Mountain Song Wind Chimes are crafted by hand in our Kalorama workshop in the Dandenong Ranges, 35km east of Melbourne, Victoria.
We are a small, community-based business, manufacturing wind chimes not simply to 'turn a buck,' but because we have a one-eyed passion for them. We thoroughly enjoy the delight expressed by folk as they listen to their gentle resonant tones!
With a strong musical interest and a background in physics, professional careers in engineering and sales, and solid workshop skills, we're well placed to meet the demands of this market.
So... what is 'this market' and its demands? Wind chimes have been around for a very long time (Ancient Romans called them 'Tintinnabulum'!), and the price-driven end of the spectrum is out there and doing nicely, thank you - no point in our trying to compete with it head-on. If you find what you like at a price you're happy to pay, we say "buy it!" Assuming that you can find what you like (and that - usually - you get what you pay for).
If you can't, that's why we do what we do. Our wind chimes are made with care. For example, a tiny offset in the chime's suspension point (i.e. where the hole for the string is drilled) can dampen its resonant qualities. Did you want 'ringing like a bell'... or a 'dull thunk'? Intonation is important to us and we spend a fair time making sure our chimes are tuned to their correct tones, and referenced to concert pitch, A=440Hz. It's fiddly, but really does make the difference.
There have been some insightful comments. A market-goer noted recently of our chime-sets: "They sound like you want wind chimes to sound when you buy them, but they hardly ever do," referring to resonance and sustain. Another said of a dozen or more chime-sets all sounding simultaneously in a gust of wind: "They blend so well, it's like a symphony."
Recycling & biodegradability - where possible, we try to use recycled materials in our packaging and - if their new owner doesn't wish to reuse them - to make sure they can be safely thrown out in the recycling bin. Cardboard packing boxes can often be turned inside-out to reveal a plain outer... 'though the new owner of a carton that previously contained recycled-fibre toilet paper, of the Who Gives A Crap® brand, might be in for a surprise when they unpack their wind chimes!
Mindful Ethos - if manufacturing for you is simply a matter of peg A into hole B and a quick whack with a hammer, then read no further! If, though, you sense that something of the craftsperson can be embedded in his or her work, that their philosophy finds its way into the end product, then be assured that we 'work mindfully' in the making of Mountain Song Wind Chimes. In particular, when completing a piece that has been especially commissioned for 'an occasion', we hold in heart/mind/spirit/prayer – whichever word works for you – the individual(s) whom the work celebrates. In a mass-produced world it is difficult to grasp and explain exactly why this is important… it just is.