Question 1

Who is Marla Leigh, and why do people care about their work?

Accepted Answer

Marla Leigh is one of the few female professional frame drummers actively working today, and she brought that skill—along with flute and composition—into a deliberate intersection between world percussion and spiritual practice. She's serious about frame drumming as an instrument and tradition: she studied under Glen Velez, John Bergamo, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Layne Redmond, and Randy Gloss at CalArts, pursuing both a BFA and MFA in percussion. But she's equally serious about the ceremonial and meditative dimensions of rhythm—she leads retreats at Esalen, Harbin, and Kalani, provides live percussion and flute for yoga classes grounded in Nada Yoga and Vedic chanting, and has played alongside teachers like Shiva Rea and Hala Khouri. Her debut album, Rhythms of Tof Miriam (2020), honors an ancient lineage of women frame drummers and was recorded in Israel. People follow her work because she holds both traditions—the technical mastery of world percussion and the spiritual intentionality of rhythm as a gateway to consciousness—without reducing either to cliché.

Question 2

What tradition or lineage does Marla Leigh's work belong to?

Accepted Answer

Marla Leigh's frame drumming draws directly from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean traditions—frame drums like the tar, riq, and bodhran are ancient instruments—and she explicitly connects to the lineage of women frame drummers honored on her debut album, Rhythms of Tof Miriam. Her teachers (Glen Velez, Layne Redmond, and others) are custodians of that lineage, passing down both technique and cultural knowledge. Simultaneously, her work sits inside Nada Yoga—the Sanskrit term referring to yoga of sound—which treats rhythm and vibration as a path to meditation and expanded consciousness. This isn't two separate things for her; the frame drum itself becomes a vehicle for the nada yoga practice. Her compositions for yoga classes and her work with teachers like Saul David Raye and Hala Khouri ground her in contemporary yoga and meditation communities. She's positioned at the intersection where world percussion tradition meets contemplative practice—neither is subordinate; both are essential.

Question 3

Where should a complete newcomer start with Marla Leigh's work?

Accepted Answer

Start with her debut album Rhythms of Tof Miriam (2020), which is her definitive statement. It was recorded in Israel and honors the ancient lineage of women frame drummers—the album title itself references Tof Miriam, the biblical frame drum associated with Miriam, and this centering is no accident. The eight tracks give you access to her compositional voice, her frame drumming, and the contemplative pacing her music inhabits; this is not high-energy world music, but intimate, meditative percussion work. If you're drawn to yoga and chanting, seek out her live work for teachers like Hala Khouri or Janet Stone—her compositions appear in Hala's yoga DVD and Janet Stone's iPhone yoga app, and these give you a sense of how her percussion and flute function within spiritual practice. From there, explore Frame Drum Academy, her online community, where she teaches frame drumming to global students. This three-point entry (the album, the yoga collaborations, the teaching platform) covers her range: composer, collaborator, and educator.

Question 4

What makes Marla Leigh distinctive compared to other frame drummers in the same space?

Accepted Answer

Very few female frame drummers work professionally at all, which already distinguishes her. But what sets her apart further is the integration of formal classical training (BFA and MFA from CalArts) with world percussion mastery, plus her commitment to the contemplative dimensions of rhythm. Many percussionists treat world percussion as sonic texture or rhythm studies; she treats it as a gateway to consciousness, which is why Nada Yoga sits at the center of her practice. She's not mining frame drum traditions for Western audiences or performing them as exotica—she's co-developing a signature frame drum line with Cooperman Company, leading retreats at serious spiritual centers like Esalen and Harbin, and teaching the instrument globally through Frame Drum Academy, her own platform. Her collaborations with yoga teachers like Shiva Rea and the placement of her work in films (Bold Native, The Cellist) and apps shows she's comfortable moving between intimate ritual practice and broader cultural circulation. Few frame drummers hold both the technical rigor and the spiritual intentionality she does.

Question 5

Who is Marla Leigh's work NOT for?

Accepted Answer

Her music is not for listeners seeking high-energy, rhythmically propulsive world music or percussion fusion. Rhythms of Tof Miriam is meditative and spacious—the frame drum is the protagonist, but the pacing is contemplative, not celebratory or dance-oriented. If you're drawn to the playful, polyrhythmic chaos of world percussion or the virtuosic speed displays, you'll find her approach restrained. Her teaching and retreat work also assume interest in yoga, meditation, and/or Nada Yoga philosophy; if you're coming to frame drumming purely as a technical instrument study without curiosity about its spiritual contexts, her framing may feel indirect. Similarly, her work with Vedic chanting and Hebrew traditions assumes openness to those lineages—this is not secular, decontextualized percussion, but rooted in specific spiritual and cultural traditions. Finally, at 841 Spotify followers and zero algorithm popularity, she's not a mainstream crossover artist. If you're looking for Spotify playlists or radio reach, you won't find her there. She's built for seekers, not for passive streaming.

Question 6

How can I follow Marla Leigh's upcoming events, releases, and travel?

Accepted Answer

Visit her website at marlaleigh.com for the most current information on retreats, workshops, and performances. She leads drumming and wellness retreats at established centers like Esalen Institute, Harbin, and Kalani, as well as teaching residencies at universities, yoga studios, and synagogues—these opportunities are typically listed on her site. For her latest releases and studio recordings, follow her Spotify (5dXZG34vIopCijfJEfU1WK) and YouTube channel (UCXuyo_WYLV39KjowVRvnbvg), where she shares both finished albums and teaching content. Frame Drum Academy, her global online community, is also the hub for announcements about her teaching and new offerings. If you're interested in her festival appearances, she's presented clinics at Tambouri Mundi in Germany, Zurich Arts Festival, NAFDA festivals, and Asheville Percussion Festival in recent years—checking festival schedules can tip you to her visibility in the percussion world. There's no publicly listed tour schedule, so direct contact through her website is your best entry point for retreat dates and teaching residencies.

Question 7

What does Marla Leigh's music actually sound like—instruments, voice, pacing?

Accepted Answer

Rhythms of Tof Miriam centers the frame drum as the lead voice—she's exploring the tonal and textural range of the instrument in a way that's rarely heard in Western contexts, moving beyond rhythm into melodic and harmonic territory. Flute threads through the album, adding an intimate counterpoint. There's no vocals (no singing), though her work with yoga teachers often incorporates Vedic chanting and Hebrew chanting alongside her percussion and flute—that's a live offering, not on the albums. The pacing is meditative and unhurried; this is music designed to support meditation or yoga, not to propel movement or excitement. The album texture is clean and minimal, which gives weight to every note and every stroke of the frame drum. Collaborations like The Yoga Sessions: Hang With Angels (2011) and her appearance on Mantra Grooves (2013) situate her in the yoga-and-meditation space sonically, grounded in contemplative aesthetics rather than high-energy world music. Her sound is introspective, technically precise, and rooted in respect for the frame drum as a sacred instrument with ancient lineage.

Question 8

What are the essential Marla Leigh albums to know?

Accepted Answer

Her debut album, Rhythms of Tof Miriam (May 2020), is the essential entry point and her definitive statement as a composer and frame drummer. Recorded in Israel and honoring the ancient lineage of women frame drummers, it stands as the center of her discography. The Yoga Sessions: Hang With Angels (2011) is valuable if you want to hear how her percussion sits within a broader yoga and meditation soundtrack—this shows her contextual sensibility. Mantra Grooves by Masood Ali Khan & Yogi Cameron (2013) features her as a collaborator in the mantra and chanting space, placing her in conversation with other practitioners working at the intersection of rhythm and spiritual practice. More recently, she appeared on Real World Producer Camp, Vol. 5 (2023), a compilation that signals her continued activity and recognition within the world music community. But Rhythms of Tof Miriam is the one to start with and return to; it's her truest solo voice.

Question 9

What instruments and collaborators does Marla Leigh typically work with?

Accepted Answer

Her primary instruments are the frame drum (in multiple traditions), flute, and composition/arrangement. The frame drum is her signature voice—she's studied its deep traditions under teachers like Glen Velez, Layne Redmond, and Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. Her collaborators span yoga teachers (Shiva Rea, Hala Khouri, Janet Stone, Saul David Raye) and percussionists and arrangers from the broader world music and yoga soundtrack communities. She co-developed a signature line of frame drums with Cooperman Company, which shows her instrumental partnerships extend to equipment design. Her compositions have been integrated into work by established yoga teachers and filmmakers—Hala Khouri's yoga DVD, Janet Stone's iPhone yoga app, and the films Bold Native and The Cellist. She doesn't appear to work with a fixed ensemble or touring band; rather, she tailors her offerings to context: retreat settings (flute and frame drum for meditation), yoga classes (flute, frame drum, and collaboration with chanting teachers), and compositions for others. This flexibility is intentional—her work adapts to the spiritual and ceremonial need.

Question 10

Are there Marla Leigh songs or tracks specifically suited for meditation, yoga practice, or ceremony?

Accepted Answer

Her entire practice is oriented toward these contexts, but her compositions on Hala Khouri's yoga DVD and Janet Stone's iPhone yoga app are explicitly designed for yoga instruction and asana practice. Rhythms of Tof Miriam, her debut album, is structured for contemplative listening and meditation; the album was conceived with the nada yoga lineage in mind, so the entire work functions as a meditative offering. Her live performances at Esalen, Harbin, and Kalani are specifically arranged for retreat and ceremonial contexts—drumming and wellness retreats—so if you can access recordings or attend in person, those are optimized for deep practice. The Yoga Sessions: Hang With Angels (2011) is another dedicated resource for yoga and meditation contexts. For ceremony, her frame drumming work draws on ritual traditions—the frame drum is an ancient ritual instrument—and her compositions with Vedic and Hebrew chanting through her yoga collaborations explicitly honor ceremonial frameworks. She hasn't released a formal 'meditation album' separate from Rhythms of Tof Miriam, but that album functions as the centerpiece; it was recorded and conceived as a meditative work honoring an ancient women's lineage.

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