Ancient Future Times

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Ancient Future Times: This Moment

June 2020 Issue:

This Moment
•The Veil Has Been Lifted

Got Rhythm?
•World Beat Workshop Returns to Blue Bear Online July 8 to August 12

Concertless Cash Crunch
•Help Ancient Future Stay Here Now

Online Music Lessons
•Zoom Through Summer


This Moment

Hands and Globe

The Veil Has Been Lifted

The veil has been lifted and systemic racism should now be painfully obvious to everyone. There is much social and personal work to be done to make a more just world. Racism and tribalism have always existed, but we need to change now.

This doesn't mean that there isn't great value in local cultures keeping their history and traditions alive and creating new ones. Wonderful things happen when people work together as a community. The mission of world fusion music is to show how ideas from these different cultures can work together, helping us create greater understanding and tolerance between cultures and races. It's not an easy path as we confront our own biases while learning from each other, but it's a necessary one.


Got Rhythm?

Skype Rhythm Lesson

World Beat Workshop Returns to Blue Bear Online July 8 to August 12

Matthew Montfort taught classes at the Blue Bear School of Music for over two decades. This summer, he will return to teach a virtual world beat workshop from July 8 to August 12. His Got Rhythm World Beat Workshop is presented in an easy to follow, entertaining yet educational format for all music lovers. African polyrhythms, Balinese kotèkan and Indian classical music are presented because these traditions cover the major types of rhythmic organization used in most of the world's music. This training can help anyone with a desire to improve their rhythmic skills. Melodic aspects will also be explored through vocal chanting and instrumental call-and-response in a supportive setting.

Get Rhythm!

 Book Cover

Ancient Traditions – Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India by Matthew Montfort.

This classic "world beat bible" by Matthew Montfort takes the student on a musical voyage through the ancient rhythmic traditions of Africa, Bali, and India with a series of exercises that require no instruments to perform. Interesting, imaginative and fun, these rhythm exercises will be of immense help to all music lovers, not just percussionists. The new downloadable companion set of MP3 audio guide and MIDI groove tracks of the exercises in the book is set up for playback on Mac and PC computers, tablets, and smartphones.



Concertless Cash Crunch

Matthew Montfort, Vishal Nagar, and Jason Everett at the Moscow Renaissance Fair

Help Ancient Future Stay Here Now

Live concerts will be among the last activities to return because they won't be safe until there's a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19. Efforts to reopen the economy are causing outbreaks, further delaying the next concert season. Musicians in Northern California were already suffering from very high housing costs, decreasing support for the arts, and absurdly low payments from the music streaming platforms. With all of this, we very much need your support to continue the music and survive until concerts return, hopefully by 2022.

If you've been able to return to work or have the means, below are three ways you can help.

1. Make a Tax Deductible Contribution

InterMusic SF Logo

2. Push A.F.A.R. Past the Finish Line

Best of A.F.A.R. So Far CD Cover

The Archive of Future Ancient Recordings, Ancient Future's fun fan funded recording project, has over 86 minutes of music in it so far. Another set of studio tracks that will expand the project by over 50% is in production. With all of the concert cancellations, now is a good time to record remotely. But remote recording can't be done in real time, so hundreds of extra hours of production are required to make MIDI mock ups and tempo tracks for the musicians to perform to. Because many of the master musicians in Ancient Future's collective don't have home recording equipment, we need to raise money for a few professional stereo audio recording interfaces and studio microphones.

Please consider becoming a supporter at one of the levels below, starting at just $15. And if you are already a supporter, you can still upgrade to higher quality downloads until each supporter level is sold out. Once you become a supporter, you will receive all of the tracks in the archive (and all of the tracks that will be added in the future), and you will be eligible to buy a limited edition CD-R of the Best of A.F.A.R. So Far, which includes all of the best tracks that will (barely) fit on a CD-R.

Supporter Levels and Premiums

3. Purchase Music to Support the Arts

Ancient Future's 2020 Vision sale on recordings and educational materials has been extended to encourage support. Purchases at the Ancient-Future.Com World Music Store directly support the artists and the music, and this sale offers bargain prices.

Five for Fifty: Five Releases Just $10 Each

Yearning for the Wind CoverPlanet Passion CD CoverSangria CD CoverSeven Serenades CD CoverSympathetic Serenade CD Cover


Online Music Lessons

Skype Guitar LessonSkype Rhythm LessonLearn Ancient Traditions on Skype

Zoom Through Summer

Private Online Lessons with Ancient Future Bandleader Matthew Montfort. Study any of the musical traditions featured on the Ancient Future web site, all styles of guitar (and other fretted instruments including ukulele, bass, mandolin, charango, and sitar), record production, composition, world rhythms, music theory, and repertoire for all instruments.

There are many advantages to online lessons. The lessons can easily be recorded, and it is easier to evaluate a student's technique with a camera than from behind a music stand. The main drawback to online lessons is that recording software is needed to perform duets due to internet latency issues. But duets are possible online via file exchange, digital audio workstations, and a free browser-based multitrack recording platform. Matthew Montfort will return to teaching in-person lessons when it is truly safe. At that time, he will be offering hybrid online/in-person lessons for students in Marin and Sonoma counties, with package deals for three online lessons and one monthly in person lesson to develop ensemble skills.