Marc Clayton

The mesmerising sound of the Indian tabla drew me in to the realm of Indian Classical Music at the end of the nineties and I have been studying the instrument ever since. The tabla drums are the popular iconic instrument of North Indian Classical music and engage the use of their own spoken language to create rhythmic syllables and phrases. As with much Indian culture, this heritage is rich and well preserved with its roots tracing back through many centuries.

Learning the tabla is hugely rewarding in many ways. Aside from the benefits to be found in learning any musical instrument (i.e. therapeutic, expressive, educational reasons for instance) the tabla can develop some deeper understanding of useful concepts in the realms of time and its subdivision and can also really enhance motor coordination skills too. These benefits are of great use to any musician of any discipline. Master tabla players represent a highly evolved art form which makes the subject too daunting for many, but if you can see beyond this, it is with only a small amount of training that these skills can be quickly developed and put into practice.

I have studied tabla in India and the UK with several masters including Shri Kailash Nishad and Shri Shiv Shankar Ray. I taught in South Goa for two years between 2005 and 2007 and now I teach in Brighton within various capacities. I have developed an interactive application which provides beginners with assisting material and demonstrations. This is available for Mac and PC.

Having been a bass player for many years and a music producer for a few of those I also found an interest in the fusion of styles and enjoy working with other artists. My familiarity with music technology led to the creation of the workshop project 'TablaTech' (with Steve Morley) which incorporates traditional approaches with modern techniques. These techniques mean that participants can make an idea into an interactive experience quickly and easily and then hear the results. This project can include recording or sequencing with audio or video and has many exciting possibilites.

Lesson in Goa 2006

Testimonials from the short course I taught in the Harmonic Centre, South Goa.

Excellent introduction to a complicated skill - good pace to learn at with lots of feedback - thanks for developing the five day course because I doubt I ever would have found the time to start tabla and I've wanted to for years.

Mark, England

Excellent start to tabla - Marc is very well organised and I found with a little practice and with his hired tabla I progressed quickly. Definitely handy that he teaches from a western perspective.

All set to buy my tabla and use the CD Rom to help practice at home before I come back next year.

Cheers

Jonathon Rau, UK

Thank you so much for your excellent teaching. You are very patient and encouraging. Your step by step lessons are very comprehensive and easy to follow. As for your CD ROM - WOW! Keep up your brilliant work and best wishes for the future.

PS I'll return for the masterclass.. soon.. ish.

Barney Rivens, England

Great course! Great job on leading me through all the complexities of the tabla. It's a very difficult instrument but the course definitely made me feel like I'm getting somewhere. And I have enough to work on for a very long time. Thanks for all your help.

Chris, San Francisco, USA

The five day course has been excellent. Marc is a fantastic teacher and I have been inspired to buy tabla and continue practising. A great course and I will thoroughly recommend it.

Many thanks for your time and patience, Marc.

All the best,

Anna Simmonds, UK