Request a Program

Kalani is an internationally acclaimed percussionist, educator, and presenter. With over 30 years of professional experience in a variety of fields, Kalani’s work honors past traditions while expanding the fields of music education, music therapy, and wellness. Kalani began his professional career at the age of 15, playing for several local bands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Upon moving to Los Angeles in 1982, he expanded on his work to include orchestral and world percussion genres. After graduating from California State University Northridge with a BA in Music, Kalani went on to co-produce music for a Vegas-style show, Night Magic.

In 1988 Kalani worked with legendary drummer Max Roach to create the soundtrack for a Berkeley Repertory Theatre production of The Hairy Ape (Eugene O’Neil), eventually returning to LA to tour with Vic Damone in 1990. In 1991 Kalani was invited to tour with Multi-Platinum recording artist, Yanni, performing on the widely acclaimed “Live at the Acropolis” video, which sold over 7 million copies world-wide. Kalani has also toured nationally and internationally with Barry Manilow, Suzanne Cianni, Benise, and a host of other artists. Kalani can be heard on CDs and soundtracks for the Nature Company, Jim Hensen Records, Paramount Pictures, Sony Records, Tri-Star, Disney, Warner Brothers, and others. He has released three original music CD; Pangea, Insights, and Origins (the last with percussionists Kevin Winard and Mike Faue).

Kalani has written and produced over 20 instructional products, including videos, CDs, books, and online lessons (workshoplive.com). He has won numerous awards for his books, which include the ground-breaking Together in Rhythm and The Amazing Jamnasium which quickly became best-sellers in the fields of recreational, educational, and therapeutic music making. Kalani is the creator of the Developmental Community Music (DCM) approach to group music making and presents events and training courses in the US and abroad. DCM includes Organic Music Making, Drum Circle Facilitation, Guided Interactive Drumming, Rhythm Games, Creative Movement, and other practices that encourage creativity, community, and wellness. The DCM approach is currently practices by hundreds of people around the world, including music educators, music therapists, and recreational musicians.

Kalani has been honored with more than seven DRUM! Magazine Readers’ Poll Awards, including Best Rock/Pop Percussionist, Best Percussion Clinician, Best Percussion Method Book, and Best Drum Circle Facilitator. Kalani worked closely with Toca Percussion in the mid-1990s as Toca’s primary percussion clinician, presenting hundreds of clinics nation-wide over several years. His collaboration with Toca resulted in one of the first Recreational Music Making programs to be offered on a National scale, which included group drumming opportunities for non-musicians.

In 2001 Kalani began a long-time collaboration with Master Drummer, Ryan Camara, which led to the creation of the World Rhythms Arts Program (WRAP), as well as a multi-media project, West African Drum & Dance, the first resource to present traditional drumming, songs, and dance from west Africa in a book, CD, and DVD format. Kalani has presented workshops and keynotes for organizations including the International Music Products Association, The American Music Therapy Association, The National Association for Music Educators, The American Orff-Schulwerk Association, The Percussive Arts Society, The Victoria Orff-Schulwerk Association, and numerous state and regional organizations. He is a certified Orff-Schulwerk (Music and Movement for Children) Practitioner with many years of teaching experience, both in schools and community settings.

In 2005, Kalani was invited to develop an original drumming curriculum for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, a project that was sponsored by a grant from the International Music Products Association. The program was part of a pilot study and the first music program developed by the BGCA on national level. In 2006, the Music Makers program was unveiled on a national level and represents a milestone in music education and musical experience opportunities for under served children in the US.

In 2003, Kalani developed an original program that combined active music making (singing, dancing, and drumming) within a fitness setting. The program, originally called Tashiko Fitness Drumming, was the first of its kind and eventually led to the creation of Rhythm Gym in 2006, a non-profit organization to provide music and fitness opportunities to under served children in the Los Angeles area. Rhythm Gym programs were presented throughout southern California in schools and community centers. Kalani has designed a series of specialty sticks and mallets for the Vic Firth company, including the first ever hand drumming gloves for recreational drummers.

Kalani continues to develop programs and resources for teachers, therapists, and the general public. His Living in Rhythm program offers effective and accessible music-based strategies for improving quality of life through the practice of Organic Holistic and Nurturing Arts. As a longtime student of psychology, fitness, and music, Kalani believes that a healthful lifestyle includes an integrative approach, incorporating music, movement, diet, and mind/body practices. He is currently a Music Therapy intern at California State University Northridge and a Music Therapy Drumming trainer.

Last updated: 04-02-10