Sandra Koponen and her ribaphone, a homemade multi-percussion set that she makes sound like a thunderstorm falling on a roof made of rainbows.

Honk! Festival of Activist Street Bands happens every October outside of Boston in Somerville, MA. Honk draws over 350 musicians every year from diverse locations such as Italy, Montreal, the Bahamas, and elsewhere throughout the US. I’ve had the good fortune to attend and play at Honk in 2008 and 2009 with Durham’s street band Scene of the Crime Rovers. While I love playing at the festival, the thrill for me is seeing other street bands in action. This year I was especially enamored by New York City’s Himalayas. All the Honk! bands were amazing, but Himalayas took street performance to a different place, incorporating audience participation, quirky arrangements, guerrilla theater, and skronky improvisation to their spectacle.

The highlight of Himalaya’s set for me was watching one of Himalaya’s percussionists rock out on a homemade instrument she calls a “ribaphone”. A flurry of energy, I could sense her delight in the experience. She danced the sound from her instrument, evoking a colorful collage of rhythm, melody, texture, and general sonic goodness. What an inspiration! Though our time was short, I was able to meet her and arrange for an email interview. I feel like I’ve made a new friend and hope you enjoy this interview.

Sandra Koponen (aka Sand Ra) is a NYC musician and filmmaker. In addition to our interview, I’ve compiled links so that you can see and listen to her in action. Throughout the interview, there are additional links to relevant musicians and bands to help put her background in to context.

Watch Sand Ra:

 Click here to watch a clip of the fabulous Himalayas set I saw Sandra play in at Honk! 2009. Sandra is seen on the left end of the band (the only person wearing a homemade percussion instrument). The voices you hear making the long tones during the performance were us - the audience! What fun!

 Click here to watch a clip of Sandra and her balloon bassoon brigade process on July 4 in upstate New York. This was the culmination of a workshop she did with kids for Salem Art Works. The video is a work of art in itself!

 Our Interview!

 Shannon - Can you tell me a little about your musical background (or background otherwise)? (do you have a primary instrumental focus and are you self-taught, music school background,…)

Sandra - I bought an alto saxophone when I was 22; I’d had a couple years of piano lessons when I was a kid and initially got shown some basics on the horn, then just started playing. I lived in SF across the street from a mayonnaise factory and could play any time of day or night. Soon after getting my sax I started performing at benefit concerts with 12 Yr Olds, a group that had started from after dinner jams on pots and pans in Ann Arbor, Michigan. In the group there were electric guitars, banjo, drums, homemade and toy instruments, sax and whatever. 12 Yr Olds would have all day jams. It was great freedom to play with a cacophonous wall of sound. Back then I didn’t think it was such a great sounding band but now I actually enjoy listening to some of the 12 Yr Olds tapes, especially the recordings that I’m not on!!

I moved to NYC in 1984 and took some sax lessons from Roy Nathanson of the Jazz Passengers (I’d seen him playing with the Lounge Lizards). I played with many bands, including the Flophouse Society Orchestra (sloppy renditions of Fletcher Henderson and Jelly Roll Morton tunes) and started and wrote and arranged music for two bands-Seasons Greetings, a quartet (bass, drums, sax and violin) that played barely recognizable Christmas carols. Later I started a sextet with Bern Nix on guitar. Neither band had many gigs but the recordings of the band with Bern Nix got me into music school, which was a terrible setback to me musically; I put down the saxophone after a semester and didn’t pick it up for several years. In the late 90s I met and started jamming with Dalius Naujo, a very free and creative drummer. He had a studio in the basement of Anthology Film Archives and we’d have long jam sessions on “indigenous instruments” (IE, film cans or whatever was around) and that’s when I started playing percussion; it is very freeing for me because I don’t get so hung up on technique but get excited by the color, texture and pitch of different objects.

 Shannon - Do you have bands or groups other than the Himalayas that you collaborate with?

 Sandra - I play on some of Kenny Wolleson’s other projects with the Wollesonics. We do “sonic massages” with funny and amazingly strange instruments that he makes. I also initiated a band Untyte ; Dalius had told me how great Lithuanian folk tunes are and I was asked to do a live radio performance on WKCR and got some members of the Himalayas to play the Lithuanian tunes. It was so good I got us several more gigs but then Dalius, who led and conducted the band, went back to Lithuania for several months and we haven’t gotten it off the ground again. I hope we start playing again soon because I love those tunes; they’re mystical, and the band is a good one. I’d like to do more experimental smaller groups and will soon be doing the sound track for a video I’m making.

 Shannon - How did you become involved with Kenny Wolleson and the Himalayas? Why do you play with them?

 Sandra - Dalius had been introduced to Kenny shortly before Kenny started the Himalayas, and when I met Kenny he invited me to play with the band. My first performance with the Himalayas was for the opening of the Charlie Parker Festival in Tompkins Square Park. I don’t recall that we had any rehearsal prior to the gig - all I remember is that when we were about to start parading around the park Kenny pointed at me and I blew some crazy horn before the band started up.

Playing with the Himalayas is a joy; every gig is different, different musicians show up and bring new tunes that expand our repertoire, and Kenny is a true artist, a very generous spirit and puts so much love, effort and energy into making each performance special that it’s really amazing. Often he’ll bring a truckload of instruments, film projectors and other visual effects for an hour-long performance.

 Shannon - What appeals to you about making and playing your own instrument rather than playing a ready made?

 Sandra - There is nothing like a ribaphone for sale. I like having a palette of sound to use when playing percussion; that’s what makes it exciting for me. Playing the ribaphone makes me very happy and when people see the ribaphone they immediately appreciate that it is homemade and unique.

In this pic, I help Sandra get suited up with her ribaphone. She definitely needs a roadie!

 Shannon - Can you describe your “ribaphone” and talk a little about why you chose the various components of your contraption?

My questions are: Do you think about what you’d like to do before hand, or does it just flow in the moment? Do you feel it is necessary to relate to the music that your solo comes out of in a linear way, or do you look at your moment as an opportunity to change the direction of what is happening (or neither….something else….telling your story?)

Sandra - A thunderstorm falling on a roof made of rainbows!! That’s beautiful! Thank you!  I never think about what I’m going to do in advance when I play percussion, I respond to the moment. For me playing percussion is most akin to dancing, and to figure out what I’m going to do in advance would be like figuring out in advance how and what parts of my body I’m going to move when dancing with someone I haven’t even met. When I start playing a solo I might reference the rhythm of the melody or continue a rhythm that’s been going on, but mostly it’s like diving through the air, knowing that I’m going to land in the arms of the band; time is limited but I feel when I solo that I have infinite space and I like to try to use it. I don’t really have time to think but I reach for the color, texture, accent or pitch that I want at that moment, something that satisfies the place where music comes together with all the other senses and emotions. I might lose track of the form of the song at times but people always seem to like my solos. I never have any objective idea of how it sounds until I hear a recording. Sometimes I can look around and take in the things outside myself but mostly I feel concentrated on my inner rhythm.

 As for the magical 5 o’clock performance, the energy was so incredible that day; the audience’s singing and participation completed the circle. That is what performance is supposed to about; the give and take between performers and audience. When Kenny called on me to solo the air was already charged, I was just tapping into that energy. As for “tell your story”, that reminds me that the only class I liked at music school was a blues class with Junior Mance. He would say “Tell your story” and I would close my eyes and “talk”. It helps to think of music as “talking”; I’m not good at improvising words to music but when asked to talk (musically speaking), it has helped me to come forth with the truth.

Sandra soloing at the Himalayas show during Honkfest 2009 in Somerville, MA.

Shannon - On a related note, I just sat in on a lecture/discussion with Sun Ra personnel Art Jenkins and Marshall Allen (part of a Duke University event in which Sun Ra Arkestra played in Durham). They drove home the message that to really create music that is vital, you must play what you don’t know. They told many stories about how Sun Ra, being rather psychic, knew when they were playing what they thought they should play instead of letting their spirit come through their instruments. Your director, Kenny Wolleson, seems like he might have a similar mode of operation. Does he influence your choices or push you to play differently than you might in other situations? If so, do you feel it is beneficial to have someone pushing you to take your musical experience further out?  How do you feel about “playing what you don’t know”?

Sandra - Sun Ra is my favorite band leader/composer/musician and I would believe anything a Sun Ra Arkestra member had to say about playing music. This is a difficult question though because there are different levels of “not knowing.” If I understand Art Jenkins and Marshall Allan, of course you must play what you don’t know; that’s where the tension lives in music. You have to experience each moment afresh and if you rely on playing something that you think you should play rather than responding in the moment you’re lost because your mind is crowded with inhibiting thoughts. A lot of music sounds dead because people are playing it safe. I stopped playing the saxophone after a semester at jazz school because being surrounded by students who were just imitating the bebop of 50 years ago seemed stultifying, yet I felt bad because I couldn’t play like that, and at that time I couldn’t play anything without feeling that it sounded awful. But it’s important to get past that. It also helps sometimes to pick up a different instrument to keep the joy of making sound fresh.

While Kenny shows other drummers and percussionists a rhythm or feel he wants he never really gives me any instructions. Recently he told all band members to play rhythm, melody or the x-factor. I think he considers me an x-factor and he likes that and it frees me. Although I have practiced the traps (Shannon notes - traps refer to a drum set) and some drumming techniques on my own, I am not a timekeeper or a groove maker by a long shot; I like playing with other drummers. I think of my ribaphone as adding color and I have enough different instruments that I can always find some sound that fits with the music being played. I am extremely fortunate to play with such great drummers as Kenny, Dalius and other fine musicians and am reminded that music is a good way to interact with the universe.

Shannon - What do you like about playing outside in the street? Do you prefer it to traditional venues? Do you think public street performances have any sort of beneficial effect on people’s lives?

Sandra - I love playing on the street. I like being out under the open sky and to hear the sounds bounce off buildings, to see the expression on people’s faces as they pass by and experience the surprise of it. Public street performances bring the 4^th dimension to a space and take people out of themselves. Music is celebratory and for mind travel. I also really like walking and playing music, I feel I play better when I’m moving and I like hearing how the sound changes as you move through space and players change positions.

Shannon - Is there anything you’d like to say about your experience of playing unusual music outdoors for an unsuspecting public? My experience with being in 2 groups that play creative music outdoors is that people who wouldn’t come in to a club to see “new music” really seem to enjoy it more than I would expect them to. This leads me to realize that in some regards, I am a music snob who thinks that “normal” people can’t enjoy “art music”. Comments? Experiences?

Sandra - One time with Kenny we did a spontaneous gong walk. It was incredible. A couple people started following us like we were the pied piper and others asked us “What is your purpose?” I think that in an outdoor setting “art music” becomes more accessible to people; I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because the sound transforms the space and is not expected.

Spontaneous gong walks, balloon bassoons, and ribaphones seem to encourage people to ask "What is your purpose?".

Shannon - I understand that you teach instrument making workshops. Can you tell me a little about your workshops? How about the balloon bassoon?

Sandra - I was invited to give an instrument-making workshop at Salem Art Works upstate, in preparation for a 4^th of July Parade. It was a great experience. I had 8 kids and made balloon bassoons and other instruments with them. The kids were really excited by the balloon bassoons and some couldn’t stop blowing on them! I was introduced to balloon bassoons through the Himalayas. Basically it’s just a balloon stretched over a sound chamber that you blow through (that’s attached to a tube). Balloon Bassoons have a great range of sound depending on what materials you use; there are many variables. I would like to continue to do workshops with kids because it is fun to come up with new approaches to ensemble playing and it’s something to research and explore.

Shannon - Anything you would like to add to this interview?

Sandra - Thanks for this interview!  It was great playing at the Honk fest and hearing all the other bands. It’s wonderful to play with the Himalayas and playing music and performing is about the most fun thing there is to do in the world!

Jenkins and Allen both reiterated over and over how playing what they knew was not acceptable in Sun Ra’s band. Sun Ra made them reach deep in to their souls to manifest the the spirit that made their music so unusual and beautiful. When someone from the audience asked what strategies they used to keep from repeating themselves when playing their tunes over and over on tour, Allen said “I just go with the vibration of the day”. This was a recurrent theme - we are energetic beings who can tune in with the vibrations of all that is going on within and around us (because we are part of everything). We can turn those vibrations in to audible sound if we are sensitive to them.

When asked how being of African descent affected their music, Jenkins replied again that we are all part of everything - we can learn from the birds, from nature, from everything surrounding us, and in fact he says that he learned to speak from listening to the birds.

The discussion was incredibly meaningful. Allen and Jenkins talked of the idea of “failure” and how they had to seek to be failures so that they could start all over again. In the end, they came to realize that if you are going with the vibration of the day, nothing you create is a failure. It is a perfect manifestation of the moment.

I hope I can carry this through in my own music making. The commodification of music, and the survival needs of those making music for a living are detrimental to the pursuit of authenticity in art and in life. It is always a great temptation to make music that you know everyone will appreciate, but in doing so, we create stagnation and hold back the natural progression of one of humankind’s most sacred art forms.

Join Music Explorium\’s first ever creative music ensemble. Directed by Shannon Morrow, the Ensemble plays creative music through the process of musical improvisation. Participants may come from any musical background. Soundpainting, a musical language used to facilitate instant composition will be an integral part of weaving the voices of the group together. All traditions (and music that comes from no tradition) are welcome. Students of any skill level may participate. The ability to read music is not a prerequisite. All instruments are welcome, including home made instruments.
Poets, actors, and practitioners of other artistic disciplines may participate if they have an interest in performance. The 6-week session will culminate in a public performance (location and date TBA-the weekend after the last session).
 Depending on continued interest, the ensemble will reconvene for further sessions throughout the year.
$65 dollars per person
or $100 per couple (register with a friend – 2 for $100)
 $150 per family up to 4 members
 For adults and older children (10 and up).
  If you have a question about whether this is suitable for your child, give us a call!

  Tuesdays 7-8:30pm
Oct 13, 20, 27 Nov 3, 10, 17
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2009-10-13
End Time: 20:30

In this 6 week course, Shannon Morrow will be your guide as you explore listening, sounding(making sounds), and improvisation from a holistic perspective. Each 2 hour gathering is a perfect way to release stress and renew spirit with relaxing and invigorating music based exercises. Participants will engage with each other in listening, sounding, and movement exercises and will learn strategies for group improvisations in a supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere. Many of the improvisational exercises in the course are based on energetic healing practices such as toning (sounding to vibrate the body and atmosphere for health), and drumming or sounding the chakras. We will explore practices developed by composer Pauline Oliveros’s Deep Listening Institute (an organization which fosters a unique listening approach to improvisation and meditation) and Life Force Arts Foundation (a contemporary combination of artistic and spiritual practice in a non-denominational approach to greater wholeness), as well as others.

The intended outcome of this course is to open participants to new ways of thinking about sound, improvisation, health, and communication through music and sound. All levels of experience are welcome. In many sessions we will use our voices and bodies for improvisation. Everyone will be asked to keep a listening journal in any format desired, whether pictorial, written, or recorded, so please bring a journal.

Percussionist Shannon Morrow is an improvisor, Soundpainter, Deep Listening Instructor, and Rhythm Circle facilitator for The Music Explorium of Durham.   Shannon believes strongly that the foundation of creative sounding begins with the practice of listening.  She is certified to lead workshops in Deep Listening, a creative practice developed by new music icon Pauline Oliveros. Shannon is also a Certified Soundpainter.  Soundpainting is the universal live composing sign language developed by composer Walter Thompson for musicians, dancers, poets, actors, and visual artists interested in working with the medium of structured improvisation.  In addition, Shannon has studied healing through meditation and the arts with contemporary shaman Joan Forest Mage (Life Force Arts in Chicago), and at Invision Center (Chicago).
The course is 6 weeks long, meets on Thursdays Oct 15, 22, 29 Nov. 5, 12, 19 from 7-9pm, and costs $125.
Start Time: 19:00
Date: 2009-10-15
End Time: 21:00

We are offering EXPLORE RHYTHM! kids’ rhythm classes ages 3 and up. Call Kathleen Pace at the Y 919-667-9622 for more details. 3 and 4 year olds from 2:30-3pm, 5 and up from 3-3:45pm.

Start Time: 14:30
Date: 2009-03-08
End Time: 15:45

Start Time: 11:30
Date: 2009-2-28
End Time: 12:30

I use pneumonics when teaching quite often.  if you can say it, you can play it.  Recently I’ve been speaking my own drum fills to help me remember and execute them when I get nervous on stage.  it seems to help.  i know there are many “drum languages” out there - I’ve just made up my own based on what seems to be speakable as I speed up.

Anyway, today I got a message from a drummer In California who saw the bucketbeat diary demo and used the 1, 2 buckle my shoe phrase with a group of 6th graders.  I’m pasting it because I’m happy that she got good results with it:

“Hi Shannon! Today, I brought my drum kit and conga to a private school, and showed some third to sixth-graders the “one, two, a-buckle my shoe” hip hop style rhythm you showed on one of your videos. They really enjoyed it, and picked it up quickly. I allowed them onto the instruments, so a couple of them tried it out on the drums. They had fun. I’d never done this before; I think I’d do it again. Thanks for the beat! Take Care.”-Jessica G.