Mike Tamburo of Crown of Eternity explores Chakana Gong by Shawn Aceto

I had the good fortune to spend a few hours exploring the gong creations of Shawn Aceto. I played around 10 of his instruments and got a few videos that I will share soon. Shawn is relatively new to the gongcraft but over the last year he has created some very unique instruments. My introduction to his work was through his Shamash gong that my friend Arwen owns. It behaved like it was part gong and part steel drum/handpan. I was intrigued because it was a gong that I did not automatically know how to play.
Shawn has been exploring his craft with stainless steel and has has also made gongs with nickel silver. He can certainly create the sound creation and symphonic type gongs, but I am feeling a little more inspired by his instruments that are taking on more of a sculptural quality. They are works of art, but still very musical.
Shawn gifted me this gong that he named Chakana. I am in such appreciation of this gesture of kindness.
It is a polished stainless steel 40" gong that is hammered and polished in such a way where I feel like I am playing some kind of inter-dimensional funhouse mirror with a 12 sided symbol in the center of the gong. Visually speaking this gong is super fun to sit in front of. What attracted me to this instrument the most was that I did not automatically know how it was going to sound or behave and it is asking me to think more creatively in how I relate to it. The 12 sided symbol creates some unpredictable mode shapes and I am still figuring out where the nodes are on the instrument and how to work with it. It is really fun to explore. I played it in my concert on Sunday and then I gave my folks a session with it earlier today. I was in my mom's backyard earlier listening to the Soundscape and I decided to do a little duet with the evening sounds. I thought you would enjoy the video documentation Thanks to Shawn again for this beautiful instrument. I look forward to playing with it more.