Canadian Musician - January / February 2020 | Page 53

MT: First and foremost, I can only speak on behalf of my
family’s (Plains Cree) cultural protocols and teachings. For
me, incorporating my family’s lessons into contemporary
music is learning, caring, and sharing our culture. My cultural
advisors support me in completing this work. For example, if
I play a cultural drum, then I take on the responsibility of car-
ing for that drum. These teachings inform the process of re-
hearsing, recording, and performing. These steps strengthen
my relationships with my family, advisors, and Community.
MAREK TYLER
nêhiyawak
Marek Tyler is one-third of innovative indie-psych trio nêhi-
yawak, who take pride in transcending a new intersection of
contemporary sounds and the traditional storytelling of their
Cree ancestors. Their sonically-stunning debut LP, nipiy, is
available now via Arts & Crafts.
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Yamaha Absolute Custom Drums
• 20-in. Kick (w/ Sensory Percussion Sensor)
• 14-in. Floor Tom
14-in. Wood Hoop Drum (w/ Sensory Percussion
Sensor)
Ludwig Supraphonic 14-in. Snare (w/ Big Fat Snare
Ring)
Zildjian Cymbals
• 20-in. Crash of Doom
• 16-in. Gen16 China (Low Volume)
• 16-in. Hi-Hats (K Thin Top, ‘60s Riveted
Crash/Ride Bottom)
Additional percussion of rattles, tambourines, and
other found objects
Roland SPD-SX Sample Pad
DW 9000 Double Kick Pedal (second kick plays
drum samples, Roland 808s & 909s)
DW 9000 Two-Leg Hi-Hat Stand
Yamaha Medium Cymbal Stands
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 Audio Interface
Ableton Live
KZ AS10 In-Ear Monitors
Behringer P2 Ultra-Compact Personal In-Ear
Monitor Amplifier
Mackie Mix 8
CM: Tell us about your musical upbringing and forma-
tive experiences with both the traditional music of
your Community and more “mainstream” styles and,
ultimately, how you wove them together while devel-
oping as a musician.
CM: Considering nêhiyawak’s musical hybrid of tradi-
tional and modern influences, does your role as the
drummer differ in any tangible way when it comes to
songwriting in this project versus others you’ve been a
part of from the more contemporary side of things? 
If so, how?
MT: Yes, as nêhiyawak’s drummer, my songwriting respon-
sibilities differ from other projects. For example, the tem-
pos for nipiy’s opening and closing tracks reflect our un-
derstanding of the nêhiyaw (Cree) word “kisiskâciwani-sîpiy”
(North Saskatchewan River). We measured the river’s
speed by putting a stick into the water, walking alongside
it, and counting our steps over a minute. The process of
understanding what kisiskâciwani-sîpiy means informed the
songs’ tempo and texture.
CM: I’m told you sometimes perform with a large
moose-hide drum. Tell us about that instrument and
how and why it has become a part of nêhiyawak ‘s
output.
MT: Yes, I do play a large drum, but it’s not moose-hide;
I care for and perform on a 6 x 3-ft. elk-hide frame-drum
constructed by Wade Charlie (Kwakwaka’wakw) and loaned
to me by Carey Newman, a Kwakwaka’wakw and Coast
Salish artist.
We recorded nipiy with Colin Stewart at The Hive on
Vancouver Island. For this recording, I wanted some dis-
tinct sounds like wood on wood and more substantial
hand drums. Carey is a master carver and also lives on
Vancouver Island. I asked him if he could help me source
some of those sounds. He came through not only with the
biggest drum I have ever played, the elk-hide frame-drum,
but also a 7-ft. cedar log drum carved into the shape of an
orca. For me, there was a personal connection with those
drums. Not only were they gifted to us to use, but I also
had to learn how to play them, and Colin had to figure out
how to record them. Those processes informed the work.
For me, this is what makes nipiy special; I am learning how
to incorporate cultural processes into contemporary work
respectfully.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 53