Courses
In the Intergalactic Music Academy, we offer courses that are creative, joyful, and effective. These courses have been designed and taught to hundreds of students from all parts of the world since 2005, when Lefteris Kordis began his teaching career as adjunct professor at the New England Conservatory of Music and later on at Berklee College of Music to this day. Lefteris designs and develops his courses from a holistic approach through engaging the physical body/muscle memory (Body Energy), the intellect (Aristotelian), and the instinct (Zen). His main goal and desire is to make music learning a creative, fun, exploratory, and healing journey for his students. As he puts it in his own words: “I aspire to be the teacher I always wanted to have.”
Intergalactic Harmony
The Intergalactic Harmony concept is a multi-dimensional system of Functional, Non-Functional, Atonal and Microtonal Harmony applied on Improvisation, Composition, and Ear Training.
We utilize the universe as an abstract and imaginary springboard to create an interactive circuit of harmonic and melodic colors, from the macro- (atonal) to the micro- (functional) levels. Like the real universe, we navigate in a dimensional/quantum manner. The universe represents infinite sound configurations and sound colors. In this concept, sound colors are systematically organized in the form of galaxies, parent solar systems, solar systems, planets, continents, and regions.
Inspired by Lefteris’s teachers Herb Pomeroy, Steve Lacy, Charlie Banacos, and George Russell.
Rhythm Trees
The course focuses on rhythm training using the body and the brain. Afro, Indian and Swing Trees are the springboards to be used in conjunction with our Rhythm Trees apps and dance (kinesthetics).
This is a workshop and hands-on-style class. Course assignments include listening quizzes, weekly aural and written rhythm transcriptions, rhythm performances on a wide spectrum of genres, selected readings, and performance/composition projects.
The Rhythm Trees work with rhythm blocks (legos) combined with our custom made apps, body tapping, Qigong and kinesthetics. The objective is rhythmic training in a holistic way by engaging the body, the intellect, and the instinct. Regarding the body, students are guided to activate their 2nd chakra/Dan Tien, play with drum sticks, stomp, and sing rhythms before playing them on an instrument.
The core elements in this course are hundreds of rhythm blocks that are utilized to generate random rhythmic phrases. Through this process, the student “provokes” the outcome and performs it in time using play along tracks of various styles, such as the Afro-Cuban Abakuá, Indian Bhajani, Brazilian Maracatu, New Orleans Funky (James Brown), hip-hop, and many East Med/Balkan Odd- meter rhythms. This course guides students to assimilate rhythms in a natural and deep way and prepares them to successfully transcribe, read and perform rhythms seamlessly and intuitively.
Inspired by Jerry Leake, Charlie Banacos, and Qigong.
Harmakam
The Harmakam course is an original course that is based on an equilibrium between equal-tempered harmony and East Mediterranean microtonal folk melodies and improvisations.
In this course, we utilize the Intergalactic Harmony concept to create a close circuit between the Western European Equal-Tempered Theory and Practice and that of the Eastern Mediterranean Modal (Microtonal) theory and practice. The point of departure is the repertoire of East Mediterranean folk music as well as the music theory from the Pythagorians, Byzantine echoi (sounds in Greek), Turkish makam, and Arabic maqam. In Harmakam, we create new diatonic harmonic environments by employing equal tempered harmonic colors under micro-tonal melodies and improvisations (taxim or verso). This process may lead students to discover new harmonic colors (chords), voicings, and harmonic functions and movements.
Course activities include: Ear training, Improvisation, reharmonization of existing folk melodies, composition projects with unusual harmonies that operate far beyond the borders of functional harmony. Students have mentioned that this course expanded their harmonic, compositional and ear skills, while they developed an appreciation for the music traditions of the East Mediterranean paradise.
Inspired by Lefteris’s performances with Mikis Theodorakis, Vasilis Saleas, Lefteris Bournias, Panayotis Lalezas
Instrumental Technique/ Physiology
For piano technique/physiology, I am teaching an approach that is a synthesis of tools and concepts that I learned through Charlie Banacos, Eva Stange (student of Paul Badura Skoda), books by Abby Whiteside, Dorothy Taubman, and Tai Chi and Qigong. Since 2017, I have been practicing Body & Brain Yoga which is based on Sundo, an ancient Korean Taoist practice that includes Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, Meditation. These practices, help students to experience a tremendous sense of effortlessness, physical and spiritual performance power, and longevity in practice (hours of practice without getting tired). The main objectives are to achieve enormous speed and effortless, expressive playing, strengthen the 2nd and 3rd chakras, use chest and upper arm muscles and send the energy flow through the body joints (levers), minimal use of finger movement, and use gravity and circular motions, while maintaining proper posture (straight back, proper bench height, vertical and horizontal alignment).
Inspired by Banacos, Eva Stange (Skoda), Whiteside, Taubman, as well as Meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong.
7 Steps to Eden: The Art of Transcription
7 Steps to attain a holistic sense of a musical composition, a song, or an improvised solo. Activities include singing, playing, notating, graph scores, analysis, model improv / composition, and historical, socio-political context.
Inspired by Allan Chase, Lennie Tristano, Ran Blake, and Folk musicians who learn and teach music by ear.
One Chord Journey
In this course, we explore more than 48 single chord qualities ranging from triads to 13th (Galaxy 7) and up to 23rd chords (Galaxy 12). We navigate in 4 stages: Ear Training, composition, improvisation, and film-scoring. The Intergalactic Harmony concept is the main tool in this course.
Inspired by Maurice Ravel, Charlie Banacos, and Herb Pomeroy
Carnaval das notas
Different faces of one note, two notes, three notes, etc, under endless combinations of non-functional harmonic colors and/or chord progressions. We follow a wide range of pathways from a highly structured method to aleatoric activities that include games with flash cards of keys and chord qualities. In creating this course, I was inspired by A.C. Jobim’s “One Note Samba” and John Lennon’s “Julia” as well as conversations with Charlie Banacos and Scott deOgburn. The Intergalactic Harmony concept is the main tool in this course.
Inspired by Charlie Banacos and Scott deOgburn, A.C. Jobim’s “Samba de uma nota so” and John Lennon’s “Julia”
Shades of Outness
Course for composers and jazz improvisers that offers a vast collection of melodic cells and chordal structures that transform the linear subdominant-dominant-tonic functionality into dynamic, non-linear and spatial constructions. The Intergalactic Harmony concept is the main tool in this course.
Inspired by Lennie Tristano and Allen Forte’s Pitch Class Set Theory
Other courses
*NEW 2024* Ear Training for Composers
*NEW 2024* Basso Morpheo
The Post Bebop Era (1949-1961)
Music of Greece: From Homer to Xenakis
Text painting in Byzantine Hymns
Jazz Improvisation History, Analysis, and Performance
Schedule a free 30 minute lesson
Contact
Email
leftchordmusic@gmail.com
Phone
+1 (617) 840 9140