20 Days of Rhythm – 20 Days of Groove

Course for advanced students and professional musicians in Piemont, Northern Italy, May, 22. - June, 10., 2012

" The other side of this" (A. Moreira)

“ When music grooves, musicians enter into a powerful rhythmic relationship to one another. Whoever grooves is already engaged in a mode of communication. For this reason a good groove is a lively expression of a successful musical-rhythmic community. It creates a sense of security in musical, rhythmic, human and cultural terms. When we share a common feeling of time and rhythm – in groove, as musicians put it – we establish a rapport which transcends the purely verbal dimension, entering the bodily one.”
Christopher Dell (Vibraphonist)

What this course is all about:

This workshop project has various focuses.
We will learn West-African Djembé music, Brazilian cult music (Candomblé), Berimbao grooves, Krin rhythms, Cuban conga music and Ugandan Amadinda music.
In addition, we will devote ourselves in particular to the effect which we can develop together in connection with the enormous potential of this music.
Last but not least, we will concentrate on exploring the inner source of our personality from which music springs with the help of these rhythms.

Music and consciousness:

Music is one of humankind’s central forms of expression.
Together with dance, it established itself long before language did. Thus music originated in a very old layer of our consciousness, which many scientists call archaic. It was followed by mythical and lastly mental consciousness. Mental consciousness emerged in the age of high Greek culture but it did not ultimately assert itself in Central Europe until several centuries ago, when it took on the form of rational thought. During this time, metrical thought established itself in music in correspondence to these patterns of thought and this had various consequences.
Yet rational thought has only limited use for musical expression. In our culture this form of perception and thought have become so dominant, however, that musicians seem to exist who cannot even imagine making music using any form of consciousness other than that of rational thought.

On the other hand, there are a vast number of musicians for whom it is common practice to make music on the basis on non-rational structures of perception without ever uttering a word about this form of perception. Such musicians are to be found in all genres. John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Johnny Cash, Jimi Hendrix, Jaki Liebezeit, Nippy Noya, Christopher Dell, Gidon Kremer are only a few of them one could mention quite unsystematically.
All of them turn to very old structures of perception which we have not lost, these having merely lost their dominance in our consciousness in general.

These areas of consciousness correlate with certain musical structures. Just as every age on earth creates music in keeping with the dominant consciousness, it is in turn also possible to activate these levels of consciousness by performing in corresponding musical genres.
Generally speaking, our daily consciousness does not integrate all possibilities of perception to the same degree. Music can allow us to explore unknown or seldom used terrain which we have difficulty gaining access to under daily conditions.

Immersing ourselves into uncustomary structures of perception provides an immense increase in information which we can access and network creatively. New structures open up in musical as well as personal terms. Experience in this realm is characterized by a special degree of depth and density. One course participant has described what he experienced as “unalienable.”

Groove:

The word “Groove” alludes to this source of music.
We have a tendency to conceive of groove as an accomplishment.
And yet groove is actually the result of a certain attitude of mind.
We will engage in very intense exploration of this attitude of mind, which elicits a certain structure of perception or rather is based on such.
We will discover structures in percussion music familiar to us which are at our disposal without making use of rational thought and we will learn how to move around in this area of perception in order to make music and bring all of its richness to expression.
In musical terms this means taking a giant step into an area which we cannot tap into through concentrated practice alone.

An avenue to deep structures of rhythms which transcend by far an exclusively cognitive grasp of music will open up. Our understanding of inner connections in music will grow and with it the ability to groove. Strictly speaking, groove is an inner experiential structure of communication which finds its expression in music. Groove is a relational network in musical as well as interpersonal terms.
We will profit from this experience personally, in regard to making music in groups and even on-stage performances.

Specific course contents:

Specifically, we will focus on rhythms with very old structures with a correspondingly comprehensive potential. The way in which they are practiced and the selection of concrete patterns will determine the structure of the course.
In particular, playing together in a consistent group multiplies the enormous potential inherent in this music.
Musical and non-musical experiences go hand in hand. To be sure, use of such experiences cannot be “automatized”; there are a number of conditions which must prepare the environment for them.
Through a duration of 20 days, this course offers special opportunities. Some experiences require engaging with the pulsating world of rhythms persistently over the course of several days to allow them to take effect.
Apart from extensive daily music-making we will do exercises which illuminate these structures of perception from a non-musical perspective. Among other things we will make use of so-called “ritual body postures” as developed by Felicitas Goodmann and easy, repetitive exercises in natural surroundings. In this way we can establish a comprehensive form of access to this type of perception, learn how to navigate it and as called for, find our way back to it.
We will explore altered states of waking consciousness as well as musical structures which can lead us to our silent center through fast, pulsating rhythms.
It is possible to become very open, sensitive and receptive to musical and extra-musical events. Similar changes can occur which extend back to our day-to-day experiences and convey an altered, richer view of our reality. Our sense of hearing, for example, can acquire a large degree of rhythmic clarity during these days.
The possibility of engaging with this vast field of rhythms together with a manageable number of co-musicians, embedded in daily experiences such as campfires, relaxation and cooking together, is unusual.

Prerequisites for participation:

The course level is oriented to Djembé-Pur trainings. Persons who are currently attending or have completed such a training with Herman Kathan have optimal prerequisites for this workshop. Comparable trainings with other percussionists also form a good basis for participation in this 20-day course.

A limited number of persons who have not reached this level in their music so far are also welcome. The prerequisite for participation would be advanced level of performance on hand drum and experience with rhythm. The more time and energy which has already been invested in the study of percussive music, the better the prerequisites are for this project.
In concrete terms, each participant should be in a position to follow the patterns of co-musicians actively while playing themselves and orienting their own rhythmical figures to such patterns. One should be capable of incorporating one’s own rhythmical figures into the mutual pulsation of all voices without taking consideration of the beat. Respective experience with the West-African bass drum concept is necessary.

In any case, interest in inner-musical and personal structures is required, as is the desire to place them in the context of an active group. Personal processes can be activated.

Further information is available via mail or telephone.

Date: May, 22. - June, 10., 2012
The number of participants is limited to a maximum of 13.

The course will take place near Canelli in Piemont/Northern Italy. It is the same house in which the summer courses take place.
Course costs including meals and accommodations: 1140,- €
Cancellation up to 8 weeks before the course begins is possible; customary processing fees will be withheld.