The Bay Area Sonic Ensemble offers several workshops to all levels of musician. Please contact us if you are interested in having one as part of your next event.
CircleSong
A term coined by Bobby McFerrin, CircleSong refers to a group collaborative song created in the moment. This experience in CircleSong is directed/conducted by members of The Bay Area Sonic Ensemble and sometimes other special guests who will take turns creating vocal/body music parts and giving them out to the participants, who then also have some room to improvise. As the CircleSong grows and evolves it crosses many genres, textures, and sensations. The workshop provides a nurturing and fun space for students to incorporate what they have learned from other workshops on body music/singing/beatboxing/etc. as well as make new discoveries through this beautifully adaptable structure for improvisation.
Embodying Polyrhythm
The Bay Area Sonic Ensemble will help you develop your internal sense of rhythm by weaving musical patterns through both your voice and body. Together we will create polyrhythms and rhythm wreaths in sub-divisions of 2, 3, 4, 5, & 7. This workshop brings together elements of the rhythmic languages of India, Balinese interlocking technique, Body Percussion, Tap Dance and TaKeTiNa, and it will provide powerful tools and training for rhythmic improvisation for musicians and non-musicians alike.
Singing Beyond the Voice
You only use a fraction of the sounds you are capable of when speaking or singing. Let yourself be guided through body awareness exercises and scientific concepts by The Bay Area Sonic Ensemble to achieve greater creativity, find your own unique sounds, and learn to imitate instruments like drums, bass, guitar, etc. We will draw from beatbox, Indian vocal languages, Contact Improvisation, Vocal Toning, and TaKeTiNa, while learning to experiment with overtones, audio illusions, psychoacoustics, inhaling notes, buzzing pitches, split-voice singing, throat positions, pneumatic independence, microphone technique, and more, all while maintaining good vocal health. This inspiring workshop is open to singers of all levels.
RhythmSong Ekstasis: Sound Building Blocks and Playground
With Aharon Wheels Bolsta
This workshop will offer you new ways to embody rhythms through speaking and singing in the rhythmic languages of India. You do not need to spend 10 years training on tabla or sitar to learn the wonders of Indian rhythms! In one day you can use your voice, your feet, and your hands to weave together rich polyrhythm. Using a technique called rhythm weaving, Aharon will show you how to create a “rhythm wreath” with groups of any size! Odd meters such as five, seven, or nine become easy to play with and weave into dance grooves, samba, and even techno… all created by the human voice, feet, and hands! Part of this workshop is devoted to deep rhythmic training inspired mostly by the music of India, the Balkans, and the Middle-East including North and South Indian rhythmic theory such as tala, tihais, and korvais. We will also sing melodies together as we use these new rhythms in creating songs and having fun! Elements of Balinese interlocking rhythmic technique, belly dance rhythms, and jazz with most likely be shared as we explore the possibilities! This is great rhythm training for anyone and will also provide powerful tools for rhythmic improvisation for musicians of any instrument.
BODY OF SOUND: Rhythm, Voice and Movement
With Alyssa DeCaro
Discover your body as your most essential instrument! This workshop will explore the body as a canvas for vibrant expression and collective creativity. You will develop your sense of rhythm, as well as easeful and authentic expression of your body and voice. Body of Sound draws from a variety of modalities such as Body Percussion, Vocal Toning, Contact Improvisation, Circle Song and Balinese Kecak. Join us for a fantastic workshop as we explore structure and improvisation to create a musical tapestry and soar on rhythms, melodies and laughter. All you need is you! All are welcome.
Be a One Mouth Band
With Sam Rogers
In this popular workshop, The One Mouth Band will reveal his sonic secrets and teach you how to build a whole band from inside your mouth. Students will be guided through basic and advanced beatboxing (vocal percussion) techniques, plus discover how to sound like a bass, guitar, synthesizer, trumpet, and other instruments in a variety of musical genres. This workshop will dive deep into vocal textures, rhythm/polyrhythm/groove, audio illusions, and details several methods of making low pitches even if you don’t have a bass voice.
