Music Workshops and Classes
'Music, Movement and Meditation Workshop'
'World Rhythms and Singing Voice Training'
'Energizing Exercises, Interactive Free Flow Movement'
and 'Dynamic Musical Meditation'
Created and developed by
World Percussionist, Singer, Composer, Producer, Teacher
This workshop is intended to introduce and improve in the individual, the quality of Singing voice, the ability to play Percussion rhythms, get into a deeper mindful experience with a series of Energizing exercises and Interactive Free Flow movement, and completing with a joyful Dynamic meditation with live music.
All of these areas will have a series of technical, specific training exercises and audio-visual examples. See more details bellow:
The MMM workshop has 5 different areas:
- Singing Voice exercises and techniques,
- Playing World Percussion Drums and Rhythms,
- Energizing exercises for balance,
- Interactive Free Flow movement with other people,
- Dynamic Meditation with live music.
All of these areas will have specific training exercises and audio-visual examples.
SINGING VOICE: It is a progressive training based on modern vocal music techniques, which will then be combined with the Hindustani SWARA chant system and KIRTAN vocal styles from India. Here are some of the areas to be covered:
• Relationship between the Heart, Mind, Breath and Voice; projecting the voice without straining the muscles
• Recycling the Attention: how to get and keep focused, training the ‘singing mind’;
• Singing as a spiritual creative process: Attention – awareness – control – pitch;
• Conscious singing: art & joy of a melodic voice;
• Singing as a source of peace and happiness, creating our own melodies and songs as a creative, healing process;
The voice as an instrument; speaking voice and singing voice- differences and similarities. Voice as a human expression; thinking and feeling our voice, differences between sound and melody. Exercises: tuning the voice, scales: major – minor; song and kirtan vocal styles performance with the whole group ensemble.
Hindustani Ragas: a brief comment about the origins of this music system. What is a Raga? Melodic characteristics and moods or Rasa, description of the musical notes or ‘Swaras’: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni; melodic scale or ‘That’ (pronounced Tut), Thats Bilaval, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav. Different times of the day for each Raga; Sargam song form, Kirtan and Bhajan devotional song form, Thumri or ‘light Raga’, etc. Note: Each vocal form will be treated along with audio and graphic examples.
WORLD PERCUSSION RHYTHMS: The focus of this part of the workshop, is on the development of the rhythm sense and practical skills, through Hand Drumming and audio examples from ancient ethnic cultures, featuring: India, Mideastern region, Africa, Europe, North, Central and South America.
Students are strongly suggested to bring their own instruments (any kind of Hand drum and/or shaker, tambourine, etc.) but there will be some available for those with none.
Here are some of the topics: The nature of rhythm, awakening to the sense of rhythm within ourselves, rhythm and time, our own source of rhythm: the heart, natural rhythm, keeping time, description of different time signatures: 2/4 – 4/4 – 3/4 - 6/8 – 5/4 – 7/4.
How to translate the rhythms to the drums: How to approach a drum. Explanations about all the different strokes and drum techniques that will be analyzed during the whole workshop, positioning of the hands, postures, stroke intensities: soft – hard – slow – fast, etc; learning rhythms along with others, drum circles, ensembles, poly-rhythmic sections, improvisation.
ENERGIZING Exercises: Exercises include stretching, breathing and a series of 'Yogananda Self Realization Energizing Exercises' based on the tension-release technique, concentration, visualization, searching the connection between the body, mind and soul; Interactive Free Flow movement:
some exercises inspired from the Meredith Monk ‘Singing Body, Dancing Voice’ technique: coordinating the movement of fingers, hands, feet and limbs from the center of our being, walking and singing, clapping hands rhythmically along with the feet, walk, jump; introducing mindful Interactive Free Flow collective movement.
DYNAMIC MUSICAL MEDITATION: This part of the workshop involves Breathing exercises, Mantra chanting and a few guidance instructions, in order to induce deep, relaxing calmness, concentration and contemplation states of mind. Once these steps has been accomplished, a joyful meditative state of consciousness becomes as a natural consequence. It is accompanied by live music especially designed for the Dynamic Musical Meditation experience.
An accomplished musician, composer, producer and teacher, Rik has an extensive experience as World Percussionist and Singer, an advance researcher in ethnic styles including music from India, Africa, Mideastern, Cuban-Latin, Brazilian, Spanish Flamenco.
He’s been touring and teaching in different parts of the world, like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain, France, Israel, Mexico, USA, Netherlands. He’s been visiting India on several occasions, which includes his experience of living in India for an entire year, where he got immersed into India's philosophy and music, including Tabla set technique, as well as Ragas, Bhajans and Kirtan Vocal styles.
His teachers include the great Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, Hand drumming wizard Mr John Bergamo, the one and only singer performer Mrs Meredith Monk, multi-instrumentalist Sri Shyam Srivastava and Carnatic percussion master Ramesh Shotham, among others.
Recent presentations of Music workshops at Lucidity Festival, Lightning in a Bottle, Texas Yoga Conference, Bhakti Yoga Shala los angeles, The Breath Center, Source Yoga community, Malibu Jewish Center and Synagogue, Ayapis Malibu, Yoga Desa. performing live Tabla set and Vocals at Govind Das Vinyasa Yoga Flow at Bhakti yoga shala.
He also performs as guest musician with US Kirtan artists like Govindas n Radha, Terra Gold, Avasa and Matti Love, Priya Mohan, Jim Beckwith, David Watts, Stephen Day, Jeremy and Lily Frindel, Mark Gorman, Srikala, Cooper Madison, Madhu Gaurangi, Sara Engelhart, Paul Carey, etc.
Singer, Percussionist with Groove Temple Live, Yoga & Ecstatic Dance at The Sanctuarium, in Sta. Monica.
Regarding Dance and Performing Arts, Ricardo has worked extensively as a guest musician-performer, with several flamenco, indian kathak and contemporary dance companies; in earlier years, he went also to study the basics of dance styles like Graham Capoeira and Fedora Aberasturi methods with masters like Nancy Zendora, Susana Ibanez, Miguel Angel Robles and Claudia Carbonell. Singing voice with Gachi Leibovich and Ariel Mendelsohn.
also studied Hatha yoga techniques with Gurmukh Khalsa, Sita Devi, Govind Das, Daniel Stewart, etc.
Ricardo collaborated with world percussion set and vocal chant, on a Yoga & Earth Harp Retreat at Omega Institute New York and Wanderlust Festival Lake Tahoe called SONIC CHAKRA YOGA - Enliven The Chakras Through Music & Movement.
He’s also an experienced Yoga Meditation practicioner, himself a SRF certified Kriyaban since '03 and a life-long Sai devotee; he studied in India the disciplines of Hatha, Kriya, Jnana and Bhakti Yoga Marga (path);and performed special Bhajan sessions in front of such spiritual leaders as Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba in Prashanti Nilayam, India; in USA with Gurmukh Khalsa, Swami Pujya Chidanand Saraswati.
Ricardo is a Los Angeles resident, where he continues his career as a musician, performer, composer, producer and teacher.
For more information on our other Singing Voice or Percussion set workshops, see the links below.
Also see Ricardo’s Resume, audio and video examples, or Click here to send a message.
Looking forward to hearing from you,
Introduction to Singing Indian Ragas
with Ricardo Hambra
* * *
Ricardo teaches singing as a creative process, a way to establish a relationship between the Heart, Mind, and Breath. He encourages singing as a source of personal expression, creating your own melodies based on the ancient Industani music notation system called Swara Chant: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni.
Classes will include:
· Introduction to Indian music: a brief description of the Industani and Karnataka schools, its differences and similarities; popular, devotional and classical traditions, etc
· Warm up exercises,
· Vocal techniques, Paltas, Gamakas, Alamkaras, Murchannas, etc.
· Learning Indian Tat or melodic scales: Bilaval, Kalyan, Kafi and Bhairav;
· Sargam fixed composition form,
· Talas or rhythmic cycles with Tabla percussion set, and the amazing art of Raga singing.
A booklet with the exercises and compositions given at this workshop will be available for purchase to all the attendants, which also includes an audio CD with examples that can be followed along with the written material.
This way every attendant will have the chance to continue practicing what has been learned throughout the day.
For more information, please send us a message, thank you!
This workshop is focused on the development of the rhythm sense and practical skills, through a gradual audio and ‘on-hands’ training based on modern music techniques and some ancient ethnic cultures, featuring: India, Mideastern region, Africa, Europe, North, Central and South America.
This workshop is focused on the development of the singing voice skills. It is a progressive training based on modern vocal music workout techniques, that are later combined with ethnic styles like Hindustani Raga chant system from India, Spanish Flamenco, Argentinean Tango, American Jazz & Blues, Brazilian Bossa and more.
con RICARDO HAMBRA
para solicitar mas información: click aca
set de Tabla de la India,
Derbake o Dumbek del Mediterráneo y Oriente Medio,
Bongos y set latino,
Panderos Tar, Bendir, Riq y accesorios de percusión, como el Cashishi, Claves, Guiro, Cencerro, Pandereta.
Las clases pueden ser individuales y grupales, los cuales deberán asistir con sus propios instrumentos de percusión, que puede ser cualquier tipo de tambor para tocar con las manos. En caso de no tener ningún instrumento, se le proveerá uno para la clase.
Acerca de Ricardo Hambra
Mis estudios musicales así como mi experiencia musical como músico, percusionista y cantante, además de productor, me han llevado hacia distintos puntos alrededor del mundo. Poniéndome en contacto con una variedad rica de culturas e influencias musicales.
He estado estudiando e investigando sobre música relaciones entre músicas étnica y moderna, por más de 20 años, a través de viajes por el mundo y aprendiendo tanto de maestros, así como de la gente común de pueblo, artistas locales que viven en la cotidianeidad de sus culturas.
Como docente y director, actualmente imparto clases y workshops en la Escuela Músicas del Mundo,
(World Music Study Center en Los Angeles, California) y ocasionalmente en Buenos Aires, Argentina, trabajando en espectáculos y dando cursos.
He trabajado también, entre otros, como director del departamento de percusión étnica de la escuela Neopercusión en Madrid, España.