"Building a good instrument with the hammer by shaping,
distributing the stresses correctly and fine tuning is the result of an inner process. Under this perspective, it may be more comprehensible that we will not hand over this work to machines.
Meetings with other builders of instruments of all types take place frequently at PANArt. Often they come with new ideas. Talks about sound, music culture or acoustic problems related to the building of instruments made of wood, stone, glass or metal unfold frequently. Every time we part enriched and everybody goes back to his work within or outside the tradition.
Also, handpan builders have visited us and asked for a feedback. They have perceived that their works, inspired by the Hang of the early times, still need more work, or more precisely: Listen carefully, for whom are you building it? Pay attention, how does it affect you? Is it what you need or is an extrinsic voice leading you? Do you see the ambivalence of the sound of sheet metal? Do you see how people react to your work? Does your instrument give strength to the players or does it weaken them?"
Felix Rohner from On the Move with the Hammer