November 1, 2006
Turning the World on to the Kalimba, One Person At a Time

On the first leg of my journey to Chile, a flight attendant approached me while I was quietly playing the kalimba on our descent. "Sir, you're going to have to turn off your toy, no electronic devices are permitted at this time."

I smiled and handed the kalimba to him. "OK, you can turn it off."

He took the kalimba in his hands, turned it over a few times and made a face as if he knew he was on the wrong end of a joke, "How does it make noise?"

"Lightly depress one of the tines with your thumb nail, and slide it off," I instructed.

He played two notes together in a pleasing chord, and his face lit up, "Ah, I guess you don't have to turn it off after all. "

But the kalimba sure turned HIM on!

"That's my job - to turn the world on to the Kalimba."