Mauricio Zottarelli at TV Braba Brazil 

playing a Transnare drum and Soultone cymbals

Brian Melick playing a Transnare drum 

 with Shiri Zorn Trio

michael carlit-drumbuilder

Every drum I build begins the same way - with listening.

I build drums from a lifelong fascination with sound. For example, how subtle 

changes in material, bearing edges, shell behavior and tension shape what we feel under the stick. 

 The building process is simply the act of bringing that voice into the 

physical world. There is no assembly line. Each drum is built individually guided by ear and by feel 

with careful attention to how the drum wants to speak.

 Over time, this work has become less about construction and more about relationship. Wood, metal, 

hardware and heads are not just components they are collaborators. Every shell has its own 

tendencies. Every design invites a different kind of response. The goal is never to impose a sound 

but to discover it. TranSnare drums are created for players who are deeply attuned to what they 

hear and feel and musicians who recognize that an instrument is not just a tool, but a partner in 

expression. Sensitivity, nuance, articulation and musicality matter more here than volume or 

spectacle. These are instruments meant to reward touch, curiosity and individuality. This 

philosophy shapes every step of the process. Patience is valued over speed, refinement over 

repetition and listening over assumption.  A great instrument does not 

call attention to itself, it reveals the player.