Journey of a
Sacred Sound Maker
My Name is Ool Pardi
I was born in Estonia, a small country on the northern tip of Europe, bordering Russia. There are many journeys in life and mine brought me and my family to America when I was 17 to start a new life. I have resonated with Native American culture since childhood and have always felt a pull to immerse myself in the sounds and spirit of the tribes.
I bought my first drum when I was 26 years old. It was a Sioux ceremonial drum. Soon after I bought an Alaskan Fire drum. I had no idea how to play them and for many years I lacked the confidence to try...and so a silent conversation began while I searched for a healing meditation.
Over the years, as my spiritual journey continued, the drums called to me louder and louder until finally in 2014, I took a drumming class from Spirit Hawk of the Ojibwa Nation. Around the same time I also was given the name StrongHeart by Chief White Buffalo, at a gathering in Alcona County, MI. It was then that the long silence was over and StrongHeart DrumMedicine emerged. Today I play in yoga studios, churches and private residences in the mid-Michigan area with my wife, Kellie. Together we create a unique meditation experience using native instruments from around the world.
Kellie and I were married in 2018 and have been working together as Sacred Sound Practitioners and artists ever since! She began her spiritual journey while living in England in 2007 and has been a student of spiritual development ever since. She is also multimedia artist, herbalist, certified yoga instructor, retired massage therapist and certified in Trauma Informed Guided Drawing from the Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy. Her passion lies in the transformative power of art, sound and nature. With a profound understanding of the interconnectedness of these realms, she strives to weave together her diverse skills to create immersive experiences that nurture the mind, body and soul.
