I've recently added two Darbukas to my collection. These are Arabic drums that are also called Doumbeks. The beat, playing technique, and sound is completely different than any drums I have. I'm watching instruction videos on You Tube to learn how to play them.

Darbukas are generally made of ceramic, brass or aluminum. The above Darbuka is aluminum and was made in Israel. This one is ceramic and was made in Melbourne, Florida. All of my other drums are wood, so the sound produced from ceramic and metal is quite different from the rest of my collection. It is a higher pitched ringing kind of sound.

Bodhran - (pronounced "Bow-Rawn) This bodhran was handcrafted by Ireland's specialist bodhran maker, Malachy "Bodhran" Kearns, in Connemara Ireland. It has a goat skin head, the wood is Irish birch, and its hand painted design is based on designs from the Book of Kells. It is played with a beater or "tipper" shown in the second picture. My spiritual Mom picked this bodhran out especially for me for my birthday when she visited Ireland, so it is very special to me...while I do occasionally let trusted band members play my djembes, I don't let anyone else play my Bodhran!

Djembe - (pronounced "Jim-Bay") This small djembe was hand carved in Bali. It is carved from a single piece of mahogany so it is quite heavy for its small size. The markings on the base of the drum are carved, not painted, into the base. Despite its small size, it produces a very rich and full bass tone when played in the middle of the drum, while the outer area produces a higher pitched tone. It is about a third smaller than the large djembe below.

Madal - (pronounced "mah-doll"). The madal originates in Nepal. Black dots made of iron filings, flour and egg are burned onto the skins in the center giving the skin weight that causes the tone to reverberate like a low pitched bell. It is played horizontally, using both hands to play both ends. One end is smaller in diameter so produces a higher pitch.

Djembe - This djembe was custom made by a master drum carver in Ghana, Africa. This picture shows the African symbol for unity. The colorful cloth on the top of the drum is African kente cloth. The proceeds for the purchase of this drum went to Global Youth Empowerment, an organization dedicated to providing quality education to children in impoverished areas of the world - they sell these drums to raise funds to build schools.

This picture shows the other side of the base. The carving is the African symbol "Gyenyame" (pronounced "Gee Nomee", which means "God is the exception". This drum produces a very rich bass tone when played in the middle and a higher pitched tone when played near the edges. Its tone is deeper than the smaller djembe because it is quite a bit larger (about the size of a bar stool).

Didgeridoo - These traditional eucalyptus didgeridoos originate from Queensland, Australia and are hand painted with Aboriginal designs. The didgeridoo is said to be the oldest musical instrument known to man and they have been used by the Australian Aborigines for more than 20,000 years for song, ceremony and dance. They are traditionally made from Australian eucalyptus wood which is hollowed by termites, creating a pipe which, when blown correctly, produces a pleasant and hypnotic woodwind sound, a sound referred to as "droning".

Though they are often mistaken for woodwinds, they are actually percussion instruments. A different tone is produced, depending on the length and diameter of the didgeridoo. The longer didgeridoo on the left plays in the key of D while the shorter one on the right plays in the key of E. Depending on the way I blow through the instruments, I can achieve a pitch above or below the pitch of the didgeridoo, so in a sense I can "bend" the tones. I have been asked whether or not the playing of the didgeridoo summons kangaroos...while I have never seen kangaroos as I play, my two Golden Retrievers tend to run from the room when I begin to play!

This is my 12 string guitar. I've had it for 24 years, and until a couple of years ago it was my main instrument. That's when I got my first Taylor guitar (below). A 12 string has octave strings for each string, so it has a very big and full sound.

My first Taylor guitar. In my opinion – and many famous guitarists agree – Taylor is the best guitar there is. It is a dream to play, and the sound is amazing. This particular Taylor has a rounded back, which gives it a very big sound.