Today we’d like to introduce you to Desmond Bowe
Hi Desmond, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I studied Economics in college, then moved across the country to Seattle to start a rock band. After several forgettable – and one very memorable – bands, I decided I wanted more stability, so I took up computer programming. I’d messed around with computers since I was young, but didn’t know much about coding. The great thing about that field is that pedigree and background doesn’t matter as much as can you do it? So I talked my way into a job and taught myself how to write software. In the following years I grew into management, started a conference, and hosted a popular podcast. But after 15 years, the magic had worn off. I just couldn’t see a creative future in the field. This was around the time AI was taking off, but I just didn’t care about that….I felt the world needed more humanity, not more artifice.
These things never happen on their own though. At the same time I had a serious relationship crash and burn; COVID quarantine was in full swing, and I had just turned 40. Middle age. I started drinking ayahuasca and asking myself some hard questions about where my life was going and how I wanted to spend the back half. I came to realize it was time to start taking my creative ideas seriously, and that they were leading me outside the tech world.
Around this time I was sitting on my couch one night, bored. (Boredom is a superpower – try it sometime!) I asked myself- what’s cool? Tiki heads are cool, I thought. Okay, well, what would make them cooler? If they lit up, of course. I knew about vacuum tubes – a once-ubiquitous vintage technology now relegated to niche audio engineering – from founding a company building guitar amps back in Seattle. So I knew I could use those, but then I thought- what if I put the whole stereo inside the tiki? That would be cool.
Indeed. Three months later it still seemed like a good idea, so I made my move. I quit my job. I left my industry and all my connections to pursue this art.
What seemed funny at first soon revealed itself to have deep roots. I love woodworking, I love tangible projects, I love music and electronics. And I love tiki. This project combines so many of my diverse interests that I can’t imagine a more pure form of expression.
Now I work full time on Desmond’s Tiki Tube Amps. Each one is handmade and unique. They aren’t sold on Amazon. They’re made to order. Each has its own name. While you listen to the music, they listen with you. Although the original idea was to make a tiki head cooler, now I see it as making stereos more fun. In an age of mass production and advanced computing, I think the world needs more human craftsmanship. And more fun.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In retrospect, many roads seem smooth. Some things look inevitable. In the moment, however, you simply have the fog of uncertainty. In my case, I had to do a lot of personal work to build the courage to leave my career. The money, the connections, the job security, the social caché…the allure is real. But eventually I realized that I couldn’t stay, and I was only fooling myself that I could be happy on the old path. And then there was the big question of- will this crazy idea even work? Can a stereo be built into a carved tiki head? Naturally I had no experience carving wood, so that was another thing to learn. And then – who’s going to buy these things? I’m not a natural salesman. Many times I’ve wondered if the whole thing was doomed. I’ve had to face that fear and doubt countless times. But there are two truths I keep coming back to: 1) if I gave up, I have no idea what I’d do. I certainly couldn’t get a regular job and face myself in the mirror. 2) they are just too cool! Someone will want one, and I just need to find that person.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I build hifi stereos and speakers into carved tiki heads. Each one is handmade and unique. As far as I know, no one else in the world is doing this. I don’t think anyone else has the combination of interests to even think of these things. That’s what I’m most proud of- that pursuing and synthesizing my passions has led me to a truly engrossing expression.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People think pursuing your creative passions means your work is some kind of bliss. My moment-to-moment experience building the Tiki Tube Amps is one of frustration. A creative frustration of trying to articulate something that is not easy to express. These things are a pain in the ass to make. But I love them.
Pricing:
- Stereos start at $10,000
- Speakers start at $8,500
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tikitubeamps.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tikitubeamps
Image Credits
self
