Sylvain and I met in 2013 at a gathering in North Carolina called Handpangea. But it wasn’t until 2016 at another gathering in California that I realized we shared a common faith. From there he and I occasionally chatted about life, handpans, family, God, and steadily became friends.

Since he joined our team in 2018 I firmly believe our company has taken a very strategic and meaningful turn. I very much appreciate his calm and creative resolve. I can always count on him no matter if it’s business or everyday life.

Of course I cannot fail to mention he’s a tremendous musician. He and I strive to remind folks of the beautiful simplicity this art form provides, but seriously though, this dude can play. His music somehow intertwines effortlessness with complexity. Not many can pull that off.  

And I’ve never seen a more sincere and joyful handpan performance as when I witnessed he and his wife Jill play a tune together. Inspiring! 

I was born in Lyon, France in 1990 and discovered the Hang in 2005 through my cousin David Charrier. At once, I was enchanted. Otherworldly aesthetics, magical sounds but above all: a newly-found freedom. Here was a new instrument with no standard to meet, no rules to follow.

I met Kyle in 2013, after I moved to the US, and I immediately witnessed his total devotion to the art form. Our new handpan movement now had a leader who made himself available for questions and retunes, and who participated actively in the life of the community. Yet I could sense there was more than merely craftsmanship and artistry happening at Pantheon Steel. These were good people doing good work. Kyle & I became friends in the years that followed. A big reason for that was our shared Christian faith.

In 2018, I started a small business with makers within the community and I re-launched The Handpan Podcast. In a world of anonymous products sold to anonymous people, I wanted to make it personal again. For new players to know and to be known, to hear the story of this instrument and to rediscover the wonder of playing it. I consulted with Kyle many times during those planning months. Out of anyone I knew, he had most clearly captured what this instrument is all about and his counsel was precious.

One thing led to another, and in the fall of 2018, Kyle asked me to join the team as ‘independent contributor’. I help Pantheon Steel remotely with a variety of web projects. This work is a gift and I am honored to do it alongside this legendary team.