We’re delighted to share this new short film about the Touch Timpani, a bespoke accessible musical instrument developed as part of OrchLab, a long-term partnership between Drake Music and London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Here, you’ll find out about the Touch Timpani and the co-design process that led to its creation.
You’ll also hear from technologist Gawain Hewitt who built the Touch Timpani, as well as from Natassia, one of the Disabled participants involved in the design process.
Description: The video is centered around several different scenes. It starts with OrchLab participant, Natassia, who is sat in a large room in front of the Touch Timpani. It then moves into shots of Disabled adults playing a variety of instruments together in residential care settings. The third scene is of instrument designer, Gawain Hewitt, in a home studio environment where he is talking about about and demonstrating the Touch Timpani. In once scene, he is also joined by LPO Principal Timpani, Simon Carrington, who plays the instrument.
More about OrchLab
OrchLab is an accessible music programme with Disabled adults that aims to enhance wellbeing and increase confidence through music-making. Each year, Drake Music develops a new, accessible instrument, in collaboration with the Disabled participants of the project and LPO musicians.
In previous years, we’ve designed and built several accessible versions of orchestral instruments, including the Touch Violin, Touch Harp, Touch Oboe, and Touch Trombone. Find out more about OrchLab at www.orchlab.org.
If you’d like to dive deeper into the OrchLab Touch Instruments, you can find more about the programme in this short film made in 2025:
If you’re interested in the technical specifications of the Touch Instruments, and would like a closer look at the specific technology and components used to build them, this video takes a deep dive into the Touch Violin:
