Kirtan Leader Blog

For years I've wanted to create t-shirts with the words "Thinking Kills Kirtan" emblazoned across the front. The phrase came out of our Level 2 (Learn to Share Kirtan with Others) group intensives we ran multiple times per...

Folks are often confused about the relationship between Kirtan and sacred chant. Here are a few insights...

1. Sacred chant is a broader category than Kirtan. Robert Gass's Chanting: Discovering Spirit in Sound, is a great look...

Harmoniums and Headaches

Since they were introduced in 2015, I have been enamored with the Bhava brand of harmoniums created by Old Delhi Music. Last fall I thought it might be wise to try a few others to see if they were...

She was a new student. Eager to learn, she had many questions. Toward the end of the conversation, she nervously asked, “Do I really have to learn Sargam to lead Kirtan?”

My response immediately set...

An Important Discovery

During a group intensive training program with advanced students in 2016, deeply held and unarticulated assumptions of several longtime students came to the surface, much to my surprise! I was...

I frequently see confusion arising around the LEVEL’S in our school, which are distinct from the CLASSES and INTENSIVES we offer. The confusion tends to show up when students are looking to take our Level 2 or Level 3...

Check out the May 2020 issue of Yoga Journal for a fun article titled The Harmonium for Beginners. This article chronicles KLI student Jennifer Davis Flynn’s journey through our Level 1 (Launch Your Home Chant Practice) in...

Vocalist, voice teacher and Kirtan Leader Institute instructor Dawnia Dresser has a beautiful way of describing the difference between singing and sacred chant.

1. The External Loop 

Dawnia has been singing since age...

June 2019 I visited the Bay Area to work on new tracks and participate in a 4-day Integral Unfolding retreat.

I’m very lucky to have a beautiful and welcoming home in which to stay while in town. One evening I...

Folks often ask me about how to pump their bellows effectively and appropriately. Each harmonium is unique, and the key is to refrain from over, or under pumping the bellows. Hand placement and airflow management...