February 4, 2009
Kalimba Magic NEWS
What's the Buzz at Kalimba Magic
- Valentine's Day Specials for You and Your Sweetie
- Black History Month Kalimba Presentation for Download
- Story Tellers: Do You Use the Kalimba in Story Telling?
- Shamans: Do You Use the Kalimba in Shamanic Work?
- 15% Off Coupon—Good through March 31, 2009
- Kalimba Magic Contest of the Month Starts This Month
- Kalimba Music in a Video Game
Valentine's Day Specials for You and Your Sweetie
Hey, what's a great gift for Valentine's Day? A pair of kalimbas, one for you and one for your honey! Playing kalimba with your sweetie is a wonderful way to connect on intellectual, emotional and soul levels. To play with your partner successfully, you have to listen, but you also have to put out your own ideas. I usually spend about half my energy listening to my wife when we play together. And that is a great way to build intimacy and a great platform from which love can grow. So, I am offering three special packages that will be available through Valentine's Day, February 14, 2009!
kalimbas, one for bigger
and one for smaller hands.
Sweetheart Special #1: Get the Alto and Treble Kalimba Together
Discover the deep intimacy of playing kalimba with your sweetheart by taking advantage of this smokin' hot deal: Get 1 Hugh Tracey Alto Kalimba with pickup and 1 Hugh Tracey Treble Kalimba with pickup, plus the instructional book of your choice (e.g.,Treble Fundamentals, Alto Fundamentals, Duets, or the Christmas Book) - a $249 value - for just $185.
and Sansula
Sweetheart Special #2: Get the Hokema Sansula and the Hokema 9-Note Pentatonic Kalimba Together
The Sansula is one of the most beautiful kalimbas around, and it is in the same key as the Hokema 9-Note Pentatonic Kalimba. These instruments sound very different, but they go great together. They both sort of play themselves - no special training is needed (which is good, because we don't yet have books that work for these instruments - though we do have many Tips of the Day for the Sansula, and the Pentatonic Tips of the Day are mostly applicable to the Hokema Pentatonic kalimba). These instruments make relaxing and wonderful sounds. In the package, we'll include a copy of Mark Holdaway's "Two Thumbs Up" CD. This package has a total value of $248, but you pay only $200.
board pianos
Sweetheart Special #3: Get the Catania 8-Note and 12-Note Board Pianos Together
The Catania 8-Note and 12-Note board pianos are great-sounding kalimbas that won't break your pocketbook! When you purchase this package, we'll send you the Catania 8 and 12 Note booklets, as well as a copy of Mark Holdaway's "Two Thumbs Up" CD! This package rings in at a total value of $113, but you pay only $83 (like getting the books and CD for free!).
Black History Month Kalimba Presentation for Download
The kalimba is an amazing instrument with a rich and varied history that begins in Africa. You can download this Kalimba History PDF and use it as the basis for a Black History Month presentation! Also available is a Kalimba Fact Sheet PDF to hand out to students.
Story Tellers: Do You Use the Kalimba in Story Telling?
For years now, I've been writing stories which are integrated with kalimba music, and I've just started recording them. However, there are as many styles of kalimba-storytelling as there are storytellers who use the kalimba.
In April, we'll be putting together an article on storytellers who use the kalimba to help them tell their stories. Is this you? If so, please contact us and tell us about yourself.
Shamans: Do You Use the Kalimba in Shamanic Work?
People often purchase sansulas and kalimbas from Kalimba Magic for the purpose of using them in shamanic work. I believe that shamanic work generally entails entering an altered state via meditation, hyperventilation or the ingestion of hallucinogenic substances. The objective of the altered state is to pursue spiritual enlightenment. As I understand, the kalimba or sansula is used as a grounding element, providing a sound that is soothing, peaceful and reassuring, which helps the seeker to maintain his/her calm during this spiritual quest. But I have very little knowledge of shamanic work per se, and would benefit greatly from hearing from those of you who are knowledgeable! I will be preparing an article for an upcoming Kalimba Magic newsletter that will explain how kalimbas are used in shamanic work, so I need your help. If you use kalimbas or sansulas in your shamanic work, please email me and tell me how you use the kalimba in this work.
15% Off Coupon—Good through March 31, 2009
The world is certainly facing a special challenge these days. To bring in the new year with a positive attitude, Kalimba Magic is offering a 15% discount on special items at the Kalimba Magic Shop. Just use the coupon code LookingUp when checking out. This coupon is good through March 31, 2009.
Kalimba Magic Contest of the Month Starts This Month
We are excited about getting more kalimba players involved in a series of contests this year! Last month, we sent out a call for contest ideas and we heard from a lot of new kalimba players, catching the wave of excitement that Kalimba Magic is riding, who suggested that we offer contests that would not be discriminate against the novice kalimba musician. Read about the contest ideas we gathered and find out the details of February's Contest of the Month!
Just a reminder: we are sending out a free CD to people who generate contest ideas that we end up using. If you win an actual contest, you will win a Hugh Tracey kalimba! One person who suggested a good contest idea replied that she has never won ANYTHING before. Hopefully, we will turn the tide of luck for some people!
Kalimba Music in a Video Game
What a great idea! There seems to be a strong physiological connection between playing thumb piano and playing video games using your thumbs. And NOW there is an actual connection between playing a video game and listening to the kalimba!
Daphne Lim has made a video game, The Blue Beanie, in which an Australian Bower Bird flies off with the protagonist's blue hat, and you have to direct him through the rain forest to get his hat back. Of course, from my perspective, the coolest thing about it is the kalimba music that accompanies the game.
Discover the world of kalimbas at http://www.kalimbamagic.com
Shop for kalimbas and accessories at the Kalimba Magic Shop