We were lucky to catch up with Sean Andres recently and have shared our conversation below.
Sean , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?
“Taproot Drums” came after months of prototyping and building the actual business,while operating as a simple marimba/vibraphone mallet making business- Pyro Percussion(I was never set on that name). I wanted to let the company’s mission lead the way before attaching any kind of label to it when rebranding. When I had the idea for hemp-based music instruments as a sustainable alternative, I knew I had to find the resources to take this idea from conception to reality. I moved to Pittsburgh, PA to develop the idea at Carnegie Mellon University with the goal of re-launching the business at the end of that school year. At the time though I didn’t know exactly what that business was. I had already been prototyping drums and mallet instrument frames, with plans ready for many other instruments as well. However, after seeing the true scope of what could be made with hemp, I ultimately decided it was better to do one thing really well than to jump into a ton of product categories all at once. The snare drum is what I landed on as the best entry point and introduction for this material to the industry. My intention is that these drums inspire new ways to reduce the demand of our planet’s precious and endangered natural resources, just like a taproot, which anchors a plant in the ground to inspire new growth.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Sometimes I don’t know how I ended up where I am today, and it is hard to put a label on my professional career. The overarching thing that guides me is my love of life and connecting with others. Right now, I am the owner and drum builder for Taproot Drums- an Eco-friendly drum shop making instruments from Hemp, and I’m also the Operations Director for Lullaby Project Pittsburgh, a community music organization that collaboratively writes lullabies for new and expecting parents who have experienced birth-trauma. Outside of that I maintain a steady schedule of gigs as a freelancer, with an 8-track solo album to be released this fall.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Before Taproot Drums, Pyro Percussion started as a hobby. This was my first real experience with woodworking, and even then it was pretty simple cutting and drilling. When I started, it was just for fun. At the time I was studying music at my undergrad. When I started making mallets I found an odd sense of satisfaction in being a beginner again. To use my hands to build a physical object gave a feeling of closure and finality different from that of a musical performance. When I had the idea to use HempWood to build instruments I wasn’t turned away by my relative lack of woodworking experience because as an entrepreneur you are constantly doing things you’ve never done before. I’ve learned lots of lessons along the way. Early on my focus was safety. When I started, I made a few risky decisions in the shop because I simply didn’t have the proper machines to make what I needed. I would just look at the instruments I liked to play and see how they worked. Not to mention you can learn pretty much anything with a cell phone and 5 minutes. I never considered finding someone to manufacture for me because I truly enjoy getting better at making instruments, the same way I like to get better at playing them.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I never really put an initial investment into the business other than time. I made my first few mallets in 2018 with tools from my parents garage, some of which were from my grandparents and great-grandparents. With these machines I eventually sold enough mallets to friends and colleagues that I could outfit my own shop. Once COVID hit I realized I needed to pivot. While people liked the mallets I made there was nothing fundamentally different or unique about them. I ended up working as a door-to-door salesman, warehouse worker, landscaper, delivery driver, and some random contract work along the way just to make ends meet before moving to Pittsburgh to develop Taproot Drums. One thing some entrepreneurs/business owners won’t tell you is the role family and friends play. I was being supported by my parents through college and at times through the pandemic. ALL of my initial customers were close friends of mine. They didn’t need to support me or buy my products, considering they honestly weren’t that high quality, but you have to start somewhere. All this to say, if you are starting a business your friends and family can be an essential part of your early growth. If you don’t have that support system in your life already, it’s never too late to find your tribe. And more importantly, if you have a friend or family member starting a business, literally any amount of support can be a difference maker for them. I would not be where I am without mine.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.taprootdrums.com
- Instagram: @taprootdrums
- Facebook: Taproot Drums
- Youtube: @TaprootDrums
- Other: www.lullabypgh.com