Interview with Frame Drum Educator Marla Leigh

Composer and frame drum educator Marla Leigh has released her first album titled Rhythms of Tof Miriam, a fascinating world fusion recording. Leigh is one of the few professional female frame drummers in the world and is well known in the percussion field for her classes and workshops.

We talked to Marla Leigh about her background, the new album and the world of frame drums.

What are your fondest musical memories?

Improvising on the piano as a child. Playing flute in orchestras and bands during my youth. Giving concerts during college, including my own piece. Composing music for the movie Bold Native. Creating my online frame drum school 5 years ago. Composing, recording and launching my debut album Rhythms of Tof Miriam.

What was the first song or melody you learned?

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star… I remember notating it when I was 4.

What do you consider to be the essential elements of your music?

Nature, rhythm, melody, harmony, frequencies and love.

You’ve been involved with frame drum education for many years, why did it take you so long to record your debut album Rhythms of Tof Miriam?

The vast majority of my time in college was spent composing my own music – it is my deepest passion. However, after I graduated, I focused on teaching, later creating my own online school, The Frame Drum Academy, that currently has over 2,000 students worldwide. My passion for creating music never left me, so after a successful fundraiser, I was delighted to return to my roots and focus on composing and sharing my rhythms with the world.

Tells us a little bit about Rhythms of Tof Miriam and who plays on the album.

Well, I went to Israel just to record a single and music video and ended up so inspired, I created a whole album! I had the honor of collaborating with some of Israel’s leading world musicians: Oud master Yair Dalal, Meira Segal (nay), Shahar Kaufman (mandol), Leat Sabbah (cello), Oren Tsor (violin/viola) and Gavriel Fiske (riq and frame drum). Usually, music projects like this take a lot of time to organize and can be stressful. However, Rhythms of Tof Miriam was the opposite – everything came together so easily and quickly… I think it was meant to be. The album features bassy grooves from frame drums running throughout, sprinkled with rich polyrhythms. The dynamic collection of worldly sounds comes from layers of sublime, mystical and ancient oud, mandol, ney and kamancheh, dramatic breakdowns, and blistering trills for an exotic yet contemporary flavor. The album’s title track, Rhythms of Tof Miriam (featured in my debut music video), was filmed in the ancient lands of the Negev Desert. It honors Miriam the Prophetess, who played the frame drum during Biblical times, and the ancient lineage of women frame drummers.

How did your frame drum playing evolve over the years?

Like any musician, I started on the basics and then continued with extended techniques. The frame drum is a lifelong study… and I’m always learning something new. For example, I have just begun to incorporate concepts/rhythms/compositions from Indian drumming into my play, such as North Indian tabla and South Indian kanjira, plus Middle Eastern split-finger darbuka techniques. I’m looking forward to delving deeper into these things.

Although I was familiar with tambourines and had one as a kid, I discovered the wonders of frame drums when I saw Glen Velez live at a Paul Winter Consort concert. When did you become interested in frame drums?

It was the happiest accident. Although I was familiar with percussion as a kid (I loved my tambourine), I only discovered the wonders of frame drums many years later. 27 years ago, I enrolled in CalArts to study jazz flute. During my first few weeks as an undergrad student, I went with some friends to a Paul Winter Consort concert. A man appeared on stage with a strange and magical instrument. This man just happened to be John Bergamo ~ an incredible musician who played with the likes of Frank Zappa, Steve Gadd and John McLaughlin.

When John began, I got chills everywhere… I still can’t put into words how I felt. After the concert, I went up to talk to him and found out that I could study percussion with him at my college. It turned out that he was an amazing teacher too.

Even though I was there to study flute, I ended up taking more and more percussion classes and ultimately switched over to get a Masters in Percussion. Two years after meeting John, I studied with the great Glen Velez for over 10 years. I’m extremely grateful to have had two such incredible Masters as my main teachers.

There are many different types of frame drums. Which ones do you play?

My favorite company is Cooperman Frame Drums. I am honored to be an endorsed artist and have created my own series of Frame Drums with them: the Marla Tar, Green Goddess and Purple Haze.

How long does it take to master playing a frame drum?

It’s endless learning – I am a student for life!

Who makes your frame drums?

Cooperman Frame Drums.

Did you experiment with the sounds of the frame drums?

Yes, always! The one thing I like so much about Cooperman drums is that they are tunable, so you can explore different pitches with different drums.

What is the connection between frame drums and women? I’m familiar with the traditional Galician groups of tambourine players in Spain that are traditionally played by women.

Yes, there is a deep and ancient connection between women and frame drums, going back thousands of years and across most civilizations. In fact, the very first named frame drummer was a woman ~ the priestess Lipushiau. In 2380 BC, she was the head of the temple in Ur (modern day south Iraq) for the moon god. A terracotta figure of Lipushiau playing the Balag-di frame drum was unearthed there. It is still played traditionally by women across many cultures worldwide, including female shaman.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected you in terms of work and livelihood?

In turbulent times like these, I think many people turn to music as a source of calm and comfort. When COVID first hit, I was working on the final mixes for my album and music video and getting ready for my Frame Drum Academy 2020 program. Of course, online learning has proved to be the safest way to keep healthy, both mentally and physically. So, I have never been as busy as I currently am. I’m immensely grateful for that. The one thing that has been adversely affected is my touring schedule. I was planning on doing a fall tour overseas, and unfortunately that has been canceled. But I’m looking forward to touring with my debut album in the future.

What have you been doing these days while there were orders in many countries to stay home?

We just opened The Frame Drum Academy doors for enrollment and our new student numbers have never been higher. So my days (and nights) have been crazy! I have barely left home, which is good for both personal safety and professional work. I do miss seeing my friends and hugging people, though! Elsewhere, I’m doing the same things that I normally do… teaching my private students, practicing, composing, meditating, doing yoga, cuddling dogs (I love dogs) and praying for a better world! The way things are at the moment definitely makes me want to drum even more… and, more importantly, to share its healing vibrations.

In what ways are you promoting your music?

I worked with a wonderful PR company (Rock Paper Scissors) to help with my debut album launch. Besides that, I am sharing my music with my Facebook groups and my email list. I also plan on getting the music for my album licensed as I think it’s quite cinematic. I can imagine it in movies, soundtracks… so many possibilities. It really is my best creation to date and I would love the whole world to hear it, especially now when we all need a smile.

If you could invite musicians or bands to collaborate with, who would it be?

Ooh, so many choices! I would love to collaborate with Sting, Bjork, Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, Huun-Huur-Tu, Tinariwen… and, if I’m allowed musical ghosts, then Beethoven, Debussy… the list goes on.

What advice would you give to beginners, especially young women who are anxious and want to make music outside of pop and trendy music?

My advice, actually for anyone who wants to create something outside of the box, is just to go for it. We never regret what we try, only what we don’t do. When I first fell in love with the sounds of the frame drum, I had no idea what I was going to do with my new passion, I only knew that I had to learn as much as possible. Just go with that passionate feeling and don’t be concerned about what others think or where you’re going to end up. Also, pop music is not everything! World music is one of the most ancient forms of art and the more you listen to it, the more it grows on you. All of my playlists now are either classical or world genres.

Are there any additional future projects to share with us?

I’m always dreaming, creating, feeling inspired! I would love to compose an album every year, or at least continue to release singles. I’m truly happy when writing music and sharing it with the world, with a focus on licensing my music and commissions to score music for TV and film. So watch this space…I am also in love with studio recording and would love to collaborate with other musicians on their songs. And finally (for now), I’m going to create more online study programs. My students and grads have all experienced positive changes in their lives since they began learning online and I truly want to help them continue on their magical journey into the limitless world of music.

Author: Angel Romero

Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.