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Announcing a new course : Kanjira Fundamentals

GREETINGS FROM INDIA!
Sahara and I have been in India since mid-January and over these months I have spent many hours completing a new online frame drumming course – and I do mean, MANY hours! The course, KANJIRA FUNDAMENTALS, is very special to me as it represents the culmination of many years of planning and focused work, and I’m really pleased it’s finally available online!

Professor Trichy Sankaran

A LONG ROAD WITH A SMALL DRUM
My journey with the kanjira started back in the mid-90’s when I was studying intensely with my guru, the South Indian master musician, Professor Trichy Sankaran. I originally began learning the mrdangam (the double-headed barrel drum that Sankaran-sir specializes in), and at some point I made the switch to the kanjira, which is a small but mighty frame drum with one set of jingles, and which is traditionally covered in lizard skin.

A UNIQUE TYPE OF FRAME DRUM
As a “frame drum”, the kanjira is unique in a few distinct ways from the other frame drums I play. Foremost is the lightweight portability of the drum. I can literally bring it anywhere! The tonal flexibility of the drum head allows for much more melodic playing and a ‘punchier bass’ sound than other frame drums. Also, the Carnatic (South Indian classical) rhythmic repertoire which is available for kanjira is extensive and exciting.

Video still from Ken’s KANJIRA FUNDAMENTALS course

THE CHALLENGE AND THE REWARDS
The most challenging thing about kanjira is the fact that all the drum strokes are played with one hand – and it was this particular challenge (and the years of struggle it gave me) which inspired me to create this new course. I began compiling lessons for the course the last time I was in India in early 2020. I started by creating a series of practice lessons and loops which were designed to build strength and stamina without the extra intellectual challenge of also learning Carnatic repertoire at the same time.

As time went on, I realized over and over that, in addition to strong technique, access to traditional Carnatic rhythmic material is essential for a full appreciation of the kanjira, so I greatly expanded the lessons and the practice sequences to include detailed explanations and demonstrations of many beautiful rhythmic concepts which Prof. Sankaran has shared with me over time, including exercises which explore tala, konakkol, yati, mora, nadai, sarvalaghu, korvai, and more!

Video still from Ken’s KANJIRA FUNDAMENTALS course

A VERY COMPREHENSIVE COURSE
If you’ve been following my online frame drum offerings, you’ll know I have two courses available in lap-style frame drum – the BFD (Beginner frame drum) and the BBFD (Beyond the basics frame drum). This new one, KANJIRA FUNDAMENTALS, is the largest and most ambitious one I’ve done so far, which is why it’s taken me so long to complete!

The course is divided into four units – Fundamentals, Technique Builders, Carnatic Repertoire 1, and Carnatic Repertoire 2. There are over 6 hours of detailed lesson videos and playalong practice videos, as well as downloadable PDF notations for all the exercises and compositions taught in the course, plus a bonus set of “metronome loops” in three talas (and at different speeds) to aid your personal practice.

Registration is a one-time fee, which gives you lifetime access to all the video and printed material. And there is also a chat function on my Podia site if you have questions for me while you’re working through the course.

QUESTIONS?
Whether you’re interested in picking up the kanjira for the first time or if you’re looking forward to deepening your existing technique and practice, KANJIRA FUNDAMENTALS is designed to give you a full and rewarding journey into this awesome little frame drum from South India!

You can visit my Podia site for more info, to view some sample lessons from the course, or to register.
https://kenshorley.podia.com

Please let me know if you have questions, and I hope this message finds you well.

cheers,
Ken

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a few notes on the EP, Wine Saves Sine Waves

by zhorli

Stream the EP on Bandcamp, Apple Music (not S**tify)

I want this music to begin – to enter the listener’s presence – without it feeling like an intrusion. So much music these days is demanding, noisy, aggressive. I shut down at that sort of thing typically.

So the EP starts with a whispering sine wave melody from a tiny analog synth. This first track ‘from the ashes’ plays with something i’m quite obsessed with these days – layering two or more different loops of different time lengths, in different metres, together. It’s such a simple idea it’s almost not worth mentioning. But I never tire of this play of one slow phrase revolving and dancing against another.

The next track ‘come on now’ features the electric bass, set amidst my favourite textures of droning synths and a spacious beat. It takes its inspiration from a bass player who I admire a great deal. I don’t and will never play the way he does, but I’m happy with how the phrases came out. The bass parts are looped, but not quantized. That will mean something to some who read this. It does to me.

Listening to this EP now I hear how everything is so simple. I don’t have the brain for more. I can keep a couple sound-plates spinning in the air, but if I try to do more than that, I usually end up doing nothing.

The third track ‘old bells’ is inescapably in the orbit of minimalism. Synth arpeggios – again spinning, again overlapping in different lengths of time, pinned down by a steady bass loop and a simple beat. I try to let these looping phrases breathe. I can’t sustain the relentless urban energy that we inherited from Steve Reich’s minimalism, born in New York City. I live in the middle of nowhere, and my version of minimalism lives in the same nowhere… quietly wandering around the yard, trying not to trip in the dark.

The beats on this EP are all mid-tempo to slow. It feels good to me. What’s the hurry anyway?

The next track ‘i couldn’t say’ feels nostalgic… or maybe more like grief. Perhaps nostalgia is a form of grief? It drones away quietly, sitting by itself in the corner. There are hopeful fragments of my wife Sahara’s beautiful voice, sampled and scattered throughout, like little beams of light through the fog.

And the EP ends with a track called ‘do not follow’. This is the earliest track on this collection. I started it in India in early 2020 before the world locked down and got even more anxious than it already was. The message of the title comes from Krishnamurti, who I was reading at the time. He said ‘I do not want followers, and I mean this. The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth’.

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BFD Course is Open for Business!

After what seems like a VERY long time, I’m pleased to announce that my Beginner Frame Drum (BFD) Course is online and ready to accept registration! I’m really proud of this course, and I know that if you are new to frame drumming, you will gain a lot from it!

I designed this course specifically with beginners in mind. I’ve had the experience myself of registering for a “beginner” or “intro” level course (a course in how to speak Turkish comes to mind!), but getting frustrated midway through because it was too difficult.

But the BFD course is ACTUALLY a beginner course! You will be guided, step-by-step, even if you have had no previous experience with drumming.

Head over to my new Podia site for more info, a couple preview lessons, and to register.
https://kenshorley.podia.com

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1st zhorli EP, Loop Street

Since I began to explore electronic music, around five years ago, it almost feels like I’m living a double life! I’ve spent the bulk of my time creating and performing as an acoustic musician, so it surprises me that I’ve gotten so attracted to creating and producing music which is distinctly NON-acoustic!

I’ve just released my first EP of electronic music under the name, zhorli. You can listen to it (and download it if you wish) at the link below. You can also find it on Bandcamp and Apple Music. It’s called Loop Street.

https://zhorli.bandcamp.com/album/loop-street-ep

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Happy Weird Year

Like everyone on Earth, the past year has been strange to say the least. Disorienting, occasionally disappointing and, at times, oddly peaceful.

After returning earlier than expected from India last winter, Sahara and I hunkered down in our home in Nova Scotia, Canada. All our gigs were, like everyone else’s, cancelled, including a tour to BC and Alberta on Canada’s West Coast which we were excited about for April and May 2020.

But thanks to CBC Radio and a handful of local presenters, we were able to share music (live and virtually) over the summer. And we were chosen this fall to do a virtual artist showcase for the Atlantic Presenters Association, which was an honour.

Over the last number of months, I guess I’ve been alternating between periods of activity and contemplation – sometimes making plans, and other times staring into the distance. I did make an active decision a few months ago to step away from social media, especially Facebook, as I could feel myself sinking deeper into anger and confusion each time I spent more than a few minutes there.

As I write this, I’m just finishing up teaching at Acadia University for the fall term. It was a challenge, finding online ways to share my passion for drumming and global musics, while sustaining my own energy and enthusiasm for this “distanced” way of teaching, and I really appreciate all the students who stuck around until the end of the term!

The big recent news is that Sahara and I commissioned our brother-in-law Jegan to design and build us a studio on our property. It’s a completely separate outbuilding, overlooking our front garden, with two separate rooms, one for Sahara and one for me. There is still some finishing work to be done, but my plan is to have my space up and running soon as a dedicated YouTube studio. I’m excited to share more lessons and tutorials in drumming, rhythm and percussion.

Autumn shot of the new artist pod at Triangle House Studios. (My room is on the left!)

As well, Sahara and I have begun offering our skills in video and audio production through Triangle House Studios. I’m just about to launch a new website which outlines the services we’re offering, including video production, audio production, and multi-camera livestreaming with high-quality audio for performances and workshops. In December, we produced live streams for Measha Breuggergosman (presented by Music in Communities) and Ardyth & Jennifer. We also just finished up filming a live concert for Halifax’s Open Waters Festival, and there are more to come. (Get in touch if you have audio or video needs for your self or your business.)

I hope that, wherever you are, you’re finding ways to continue connecting with your creativity, your humanity, and your sense of humour! See you on the other side of winter!

peace,
Ken

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Inner Time project

I am writing from Mumbai, India where I have been working on a number of projects – getting caught up with my Canadian Percussionists series for one! Soon I will have a number of new episodes to share through my YouTube channel.

Portrait of Ken thinking big thoughts by Richard Bennett
(Instagram: @richbenn_tpt)

I have also been creating a series of Video and PDF lessons, under the project name Inner Time. Each lesson is designed to strengthen a musician’s confidence with rhythm and with the flow of rhythmic time. This highly advanced internal awareness of time is, in Carnatic (South Indian classical) music, known as laya.

These lessons in Inner Time are the culmination of a long gestation period of thought, reflection, and practice.

Over the years, in my encounters with students and practitioners of music, I have wondered why some people seem to have an ease with rhythm – a natural, comfortable rhythmic “flow”, while for others it seems to be a constant source of struggle. For some, the difficulty is in staying “on the beat”, or in maintaining a steady tempo, or playing “offbeat” or “syncopated” rhythms comfortably. For others, it’s learning to improvise and express creatively without losing track of the musical framework of rhythm, without getting “lost in time”.

What I’ve observed is that, in general, rhythm in “Western” music education is ignored, and music students are rarely trained to deepen their rhythmic awareness beyond a shockingly basic level. Also, any discussion of rhythm is usually limited to notational concepts (“this is a quarter note, this is an eighth note”) without helping young musicians focus their attention and train their musicianship to understand and *feel* the depths and nuances of musical time.

Developing my own connection with this inner sense of time is an ongoing practice, one which continues to enhance and improve my musicianship in numerous ways. These new Inner Time lessons have been created as one possible way to assist musicians with their own rhythmic development. I will keep adding to this project over time, beginning with a set of rhythmic lessons and exercises which can be applied to any instrument or voice.

Some excerpts from these Inner Time lessons will be posted as free offerings to my YouTube channel, while the full sets of lessons and practice videos will be available as online courses for subscribers. I’m still developing the technical aspects of how this will be shared, so stay tuned for more information!

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New Directions

It feels like forever since I’ve posted an update to this site. A lot of change has occurred for me, personally and musically. The winter and spring of 2018 in India and Europe was incredible. Check my Instagram for photos and such.

Since returning to Canada in May 2018, I’ve been focused on creating new music and a new life with an amazing new partner, Sahara Jane Nasr. Not only are we collaborating on a new world-fusion album, Between Worlds, but we’ve also begun Worldbeat Underground, an electroacoustic duo which focuses on creating spontaneous music for dance. Filming and editing music videos has become another avenue for creative expression, with our new production company Triangle House Studios.

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Chennai: Concerts, Coffee, Chaos

I’ve been in Chennai for a week already, and am settling into a groove now that the jet lag has passed. Pictured above was my first (and certainly not my last!) South Indian coffee, which I had with breakfast the first morning I was here.

I have a simple room in Mylapore (with reliable wifi, which is nice), and have been walking the streets of the area every day, trying to get familiar with the roads and the landmarks and the general vibe. Chennai is a typical bustling Indian city, with ridiculous traffic and a chaotic assortment of almost everything, but it also has a strange fondness for rather imposing concrete flyovers which loom over several of its main roads.

I’ve been following my teacher (Prof. Sankaran) around to all his concerts, carrying his drum when needed, and am consistently amazed at his strength and stamina playing these epic shows, especially considering he turned 75 this year! The concert last night, for instance, was almost 4 hours long! And the one tonight was a more typical length of 2 1/2 hours – and that’s continuous, as there’s no intermission.

When I’m not exploring the city or spending time with the guru, I’ve been up on the roof of my homestay practicing. It feels good to be back in India…

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Winter in India

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/AutoRickshaw.jpg/1200px-AutoRickshaw.jpg

I’m getting excited about my upcoming stay in India. I will be living there between mid-December and April.

There will be some travelling, but it’s mostly about spending quality time in Chennai with my great teacher, the South Indian master musician, Professor Trichy Sankaran.

I will be sharing photos on my Instagram account, and posting updates on an ongoing basis to my Facebook page. (Yes, I am on FB now…) And I’m also planning to add updates right here!