Program Offerings

Glen Velez Solo

Glen demonstrates the diversity and creative potential of a wide range of Frame Drums, including solos on the Riq (Egyptian Tambourine), the Bodhran (Irish frame drum), Gaval (Central Asian Frame drum), as well as a solo on a standard Western tambourine, featuring techniques from South Italy, South India and Basque Spain. In addition Glen creates a polyrhythmic, multi-limbed solo on Shaker which utilizes techniques from Venezuelan and Columbian maraca playing along with his unique innovations. Glen engages the audience for an immersion into his style of drum music with interactive drum vocalizations and Central Asian Overtone Singing.

Glen Velez +Handance 

Featuring World Renowned Master Percussionists Shane Shanahan, Yousif Sheronick and special guest Rhythm Vocalist Loire Cotler

Ta Ki TA  trio 

An unprecedented melharmonic and melo-rhythmic mélange featuring
three award-winning innovative geniuses in world music.

Featuring
CHITRAVINA N RAVIKIRAN – Chitravina
Glen Velez- Percussion, Overtone Singing
Loire Cotler – Rhythm Vocalist

CLICK HERE for TA KI TA trio Press Sheet

TRIO GLOBO

Howard Levy, piano & harmonica

Eugene Friesen, cello

Glen Velez, frame drums & percussion
www.trioglobo.com

MEDIEVAL MANTRA
Nina Stern, recorders
Loire Cotler, Rhythm Vocalist
Nina Stern, recorders
Glen Velez, frame drums & percussion

THE RUMI CONCERT
Coleman Barks, poet & Rumi translator
David Darling, cello
Zuleikha, dance & voice
Glen Velez, frame drums & percussion

Education Offerings: Artist Residency, Workshops,  Masterclasses

Glen is a master teacher who conducts workshops worldwide and has published numerous books and articles on the Frame Drum. Velez developed his own teaching approach called “The Handance Method.” It incorporates voice and body movement into the process of learning to play the Frame Drum and has been presented in hundreds of universities worldwide. He currently teaches Frame Drums at the Mannes School of Music, as well as a series of master classes at The Juilliard School in New York City.

FRAME DRUM WORKSHOP: A Hands On Experience

Learn how to play the North African Tar drum using simple drum language and typical Arabic rhythms. This style of teaching uses an easy and fun way to approach group or community drumming. The workshop also explores “Overtone Singing,” an ancient use of the voice which allows one person to sing two or more notes utilizing deep breathing and the slowing down of normal speech. Glen demonstrates his unique style of drumming derived from South Indian, Central Asian, Arabic and South Italian traditions.
No experience necessary. Drums provided.

FRAME DRUM MASTER CLASS

Glen demonstrates his unique style of drumming derived from South Indian, Arabic, Central Asian and South Italian traditions. Demonstrating solos on the Tar (North African), the Riq (Egyptian), the Gaval (Azerbaijani) and the Bodhran (Irish) as his point of departure, Glen teaches the techniques by slowing down the patterns and explaining the different hand movements. Each of these drumming traditions has contributed significantly to the tapestry that Glen has woven together over 30 years of creating his drumming solos. Glen also shows how to use drum language to facilitate learning drum rhythms along with Overtone Singing to increase breath awareness.

Public Programs – Museums, Galleries, Public Spaces

A Journey of Sight and Sound: Birth of the Tambourine

This program brings to life through sight and musical performance Glen’s vast archival collection of frame drums spanning a broad time frame – from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia to medieval times in Persia and Turkey, all the way to Europe in the 1800s. Glen demonstrates the frame drum’s array of sounds and rhythms using tambourines shown in the depictions with his ensemble of master drummers, while showing the continuous and superbly documented history of this simple drum. The frame drum has been a favorite of artists since the earliest cultures and has a pictorial history unmatched by any other drum. Over the last 30 years Glen has collected these visual representations and in this program he shares these unique representations of frame drumming through the medium of visual arts.