Bio
Daniel heard this magical instrument in 2009 and got his first handpan in 2017. He has performed at Steel Mountain Handpan Gathering, Derby Spring Into Art, and has accompanied the WSU Shocker Choir and WuChoir. Daniel has been featured on One on One with Victor Hogstrom, Ageless Enthusiasm and Good Day Kansas. Daniel received his BA in Psychology from WSU in 2022 and uses the handpan therapeutically. He started playing for healthcare in 2020 and became a teaching artist with Arts Partners in 2022. He plays for memory care, assisted living, hospice, cancer treatment, unhoused community events, and visits local schools. Daniel enjoys sharing the handpan with others and teaching students of all ages how to play this new instrument.
My Handpan Journey
In 2009, I first heard the handpan being used by one of my favorite musical groups, Shpongle. Nothing is Something Worth Doing changed my life in ways I could not imagine. I listened to handpan music for years hoping that one day I could get my own.
Dad and Greg
Fast forward a few years and life got busy, so I put getting a handpan on the back burner. Then my father died from multiple myeloma cancer in 2013. Listening to handpan music helped me tremendously with the grieving process. I could feel the potential it had in reducing stress and anxiety during uncertain times.
“When I first heard the handpan, I was mesmerized by its soothing sound. I knew when I got my first one, that it needed to be used therapeutically.”
In June of 2017, thanks to the inspiration from my best friend Greg Ginal, I took the leap and purchased a Symphonic Steel Sapphire that was available for flash sale. Hearing a handpan in person for the first time reinforced my belief that these instruments could be used therapeutically.
Greg and I would do everything together, from skateboarding in middle school, to first hearing Shpongle at Greg’s friend’s house in Minnesota, to getting into handpan. When Greg got his first handpan, we knew we would become a handpan duo.
In 2019, we unexpectedly lost Greg to complications caused by a flu virus in his artificial heart valve. Although he is not with me physically, I often feel his presence while playing handpan and I know he is helping me to spread the handpan love. Now Greg is teaching the angels in heaven to switch from harps to handpans.
It was a blessing that I was able to be present with my father and with Greg while they both transitioned. I did not realize it at the time, but these two pivotal moments greatly influenced my passion to use the handpan for therapy. Seeing the compassionate care that my father received while undergoing cancer treatment inspires me to play handpan in healthcare. Greg also had a passion to serve in healthcare which fuels my drive as I know he would be alongside me. Additionally, memories of my grandfather and great-grandmother who had dementia motivate me to help in memory care, especially since music is so vital in this population.
“I joke that angels in heaven have switched from harps to handpans because they sound richer, but also because Greg is now a handpan playing angel.”
Going Back to School
Getting my first handpan inspired me to seek more education. Although I grew up playing saxophone and guitar, I felt that if I was going to use the handpan therapeutically, I should learn more about the properties of sound, the structure of music, and have a better understanding of human psychology.
In 2018, I enrolled in courses to pursue a degree in psychology. During my time at Wichita State, I focused on psychology, sociology, aging, music, and sound. My favorite courses included:
Psychology of Music
Dying, Death and Bereavement
Magic, Witchcraft and Religion
World Music
Physics of Sound
Mindfulness & Acceptance in Therapy
Music in Context
What to Listen for in Music
In 2021, I was invited to accompany the WuChoir and ShockerChoir in their performance of Call Across by Kyle Pederson. This was the pinnacle of my college experience and a major highlight of my handpan journey. I am grateful to Dr. Wine and Prof. Scholl for this amazing opportunity. I must also thank Dr. Bernstorf and Dr. Oare for sharing their professional guidance and expert knowledge to aid me on my journey.
Throughout my undergrad, I was able to share the handpan with students on campus. I performed in multiple classes and gave demonstrations in my Music in Context and Physics of Sound classes. I was also invited to share handpans with the WSU percussion class and met some talented handpan players of tomorrow. This ignited my passion to teach others about the handpan.
In 2022, I graduated summa cum laude with my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Sociology. The experiences and knowledge I gained from Wichita State have been invaluable to my handpan journey. College inspired me to start playing for healthcare, teach children about this magical instrument, and help build a local handpan community.
Steel Mountain and PanSmith
In 2018 I attended my first handpan gathering, Steel Mountain in Estes Park, Colorado. This was a surreal experience as I met some of the players that inspired me to start my handpan journey. I had some pivotal conversations with David Charrier and Sylvain Paslier and met Curtis Smith of PanSmith Handpans.
These interactions, and many others, inspired me to enroll in college and pursue using the handpan therapeutically. Going to Steel Mountain has inspired so much growth on my handpan journey. If you get the chance to go to a handpan gathering, take it. You never know who you’ll meet or how it will impact the course of your journey! 🛸
Playing Handpan Therapeutically
I remember seeing a news story about a program at the local VA Hospital for volunteers to sit with Veterans in hospice and immediately knew it was something I wanted to do. This led to my first experiences playing for healthcare. I will never forget the first Veteran I sat with, and something he told me will always stick with me: if you can play music, you will never feel alone.
Shortly after I started visiting the VA, the COVID pandemic erupted. I adapted and played handpan in healthcare wherever I could. Over the next few years, I expanded into other areas and began transposing familiar songs to the handpan for memory care residents. I also started visiting schools and playing for unhoused community events.
My hope is that the handpan will be integrated into daily activities for healthcare and education. I am thankful for people like John Guinta, founder of Streams of Sound, for paving the way to using handpans therapeutically and inspiring me to use the handpan throughout our community.
I would not be able to reach so many people without the support of local healthcare, local educators and Arts Partners, local businesses, strangers who support me on the street, the amazing handpan community, and my loving and supportive family and friends.
Thank you for believing in my vision! ❤