King's Concert Collective Launches Rhythm Workshop with Nick Halley

King's News

King's Concert Collective Launches Rhythm Workshop with Nick Halley

This fall, Nick Halley and the King's Concert Collective will take a group of people on a tour through the challenging and beautiful world of rhythm with an eight-session workshop beginning on October 13, 2009. Based around an exploration of the multifarious rhythms of the world, the course is open to people at all levels of musical interest and will guarantee improvement in the personal sense of pulse and groove of every one of its participants, whether a student of percussion, voice, piano, guitar, cello or kazoo. The workshop is also of great benefit to those wishing to improve their sight-reading skills.

Rhythm has always been a source of pleasure and soul-satisfaction for people worldwide. In virtually every culture on this planet, there is a vast and rich tradition of music-making, and particularly of rhythm-making, that informs and guides the artistic, spiritual and physical lives of its adherents. Nick Halley has devoted his life to the study and experience of these rhythms.

"As a percussionist, I'm always trying to incorporate this stuff, whether its Brazilian, North African, Indian, or whatever else, into the music I play," says Halley. "As a performer, it informs everything I do. I believe that whatever it is that speaks through the rhythm of a particular culture—the feel, the mystery, the math—can speak to any one person and transform their experience of music-making. As a teacher, I try to bring this sensation to those I get to teach."

Halley has been drumming since he was five years old. Having majored in jazz and classical percussion at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, he spent a year studying and performing in Brazil before returning to New York City to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. He tours and records with groups ranging in style from traditional Scottish and Irish to gospel, jazz, Brazilian and popular music.

"When on the road, or traveling for my own sake, I'm always astounded by the richness and abundance of the rhythmic landscape—every new place is a fresh learning opportunity," he says.

The rhythm workshop at King's is designed to bring some of that richness home to anyone interested in working on his or her sense of time. Participants will not only have a chance to experience the cerebral beauty of the rhythms of the world, but will get the personal enjoyment of experiencing rhythm and pulse viscerally and perhaps knock down some of the mental and physical barriers that separate us from our own unique and intrinsic rhythmic ability.

The course will take place on Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. in the Haliburton Room, running from October 13 until December 1, 2009. The fee is $6 a session for students and $10 a session for the general public. If you sign up for all eight sessions, you get the last one free.

For more information or to sign up, contact the King's Concert Collective at thekingsconcertcollective@gmail.com.