THE MAN BEHIND THE DRUM
Tom Alexander was born in Hollywood California/Catalina Island to a Scottish father and an American Indian mother. His love of music and engineering was inherited do to his mother being an artist / jazz singer and father a structural engineer. Tom grew up surrounded by a drafting table and a lot of music. Wanting to emulate musicians, he spent a lot of time with them as a child and took an early interest in hand percussion as well as photography. This love of photography, music and percussion instruments continued all his life. He went on to become a professional photographer as a civilian and with the U.S. Navy. Tom has continued his engineering and photography skills throughout his life's work as a fine woodworker and now as a master drum-maker (cooper).
After six yrs. in the service, he decided to make beautiful Hawaii his home. Unfortunately, in the late 60's there was no photography jobs available, so he went back to college. This time he decided to apply his engineering skills together with art and become a cabinetmaker. After 2 years apprenticeship in all aspects of woodworking, he was then schooled in all aspects of forestry by the State of Hawaii. After which he spent the following 4 years living in the mountains of Kauai as a logger/ sawmill owner operator and woodworker. He later met Victoria Nava, a lovely Hispanic American girl. Their taste in music and love for one another has become the inspiration that creates their fine percussion instruments. Son Scott, born on the Island of Kauai, also in the music business, has been a successful professional musician for many years with a popular nationally known alternative rock band "Dishwalla" and is married with four lovely children.
From 1975 to 1995 Tom operated furniture/cabinet shops on the Big Island of Hawaii, producing hundreds of one of a kind pieces commissioned or for galleries sales. Restoration and remodeling was also his expertise. One of his greatest experiences was restoring "Imiola", one of Hawaii's oldest churches, completely constructed of Hawaiian Koa wood.
Starting in 1995, after 25 years as a woodworker in Hawaii, Tom felt it was the time in his life to make the greatest project of his woodworking career, "The Tumbadora"(conga drum). His mission was to create a drum to surpass all drums anyone had ever seen, heard or played. Since then, he has won numerous awards in juried gallery shows. January 2004, after 9 years of full time research and development of drum size and sound coordinates plus creating the custom hardware, Volcano Percussion was born. Since 1995 Alexander has built hundreds of congas & bongos which are played by many musicians in bands throughout the United States and Europe. Volcano Percussion has received the highest achievement award in Hawaii for a Musical Instruments, The 2004 Hawaii Forest Industry Association Award.
