Yoga Music
Yoga Music Philosophy:
My approach to yoga music is completely improvisational. I find that improvising is the best way to be in the moment and receptive to the situation. With yoga music it’s more about following the asanas and sequences than it is about performing or playing things that you would want to play. Yoga music for me is an exercise is selflessness.
The drums I play when accompanying yoga classes consist of different voices that blend as a whole to produce a soothing sound. I typically use various trash can parts, steel buckets, triangles, shakers and things of that nature played with soft mallets.
Yoga Music background:
I started practicing yoga in 2006 when I lived in Portland Oregon. I came to yoga as an athlete with a meditation practice and an interest in Eastern philosophy. After the first class I realized I had found what I was looking for. Yoga was the perfect match for me.
When I moved to New York City I replied to an ad looking for a musician to accompany yoga classes. I ended up playing every week for a few months at Ishta Yoga and decided that yoga music was a medium I wanted to explore. As a drummer I rarely get the chance to play solo, so this was a great way for me to develop the creativity of my Self.
While in NYC for the next couple of years I had the opportunity to play for many different teachers, studios, and styles of yoga. This period really gave me the experience needed to understand the medium. It is unlike any other musical situation, in that, you are not performing, you are participating. I look forward to going deeper into this subject in the coming years.
Studios I have played at:
Ishta Yoga, New York Yoga, B Yoga, Sonic Yoga, Reflections Yoga, Center For Balanced Health, Fierce Yoga, Go Yoga, Karma Kids Yoga, Punk Rock Yoga.
Teachers I have worked with:
Lori McAlister, Sadie Nardini, Elizabeth Neuse, Brian Willians, Brianna Jones, Susan Brown, Janet Casson, Krissy Shields.