Sew Handpan School: The Most Beautiful Sound You Haven’t Discovered Yet

There’s something quietly transformative about hearing a handpan for the first time. The sound is ethereal—like water meeting metal, like memory softened by melody. It fills a room without demanding attention. It calms the nervous system. It lingers.

Sew Handpan School, based on Chicago’s West Side, is the first of its kind in the country: a school solely devoted to the art and practice of playing the handpan. But this isn’t just about music—it’s about presence. About learning to lead with your breath. About stillness as a form of power.

I was one of Sew’s very first students, and each session reminded me that rhythm can be a source of restoration—not rush. The space is grounded, warm, and deeply intentional. If you’ve been craving a new kind of outlet—one that elevates your energy rather than drains it—this may be the sound your life has been missing.