The idea for Animal Grooves came about when I was invited in 2016 to create some new percussion-music for the documentary about animals, "Our Earth," using my frame drums. I began to explore the movements and characteristics of various animals, recognizing sounds and rhythms within them. Of course, much of it happened in my imagination, and naturally, a jaguar doesn't run in 5/4 time! But that's precisely what fascinated me: being inspired by animals, or conversely, considering which animal might fit my imagined groove. This led me to my first small "miniature compositions," which I have expanded into a whole collection over the years, constantly refining them.

These "groove miniatures" have now become an integral part of my musical work; for example, I compose melodies to accompany the grooves or use them as practice patterns for my teaching.
The animals also help me with the musical elaboration and realization of my improvisations through little imagined "stories," stimulating the imagination: I can see a puma stalking, jumping, climbing a tree, roaring, running, and so on.

I composed the animal parts so that they can be played both as individual voices and in multiple parts (e.g., in a duo or trio).

A key idea for me is the simultaneous use of voice and drum: You speak or sing the Mustang while simultaneously playing a 6/8 rhythm on the frame drum with your hands.
 
I also use these compositions for my "Independence playing": I play the "Hyena" in 28/8 with my right hand and simultaneously play a 7/8 pattern with my left hand. This adds another layer to the performance, making the animals more vivid and three-dimensional.

I have published my "Animal Grooves" for the first time in a practical "playing card" format. This format is ideal for learning the grooves: you can carry them in your pocket like flashcards and repeat the grooves at any time until you know them by heart...