Learn the basics and beauty of the rhythms of India from the comfort of your own home! Join percussionist Jim Santi Owen on a journey through the folk and classical rhythms of India, exploring the poetry of the tabla and pakhawaj, the calculations of the mridangam and kanjira, and the grooves of the dhol and dhak. No experience needed. No drums needed. Just a voice to recite and hands to clap. Great for kids, teens, and adults alike and tailored to gently guide the absolute beginner as well as challenge the seasoned professional musician. Santi Owen has been teaching online for 10+years, so you’ll be in good hands!

Jim Santi Owen (www.jimsantiowen.com) is an American percussionist, educator, performer, composer and producer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drumming since the age of eight, he has devoted nearly 30 years to the study of the classical percussion traditions of North and South India with tabla maestro Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri and South Indian master percussionists, T.H. Subash Chandran and K. Sekar. In his twenties, Owen studied Jazz with Charlie Haden, James Newton, and Tootie Heath and African drumming and dance from the Ladzekpo Brothers. He holds a Master’s degree in World Music from California Institute of the Arts and was a Fellow of the American Institute of Indian Studies from 1998-2001. Owen has worked with internationally renowned artists including: Pharoah Sanders, Hamza el Din, Alonzo King, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Subash Chandran, K. Sekar, Chitresh Das, Kartik Seshadri, Sharam Nazeri, Steve Smith, Terry Riley, Alam Khan, John Santos, Joseph Jarman, Yair Dalal, Bikram Ghosh, Ganesh Kumar, Jai Uttal, Myra Melford, Alessandra Belloni, Gamelan Sekar Jaya, Kyaw Kyaw Naing, Rova Saxophone Quartet, Omar Sosa, and Steve Gorn. A dedicated teacher, Owen is on faculty at the Ali Akbar College of Music, Dominican University, the Jazz School, and LINES Ballet and travels around the world teaching master classes for adults and youth. Owen served as Music Director for the San Francisco World Music Festival from 2009-2014 and is a featured composer/producer for Facebook's Sound Collection.