The pewter chimes made by Whispering Winds are all designed in-house by artisans who develop original artwork and begin by carving their prototypes from the wood of yellow cedar.

The aluminum rods and tubes are tuned to true musical notes, causing them to sing beautifully when the wind begins to play them. Still, it is not enough to have the sound described. The tones must be heard to be appreciated.

Most of those who see and hear Whispering Winds windchimes for the first time fall in love with them on the spot. We believe that no one will ever be able to replicate them, for the same reason that no one will ever be able to replicate the violins made by Stradivarius more than 300 years ago.

"His instruments are not reproducible," says Jon Metzeger, musician, inventor, artist, and one of Whispering Winds' owners. "You cimply can't match the set of conditions that were in place when he made them, nor follow the steps he took. I don't understand why. Some people are just blessed."

Jon developed the recipe used to create Whispering Winds chimes. It is painstaking and detailed, and it cannot be written down and passed along. It can only be learned through long apprenticeship.

Jon's first apprentice was Toby Mason, who now carves original designs out of yellow cedar according to the standards of artistry that he learned in the only way their process may be learned: by carving and carving until carving becomes magic.

"It is easier and more fun for me to design something from my own mind" says Toby. "After eight years I have developed a good feel for not only what to carve, but also how it should fit into a bigger design."

More to come!

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