MONTRÉAL QC Jul 10 18:00 Concert au Parc Lahaie dans le cadre de « Musique sous un arbre» gratuit/free Jul 12 10:00-17:00 Atelier/Workshop polyphonie géorgienne (limité à 12 chanteurs) $150 email orishalva at gmail.com
BELLEVILLE, ON Jul 13 13:00 at the Kafana, 199 Front Street – time to be determine
Take part in a Georgian singing workshop and join the thousands of voices before you that have contributed to this millennia-old folk tradition.
To REGISTER for the HART HOUSE 4-WEEK WORKSHOP starting Tuesday Jan 27, 7-9 PM Please send a message through our contact us page
The songs we teach span a wide range — from lively toasting and horse-riding songs to meditative chants — and vary in complexity depending on the skill level of the participants and the length of the workshop. We provide lyrics (and occasionally notated scores), but all songs are taught by ear, since this is the most effective way to convey the unique musical nuances of the tradition. We also spend time on developing specific vocal techniques characteristic of Georgian singing. (Check out some of the videos below.) If time and enthusiasm allows, we may even teach a round dance – both the song and the movement – it’s such fun! (see a vid example at the very end.)
Whatever we end up teaching, we always explain each song in the context of Georgia’s diverse regional styles, genres, and cultural narratives.
If you’re interested in booking an ORI SHALVA workshop, or want more details please get in touch via our contact us page
TEACHING STYLE
The videos above provide a general mood of our workshops and an idea of some of the repertoire we cover. The videos below – although are from our online workshops – are examples of our teaching style: 1) melismatic techniques from Satamahsho, a Kakhetian dance songs; 2) a complex krimanchuli (yodelling) line from the song Guruli Perkhuli; 3) general way of teaching the Svanuri song Lazhghvash; 4) reviewing all three parts of Azar (a lament from Abkhazia); 5) demonstrating possible variants in Imeruli Mgzavruli 6) teaching the last verse of Imerguli Mgzavruli Please note these videos are excerpts and represent only a moment of the whole teaching process.
MORE ABOUT US
We are Canada’s foremost experts in Georgian polyphony, Georgian-born singer/multi-instrumentalist Shalva Makharashvili, his Toronto-born partner, singer and published Georgian ethnomusicologist, Andrea Kuzmich, and their son Shalva-Lucas (aka Luca) Makharashvili. Shalva and Andrea have been leading Georgian singing workshops for over 20 years. Both were featured soloists in Darbazi; founded the award-winning trio ZARI; and perform with their family ensemble Ori Shalva. They also have collaborated with many groups in Canada, including the award winning international ensembles Tafelmusik and the Aradia Ensemble; as well as UofT Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Toronto Children’s Chorus, Folk Camp Canada (formerly the Kosa Kolektiv) and many others. As a result, they have exposed many in Toronto (enthusiastic amateur singers to professional musicians and composers) to the intricacies of Georgian polyphony.
WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT OUR WORKSHOPS
An enjoyable sharing of interesting songs, singing and music. With a smiley side of open hearts and kindred spirits. – Jan Knoppers
Thank you for a wonderful workshop and an opportunity to learn from artists with such integrity, talent and hospitality… The workshops are well structured, easy to follow and very enjoyable. – Merey Ismailova
ABOUT GEORGIAN POLYPHONY
Georgia, is located in the mountainous region of the Caucasus, the crossroads of Europe and Asia. Its ancient singing tradition, known for its distinctive and haunting harmonies, was recognized by UNESCO as an intangible masterpiece of humanity in 2001. The 3-part form defies Western conventions and comes in a plethora of musical dialects, reflecting the diverse geographical and cultural makeup of the land.
SONG SCAPING is a four month residency at the Tranzac Club of workshops and performances by Andrea Kuzmich, intersecting traditional vocal polyphony, improvisation, and song. The Tranzac Club is located at 292 Brunswick Ave (just S of Bloor St).
THU JAN 19 7-9 PM COLLIDING WITH KOLIADA
Koliada refers to a Slavic winter carolling tradition, thick in pagan references and gratitude, the practice usually starts in December can continue well into February – singing away those dark and cold winter nights!
7:00-8:15 PM Vocal Workshop learning winter carols 8:30-9:00 PM Performance of Koliada inspired repertoire with a small band AND YOU!!
(Here’s a little audio sample of what you may hear and sing along with)
The workshop will teach 2-3 traditional polyphonic Ukrainian winter carols. The performance then demonstrates how these songs and others are “scaped” into pieces arranged for a small band, consisting of: Andrea Kuzmich on voice & guitar; Alina Kuzma voice; Jaash Singh percussion; Jim Bish tenor sax; Michael Herring on bass; special guests from Kosa Koliadanyky AND YOU!!
SAT FEB 25 5-7 PM UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE
UNCONVENTIONAL LOVE…will feature 2-3 singer/songwriters presenting their original compositions and arrangements that challenge the conventional love ballad, and offer new “scapes” of the love song.
More info to come…
THU MAR 16 7-9 PM SPRINGING CAROLS
Vesninanky are Ukrainian spring carols. Many of these are ritualistic and, with their use of interesting vocal techniques and powerful dissonance, represent some of the most archaic layer of Ukrainian polyphony.
7:00-8:15 PM Vocal Workshop learning Vesnyanky (spring carols) 8:30-9:00 PM Performance of vesnyanky-inspired repertoire with a small band AND YOU!! …….more details to come…
SAT APRIL 22 5-7 PM SCAPING THROUGH TRADITIONAL SONGS
On this last date, the workshop will focus on vocal improvisation, covering some sounding and improv techniques, and how they can be used in rearrangements of traditional polyphonic songs. The performance will feature mostly a capella arrangements of Ukrainian and Georgian songs, including the Sound Stepping Suite, commissioned by Urban Vessel for riverMouth on the Echoes app.
5:00-6:15 PM Vocal Workshop 6:30-7:00 PM Performance with participation from YOU!!
more details to come…
ALL WORKSHOPS AND PERFORMANCES ARE PWYC & TAKE PLACE AT:
THE TRANZAC CLUB, 292 BRUNSWICK AVE (just South of Bloor in Toronto).
Not unlike the needs of so many people & cultures at this time of year, when the weather gets cold and the nights so long, KOLIADA is an occasion to come together, connect, and make the darkened cold season pass quickly trough celebration and song.
With less than 2 weeks left, our Koliada rehearsals are now closed. Over the past 3 weeks we have accumulated a great group of singers but now we now have to fine tune our style and learn the last set of songs.
Starting Dec 27, we are unable to accommodate guests into our rehearsals.
We are, however, still accepting invitations to visit houses for January 7th – so if you would like Kosa Kolektiv’s Koliada carollers to visit your home, please contact kosa.kolektiv@gmail.com.
LOCATION CHANGE: the Belarus Orthodox Church, 524 St Clarens Ave. By donation. Suggested $20-30. Follow the link above to get to the FB event. PLEASE REGISTER VIA kosa.kolektiv@gmail.com.
REHEARSALS!!!
WEDNESADYS 7-9 PM
BELARUS ORTHODOX CHURCH,
524 St Clarens Ave, just over a block north of Bloor and one block east of Lansdowne. Closest TTC is Lansdowne station.
CAROLLING JANUARY 7
The big carolling event is on January 7, Orthodox Christmas. We will be traveling in different groups, by car, visiting homes around the GTA. Make sure to book this day off for koliada!
There will likely be more opportunities to perform in December and January, and possibly additional rehearsals when needed to accommodate the needs of the group and individual singers.
You will find lyrics in Ukrainian, with transliterations, rough translations and audio file references. So, you can start listening and practicing immediately!! Also note that we will be updating the doc and adding more sound files and/or songs.
Some of the audio references even have sing-a-long files. Please use HEADPHONES with the singalong files. The RIGHT CHANNEL features a solo voice and the LEFT CHANNEL all the other voices. To learn, just listen to the RIGHT CHANNEL. To practice, just listen to the LEFT CHANNEL and add your own voice into the mix. Please also be aware, these files are very rough sketches to help learn the song & it’s highly recommended to practice/study from the original sound files as well.
NOTE: it is important that singers are able to sing harmonies and not just the main melody or top voice. The musical director and other seasoned singers will help develop the group’s harmony-singing skills, as well the authentic Ukrainian singing quality known as ridnyj holos. And for those who are not Ukrainian-speaking, don’t worry, we will also help with pronunciation. If you have any questions about your interest and desire to participate, please reach out to us through the contact form below.
OTHERS ROLES
Not a harmony singer but still want to take part? There are other ways you can volunteer. Please reach out to us using the form below.
NOTE: Use HEADPHONES with the singalong files. The RIGHT CHANNEL features a solo voice and the LEFT CHANNEL all the other voices. To learn, just listen to the RIGHT CHANNEL. To practice, just listen to the LEFT CHANNEL and add your own voice into the mix. Please also be aware, these files are very rough sketches to help learn the song & it’s highly recommended to practice/study from the original sound files as well.
SING WITH US!
Thursday June 2 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ Shevchenko Museum – workshopom
Friday June 3 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ MusiCamp Garden
Saturday June 4 ~ 2:30 pm & 4:45 pm @ THE DO WEST FEST, the community stage
Saturday Jun 25 ~ early afternoon 1:00 – 2:30 PM @ MusiCamp Garden
Canada Day July 1 ~ 11 am meet at 1879 Bloor Street West / 12 pm performance for Canada Day picnic
OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS are at MusiCamp’s home at 11 Cobourg Ave (just behind Dufferin mall). For outdoor workshops, please remember to bring a sun hat if you need it!
NOTE: we do recommend participants have some experience with singing harmonies.
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In at attempt to recognize the breadth of Ukrainian culture, this project is a hopeful start to popularize traditional Ukrainian songs and create a larger caring singing community of Ukrainian songs in Toronto. Check out our workshops dates below. Wondering what we’ll be learning, have a look at our song document and listen the embedded links for each song.
The project is an extension of Sing with Ukraine, which is a grassroots effort by Toronto-based Eastern European artists, started after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24th 2022. Click the links to learn more about Sing with Ukraine and Artists With Ukraine.
Ukrainian Village Dance workshop Featuring Live Music!
2:30 & 4:45 pm Sing With Ukraine.
Come to our workshops – 7pm Thursdays May 26/Jun 2 at Shevchenko Museum (on Bloor just west of Dundas West); and Saturday 10:30 am May 28 at MusiCamp’s backyard. Or join along in our sing-a-long sections on June 4. Click here for more info and to have a listen to and even learn some songs. And more about Sing With Ukraine here.
2:45 pm Dance performance.
4:00 pm Dance Workshop:
Dancing In All Directions Dance Workshop – blending urban & indigenous dance movements to connect mind, body, spirit & emotion.
Fine tune your moves with a lead-up workshop at Lula Lounge Monday May 30 7-8 pm.
3:00 pm West African Drum Workshop:
With Master Drummer Amadou Kienou!! We’ll have drums but feel free to bring your own. Last time someone joined in from their balcony in the neighbouring apartment building!
Visit our SONG LEARNING PAGE for updated resources and info about our events/workshops
WORKSHOPS
All are welcome, pay-what-you-can, no one will be turned away who cannot pay. Money raised for the deeply discounted venue costs and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Thursday May 12 ~ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm @ Shevchenko Museum
Thursday May 26 ~ 7 pm – 8:30 pm @ Shevchenko Museum
Saturday May 28 ~ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm @ MusiCamp garden
Thursday June 2 ~ 7:00 – 8:30 PM @ Shevchenko Museum
INDOOR WORKSHOPS are at The Shevchenko Museum 1604 Bloor St W (a few blocks west of Dundas West Station). OUTDOOR WORKSHOPS are at MusiCamp’s home at 11 Cobourg Ave (just behind Dufferin mall). For outdoor workshops, please remember to bring a sun hat if you need it! NOTE: we do recommend participants have some experience with singing harmonies.
We will keep updating our resources to include other songs and tools to help learn songs, including audio of the individual song parts.In the meantime please check out the google doc below, which has all the lyrics and links to audio or video of the songs.
PERFORMANCES
SATURDAY JUNE 4 ~ 2:30 pm & 4:45 pm @ THE DO WEST FEST, the community stage
CANADA DAY JULY 1 ~ time tbd @ Parkdale-High Park MP Canada Day picnic in High Park
MORE ABOUT THIS PROJECT
In at attempt to recognize the breadth of Ukrainian culture, this project is a hopeful start to popularize traditional Ukrainian songs and create a larger caring singing community of Ukrainian songs in Toronto. Check out our workshops dates below. Wondering what we’ll be learning, have a look at our song document and listen the embedded links for each song.
The project is an extension of Sing with Ukraine, which is a grassroots effort by Toronto-based Eastern European artists, started after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24th 2022. Click the links to learn more about Sing with Ukraine and Artists With Ukraine.
A fun, physically active, movement and rhythm workshop, and a great workout for the brain…
With workshops for the Ontario Womyn’s Winter Drum Camp and our own zoom classes, we had a great go of winter. But spring is here now, so no matter your level, no matter your experience, we invite you to join us online and make music with your bodies.
Body Percussion Tuesdays!!
Next workshop is TUESDAY MAY 25 and every other Tuesday
7:00-7:45ish PM EST on ZOOM!!
$10-15 for employed, PWYC for underemployed (per Tuesday class)
Sign up with our PAY PAL link (be sure to grab the zoom link when you do) or use our Contact Us Page for more info.
A PHYSICALLY FUN AND ACTIVE WORKSHOP FOR BODY AND BRAIN
These are physically active workshops, where layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. A singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. With all these layers, we’ll challenge your brain but in such a fun way! Without realizing it, you’ll develop a stronger sense of rhythm but also experience the pure joy of making music solely with your body.
Below is a fun arrangement based on a Ukrainian new year carol.
BEGINNER and INTERMEDIATE
Because we start with simple patterns and build upon them, our workshops accommodate both beginner and intermediate levels. Those who are more adept are given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged by the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added.
IN EACH WORKSHOP: DRILLS, SONGS and ARRANGEMENTS
Each workshop will usually start with drilling some rhythm rudiments to develop and strengthen your technique – all in a fun and accessible way. But within the span of a 2-4 workshops, we’ll also be working on a single arrangement, that way people can take the time to learn the choreography while developing their skill.
For the end of March through April we’ll be working on a piece based on a West African Song called Baga Gine. You can see a bit of the song in the video below, but we’ll also be including a break and something of a coda, the latter which you can hear in the videos below (note, one of them is a funny sped up video from one of our past workshops).
Around the spring of 2014, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!
In the spring of 2019, she was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. In prep to do so, she started hosting informal body percussion sessions with adults at the MusiCamp studio. These eventually evolved to online workshops in 2020, but…
Since body percussion can be done, outside, and in a socially-distanced responsible way, Andrea will be hosting workshops again outside in Toronto’s West End as soon as the stay at home order lightens. Visit back for more dates and/or let us know if you are interested.
Participants in this workshop will be introduced to cool rhythms that can be performed with the body and voice. This is a physically active music workshop, where layers of rhythm are overlapped to make some serious groove. The singing component involves vocalizing rhythms as well as singing songs and riffs, sometimes in harmony. Participants will come out with a stronger sense of rhythm and the pure joy of making music solely your body.
Starting with simple patterns and building upon them, the workshops present material to accommodate varying skills. Those who are more adept are given more challenging rhythms to layer on top of a basic rhythm. Alternatively, those challenged with the more demanding rhythms can practice holding the simpler rhythmic pattern. Vocals, like singing or vocalizing rhythms, are another layer that can be added. A component of drilling certain movements/rhythms will allow some room for individual variation, giving the student more of a chance to express individuality, which in turn makes it more interesting and musically alive!
From 2020 Virtual Drum Camp
Around the spring of 2014, MusiCamp’s director and founder, Andrea Kuzmich, started exploring ways to use body percussion in our kid’s summer camps. It not only functioned as a pedagogical tool to help with rhythm and arranging, but also heightened the excitement of any song – and really was inspired by Andrea’s interest to instantaneously make a party-like atmosphere, any where, any time, without instruments, but through the body alone!
In the spring of 2019, she was honoured to lead workshops on body percussion at the Ontario Womyn’s Drum Camp. In prep to do so, she started hosting informal body percussion sessions with adults at the MusiCamp studio. These eventually evolved to online workshops in 2020, but…
Since body percussion can be done, outside, and in a socially-distanced responsible way, Andrea will be hosting workshops again outside in Toronto’s West End as soon as the stay at home order lightens. Visit back for more dates and/or let us know if you are interested.
ONLINE WORKSHOPS via ZOOM
SATURDAYS 2-4 pm EST (7 pm GMT)
Starting February 6th, and
EVERY OTHER SATURDAY AFTER
$20-30 for employed; pwyc for underemployed.
Questions?
A song requests?
Or want to sign up?
Drop us a line or click the PAY PAL button (make sure to enter your email address) and we’ll send you the zoom link.
MusiCamp’s most popular activity is running Georgian singing workshops. We usually run singing workshops in the fall, winter and spring. Our last one started late February 2020 – and after only 2 sessions, the workshop got hijacked by COVID 19 and the new social-distancing measures. Somehow, we transferred these harmony singing workshops to ZOOM and as you can see from the image posted above or the videos below, we were all singing together and, in some inexplicable way, it worked!! Here’s what a few of our participants have to say about it:
Thank you for a wonderful workshop and an opportunity to learn from artists with such integrity, talent and hospitality… The workshops are well structured, easy to follow and very enjoyable. – Merey Ismailova
An enjoyable sharing of interesting songs, singing and music. With a smiley side of open hearts and kindred spirits. – Jan Knoppers
If you want to learn more about how we teach harmonized singing online, please read on.
VIDEO OF ONLINE GROUP SINGING
HOW DOES SINGING HARMONIES WORK ONLINE?!
The short answer: it doesn’t. There will always be some kind of latency, even with the fastest internet speeds and the most advanced technology.
What makes it work for us is the fact that we are a singing family and have enough people in our household to sing all the harmonies – all three voices are covered on our end. The ZOOM participants actually sing along with us but they mute their mics so that their voices don’t lag and upset the musical form, as you can see in the videos.
VIDEOS OF TEACHING
WORKING ONE-ON-ONE
Like in our studio, we teach the parts individually (see the video above). Participants’ mics still need to be muted for this. But there are times when mics are turned on, so we can have conversations, make a toast (once in a while only), or work one-on-one with individuals to ensure the vocal line is correct, or even work on technique. We actually had a great session a few weeks back working on some distinctive timbral issues and inflections with krimanchuli, a yodelling style in Georgian polyphony. VIDEO WORKING ONE ON ONE
TEACHING KRIMANCHULI (Note: audio quality is poor due to the wrong mic settings).
SING-ALONG FEATURE
We even offer the play-along or sing-along feature (trio minus one voice) so that participants can test themselves, make sure they can sing their part alone, and sort of feel what it’s like to fit their voice into the trio. In the video below, the participants can practice the top voice independence with the bass and middle being sung by the workshop leaders.
SING ALONG: TRIO MINUS ONE
WORKSHOPS WILL START AGAIN FEBRUARY 6
Suggested $20-30 for employed; PWYC for under employed
Let us know you are interested through our Contact Us Page or click on the PAY PAL button (make sure to enter you email address) and we’ll send you instructions for installing and running ZOOM and setting up your microphone up to work with musical content (rather than spoken content).
In the meantime, stay safe and healthy and wash your spirit often with music ;) !!
MusiCamp 