Glen Velez

Of Mexican American ancestry, Velez was born in Dallas and grew up in Texas but moved to New York City in 1967. He began by playing jazz on the drums but soon gravitated to hand drums from around the world (frame drums in particular), seeking out teachers from many different musical traditions. Among the many instruments Velez favors are the Irish bodhrán, the Brazilian pandeiro, the Arabic riq, the North African bendir, and the Azerbaijani ghaval. Although these instruments are similar in construction, they have their own playing techniques. Velez has studied each instrument traditionally, but he has also developed his own cross-cultural musical vocabulary, mixing and adapting techniques from various cultures and developing new ones (such as playing the bodhrán with brushes). He has been influential in the growing international interest in frame drums, and many younger players now use his techniques. He teaches percussion and frame drums at Mannes College of Music and The Juilliard School.

He also plays other percussion instruments such as the Venezuelan maracas and steel drum, and is skilled at overtone singing and Konnakol.

Velez's compositions are frequently composed for cross-cultural ensembles in which he himself also performs; he is particularly fond of polyrhythm—superimposing different meters simultaneously.

Velez was a longtime member of the Paul Winter Consort and Steve Reich and Musicians. He has also worked with Layne Redmond, Howard Levy, Steve Gorn, Rabih Abou-Khalil, Pat Metheny, Lyle Mays, Marc Cohn, Suzanne Vega, Glen Moore, Malcolm Dalglish, and Jonas Hellborg .

Velez's students include Layne Redmond and Yousif Sheronick.

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

• 1984 Handdance: Frame Drum Music (Nomad)
• 1985 Internal Combustion (CMP)
• 1985 Radio Iceland (Music of the World)
• 1987 Seven Heaven (CMP)
• 1989 Assyrian Rose (CMP)
• 1990 Ramana (Music of the World)
• 1992 Nafas (ECM)
• 1993 Songs of Kabir (Interworld)
• 1994 Border States (Interworld)
• 1994 Doctrine of Signatures (CMP)
• 1994 Ettna (Nomad)
• 1994 Pan Eros (CMP)
• 1994 Temurá (Nuba)
• 1996 Rhythmcolor Exotica (Ellipsis Arts)
• 1998 Rhythms of the Chakras (Sounds True)
• 2000 Breathing Rhythms (Sounds True)
• 2000 Kinship (Koch)^[1]
• 2005 Elephant Hotel
• 2005 Rhythms of Awakening
• 2008 Rhythms Of The Chakras Volume 2
• 2009 Glen Velez Solo
• 2019 Sweet Season ERC 078

With Steve Reich

• 1978 Steve Reich: Music for 18 Musicians
• 1980 Steve Reich: Octet; Music for a Large Ensemble; Violin Phase
• 1985 Steve Reich: The Desert Music Steve Reich/Michael Tilson Thomas
• 1986 Steve Reich: Sextet; Six Marimbas
• 1998 Music for 18 Musicians
• 2002 Steve Reich: Variations, Six Pianos Etc.
• 2003 Steve Reich: Drumming

With Paul Winter

• 1983 Sun Singer
• 1985 Canyon Consort
• 1985 Canyon
• 1985 Concert for the Earth
• 1987 Earthbeat
• 1990 Earth: Voices of a Planet
• 1992 Anthems
• 1994 Prayer for the Wild Things
• 1995 Man Who Planted Trees
• 1993 Solstice Live!
• 1993 Spanish Angel (Recorded Live in Spain)
• 2005 Silver Solstice
• 2007 Crestone

With Malcolm Dalglish

• 1991 Dalglish: Hymnody of Earth
• 1997 Pleasure
• 2003 Carpe Diem! A Ceremony of Song

With Peter Kater

• 1991 Homage
• 1999 Birds of Prey
• 2013 Heart of the Universe

With Paul Sullivan

• 1987 Sketches of Maine
• 1988 A Visit to the Rockies
• 1992 Christmas in Maine

With Marc Cohn

• 1991 Marc Cohn
• 1993 The Rainy Season

With David Lanz

• 1998 Songs from an English Garden
• 2005 Spirit Romance

With Patty Larkin

• 1993 Angels Running
• 1995 Strangers World

With Rabih Abou-Khalil

• 1988 Nafas (ECM)
• 1994 Between Dusk and Dawn
• 1994 Bukra
• 1994 Roots & Sprouts

With Orquesta de las Nubes, Miguel Herrero and Layne Redmond

• 1985 Música Esporádica

With others

• 1987 New York Counterpoint, Richard Stoltzman
• 1988 Basic Tendencies, Mike Richmond
• 1988 Memos from Paradise, Eddie Daniels
• 1988 Street Dreams, Lyle Mays
• 1989 Arms Around You, Eugene Friesen
• 1990 Days of Open Hand, Suzanne Vega
• 1990 Strange Omen, Michael Cain
• 1991 Angel on a Stone Wall, Paul Halley
• 1994 Ettna, Enzo Rao
• 1995 Ars Moriende, Jonas Hellborg
• 1994 Rhymes With Orange, Mario Grigorov
• 1994 Trio Globo, Trio Globo
• 1995 Carnival of Souls, Trio Globo
• 1995 On the Cliffs of the Heart, David Rothenberg
• 1995 Power Lines, Ned Rothenberg
• 1995 Istanpitta, Vol. 1: A Medieval Dance Band, New York Ensemble for Early Music
• 1996 Istanpitta, Vol. 2: Medieval Dances, New York Ensemble for Early Music
• 1996 Celtic Soul, Nóirín Ní Riain
• 1996 Song of the Irish Whistle, Joanie Madden
• 1996 Closer to Far Away, Douglas Spotted Eagle
• 1996 Layers of Time, Reinhard Flatischler
• 1996 Little Magic in a Noisy World, Nguyên Lê
• 1997 Clara Ponty, Clara Ponty
• 1997 End of the Summer, Dar Williams
• 1997 Imaginary Day, Pat Metheny
• 1997 One in the Pocket, Badal Roy
• 1998 Sea of Dreams, Davy Spillane
• 1998 Shy Angels, Sussan Deyhim
• 2000 Madman of God, Sussan Deyhim
• 2000 Tarantata: Dance of the Ancient Spider, Alessandra Belloni
• 2002 Gypsy Killer, Sanda Weigl
• 2007 Celtic Grace, Aureole Trio
• 2014 Españoletas, Harmonious Blacksmith^[2]
• 2015 Amaryllis, Nina Stern^[3]

• Canyon Consort, Paul Winter (A&M/Windham Hill Video, 1985)
• Ancient Altars, New Forms, Marion Scott & Rene Olivas Gubernick (New York Public Library Dance Collection, 1986)
• World Drums, Niv Fichman (director) (National Film Board of Canada, 1986)
• C.O.C.A., Manuel Alum Dance Company soundtrack compilation (New York Public Library Dance Collection, 1988)
• Drumbeats Glen Velez (REMO, 1989)
• The Fantastic World of Frame Drums, Glen Velez (Interworld, 1990)
• Mountain Gorilla (IMAX film, 1992), Various Artists
• Noah and the Ark: The Classic Story of Noah's Ark, Paul Winter (Rabbit Ears Productions, 1992)
• Hymnody of Earth (revised), Malcolm Dalglish (KET, 1993)
• Back to Nature – Live in Zagreb, Paul Winter (Croatian TV, 1994)
• The Snowbird Cherokees Richard Panter, (producer) soundtrack compilation (South Carolina, 1995)
• Handance Method 1, Glen Velez (Interworld/Warner Bros., 1996)
• Handance Method 2, Glen Velez (Interworld/Warner Bros., 1996)
• The Selchie and the Fisherman, Malcolm Dalglish (Live Multimedia, 1997)
• Modern Drummer Festival Weekend, Various Artists (Warner Bros., 1998)
• Wendigo, Larry Fessenden (director) soundtrack (Magnolia Pictures, 2003)

• "Composed Improvisation for One-sided Drum with or without Jangles," for Glen Velez, composed by John Cage, New York Public Library Music Division Research Collection, c. early 1980s.
• "Hymnody of Earth: A Celebration of Songs for Choir, Hammer Dulcimer, and Percussion" (Revised) composed and arranged by Malcolm Dalglish, poetry by Wendell Berry, percussion parts by Glen Velez. Published in Ft. Lauderdale by Plymouth Music Co., MDP-900, 1995.