more is that it lifts me up. The kalimba is absolutely an instrument of and for peace. I'm so grateful to you for the work you do making all those wonderful instruments available to the people and for the work and the thought and the love you put into your website. You don't know it, but you have been a huge help to me these last couple years...so thank you for that. Thank you SO much. Bless you Mark Holdaway....never doubt that you are doing the right thing. When visiting family last year I found myself with a crying baby on my lap. I pulled out my treble and started plinking; the little one loved it and tried to have a go himself! Even my most serious (trainee barrister and accountant) friends love it. It's certainly an instrument that attracts wonder from all. Your site never fails to deliver whenever I feel I need a fresh look at my little magic box. Lastly: in this internet age it's so easy to communicate with people on the other side of the planet, but that hasn't stopped the world being as segregated as ever. When people give part of themselves (as you do) through a website that promotes peace and joy, we are all pulled closer together. Tom, 2011 In the meantime, I'd like to thank you for all of your hard work and inspiration. Your dedication to your instrument is amazing. The information you share via your newsletter and web site is welcome and quite helpful. From a personal point of view, I've considered buying some kalimbas from other sources for a bit less money, but I purchased from you because, frankly, you deserve the business for all of the extras you do. And I'm from Scottish ancestory, so saving money is important to me. Jim, 2011 I also wanted to express my happiness with the experiences with you and your staff. Not only have you provided excellent service (i.e. the quality of the Kalimba's and your prompt shipping) - you also go the extra step in giving additional service, follow-up on any alterations or, in this case, suggestions. I also really enjoy your newsletters and look forward to reading them. In short, I feel I have found a "home" with you and AMI. It has made my enjoyment of the Kalimba all that more special and enjoyable. I look forward to continuing this relationship for many more years to come. THANK YOU!! Vicki, 2011 Thank you for popularizing this instrument. If it weren't for your channel on youtube, I probably never would have heard of them. This little instrument really does cheer me up and make me think good thoughts, as I associate it with your wonderful and inspiring videos and calm and lovely personality. I can't thank you enough. Irene, 2011 I received the I Ching Kalimba for the School of Music today. I purchased this on behalf of one of the percussion faculty members. I have to check-in all orders, so I got to play with your Kalimba a little before handing it off to the proper person. I was completely bowled over at how beautiful and mellow the Kalimba is. It made me sound as though I knew what I was doing! What a wonderful and soothing instrument to hold as well as hear. It is so lovely, thank you for making such a wonderful addition to our percussion department. Katherine, 2011 By the way, my old HT Treble kalimba has been successfully fixed thanks to your advice to cure "dead tine syndrome" by inserting a small wooden piece in the box pushing against top and bottom soundboards. It has taken me awhile to find the sweetest spot (I am still not sure the spot where it currently rests is the best possible location). Alfonso, 2011 The Hugh Tracey arrived this morning. What great sound and craftsmanship. It'll be a pleasure to learn it. Also, I should mention that your customer service is as good as it gets. That and I greatly appreciate the truly useful material you send with the kalimbas. Doug, 2011 I finally got my Kalimba today, and I just wanted to thank you, because it is so so beautiful, and the sound is spellbinding. I am madly in love with it, and it arrived just in time for me to start composing music for a puppet show I got a grant to create...so I'm hoping I'll catch on quickly!!!! Thank you so much again, and an extra thanks for digging through boxes to try to find me a dark one!! Take care Mark. You really are inspirational at making people passionate about this amazing little instrument. It truly does sound magical. Kyla, 2011 Just wanted to take a moment to say thanks for the kalimba and the cd - both are absolutely wonderful. So far I have actually had very little time with the kalimba because my daughter and wife have been playing it since not long after I got it out of the box - they love it.... what a great instrument. Thanks again! Perry, 2011 The Goshen student karimba arrived -- no small feat given the 15 inches of snow we just had. Thanks! To my inexperienced ears, the tone sounds just as good as the Hugh Tracey karimba and the tines have an even nicer feel. What a great value. I hope you sell a lot of them and of your wonderful student karimba book as well. Heck, since so many people already think Obama is African, why not get him to teach the Democrats to play the Kushaura parts and the Republicans the Kutsinshira? Lucy, 2011 Alto Kalimba is treating me magnificently! I hope I am doing just the same for her). I think it is time for the first tuning and as I don't have the electronic tuning device, I am going to take my Kalimba to my friend's place and tune it there. Of course, we are to enjoy some of the simplest tunes I've learnt! Thank you so much for the book, it helps a lot in understanding the world of the instrument I love. Anna, 2011 I want to tell you how happy I am with your website ! To read all this info and learn from all different people makes me feel to be part of a beautiful family. It strikes me also that many of the players stress how peaceful the instrument is (the same goes for the playing and player). It is really wonderful to feel comfortable within myself while playing ! Playing the kalimba makes me to feel whole and balanced, especially because of the interacion between the left and right brain. Your Love for the instrument shines through the book and especially on the cd Thank you so much for all your effort and everything you put in these great works! Jeroen, 2011 I just received this [Goshen Student] Karimba in the mail from Kalimbamagic. It's fantastic. I have never played one of these before and I can't put it down! I play guitar normally and it really put some nice callous on my left thumb. I highly recommend this for anyone looking to get into Karimbas! LaGrandeBeaute on YouTube, 2011 Glad I found this [student karimba] video. I just retuned my Hugh Tracey 8-note to the karimba tuning, and have been enjoying it immensely. This video will give me a good place to start. Thanks. :) Hello Mark, My name is Marius, I am 22 years old, I'm from Romania, and I've been playing the kalimba for one year. I studied the accordion when i was a child for 3 or 4 years, and after that I started playing whatever came to my hands: whistle, irish flute, quena, harmonica, piano, guitar. I like music, I like to play music, and sometimes create music. But last year when my brother gave my as a gift a kalimba something new happend. It was the first instrument that kept my attention alive and I just couldn't leave the kalimba one day wihtout playing it. I take it with me everywhere I go, at work, outside, in vacations, my kalimba is not to be left at home:). Sometimes i fell asleep with the kalimba in my hands. I don't know how to explain it in words but...the kalimba makes me feel the music, i can play whatever goes thru my head and most of the times I can express whatever feeling I'm having. The past few months I was so excited about the kalimba i started buidling one. The first one wasn't that good at sound, I made it out of a gourd, instead it looks verry well. After that, I found your website and I started building my second home made kalimba. That is the reason why I'm posting 2 videos, in my second video i want you to see my home made kalimba and how it sounds. Well, I hope you like it.
Regards, Marius, 2011 |