A World of Rhythm Workshop with Ronny Ferella (MELB)

Name: A World of Rhythm Workshop with Ronny Ferella (MELB)
Start: 2025-10-25T01:00:00+10:00
End: 2025-10-25T03:00:00+10:00
Location: JMI Live

Schedule

Sat Oct 25 2025 at 01:00 am to 03:00 am

UTC+10:00

Location

JMI Live | Bowen Hills, QL

A workshop exploring the concepts and playing strategies of poly-rhythm, cross-rhythm and odd time meters. Applicable to any instrument and musical genre.
During this 2-hour workshop topics explored and discussed will include:
- the definition and application of poly rhythm, cross rhythm and odd time meters
- how these musical phenomena appear in folk, jazz and pop music
- a step by step practical approach towards applying these concepts in any musical situation.
- different ways ways to notate & conceptualise above concepts
This will be a hands-on workshop so feel free to bring your instrument. All welcome-musical theory not essential, these concepts will be discussed using both conventional music theory and more universal concepts using numbers and the physical phenomena involved.
A bit of background on how I got here….
Throughout my 35+ years of playing and teaching I have had a continuous fascination with rhythm and how & why it operates in different musical worlds.
As an 80’s pop radio kid, I wasn’t really exposed to much poly or cross rhythm but clues were dropped. Bands like Talking Heads and The Police-Devo, and artists such as Stevie Wonder, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Paul Simon turned me on to rhythm as a fluid and vital musical element.
Living in Adelaide and thanks to the WOMAD festival I was opened up to a whole lot of music from around the world and fell particularly hard for West African & Afro Cuban music. I have continued down this rabbit hole trying to find a way to express the richness, complexity and funkiness of Afro based rhythm concepts in my own music. Through this process I have developed a learning system which I am keen to share.
You can find some listening examples of my own music exploring these concepts here - https://www.smallspacemusic.com/ronny-ferella-rhythmworkshop
WORKSHOP DETAILS:
Saturday 25th October 2025
11am to 1pm
$20 Entry (+GST & BF)
JMI Live, 10 Exhibition St Bowen Hills