Tag Archives: spring

SONG SCAPING RESIDENCY

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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).

2021 SPRING BODY PERCUSSION WORKSHOPS

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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.

Body Percussion Festival 2018

Body Percussion from our kids’ summer camps

6-week Georgian Singing Workshop

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A 6 Week Workshop led by Shalva Makharashvili and Andrea Kuzmich
WEDNESDAY 7-9 PM October 9 to November 13 2019.
at the MusiCamp studio
$250 for new participants; $200 for repeat students
More info or register by email through our contact page

Have a quick peek at workshop leader, Shalva and his children singing with Basiani, a traditional Georgian choir. (Click on the photo.)

 

IMG_1558Take part in a Georgian singing workshop and join the thousands of voices before you that have contributed to this millennia-old folk tradition. 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.
Canada’s foremost experts in Georgian polyphony, Georgian-born singer/multi-instrumentalist Shalva Makharashvili and his Toronto-born partner, Andrea Kuzmich, will be leading the workshop. Andrea is an academic (PhD ABD) who has presented and published papers on Georgian music to international audiences. Both Shalva and Andrea were featured soloists in Darbazi; founded the award-winning trio ZARI; perform with their family ensemble Ori Shalva; led Georgian workshops and/or have collaborated with many groups in Canada, including VIVA Youth Singers, Aradia Ensemble, UofT Vocal Jazz Ensemble, Young Voices of Toronto and Folk Camp; and have exposed many in Toronto (enthusiastic amateur singers to professional musicians and composers) to the intricacies of Georgian polyphony through regular workshops they lead out MusiCamp.

In this series, we’ll take a look a variety of regional styles and song-types (harvest/work/travel/table/love songs and chants). At the end of the 6 weeks we’ll have a little performance for friends and family… and a little toast – to keep it in the Georgian tradition…

To register for the workshop send us an email through the contact us page.

For some samples of Georgian songs have a listen to Shalva’s and Andrea’s trio soundcloud playlist or visit their website ZARI

 

6-week Georgian Singing Workshop

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A 6 Week Workshop led by Shalva Makharashvili and Andrea Kuzmich
WEDNESDAY 7-9 PM April 17 to May 22 2019.
at the MusiCamp studio
$250 for new participants; $200 for repeat students
More info or register by email through our contact page


 
Have a quick peek at workshop leader, Shalva and his children singing with Basiani, a traditional Georgian choir. (Click on the photo.)

 

IMG_1558Take part in a Georgian singing workshop and join the thousands of voices before you that have contributed to this millennia-old folk tradition. 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.

 

Canada’s foremost experts in Georgian polyphony, Georgian-born singer/multi-instrumentalist Shalva Makharashvili and his Toronto-born partner, Andrea Kuzmich, will be leading the workshop. In this series, we’ll take a look a variety of regional styles and song-types (harvest/work/travel/table/love songs and chants). At the end of the 6 weeks we’ll have a little performance for friends and family… and a little toast – to keep it in the Georgian tradition…

To register for the workshop send us an email through the contact us page.

For some samples of Georgian songs have a listen to Shalva’s and Andrea’s trio soundcloud playlist or visit their website ZARI