Kulintang Class Description:

This class will consist of five ninety minute lessons. Participants will be taught the song for the dance, Singkil, that was played by The Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble during performances. The basic melodic cycles on the kulintang will be covered first. Once participants have internalized all the foundational patterns, adornments will be added to the tune. Rhythms and patterns on accompanying instruments, such as the babandil, dabakan, agong, and gandingan will be covered as well. The goal is for each participant to learn Singkil strongly enough to eventually be able to (re)arrange the song to fit choreography and teach the accompaniment to the rest of an ensemble.

Participants will learn using the sarunay, which is the smaller, practice version of the kulintang. Sarunays will be made available to use during the lessons, but participants are encouraged to buy/bring their own so that they can practice at home. There will be a full ensemble of the larger instruments in the classroom that participants will use to practice/demonstrate what they have learned. Although partial enrollment (less than five classes) is allowed, please be advised that the lessons are in a sequence—each successive class will build on the previous one.

Classes Begin
Wednesdays, October 14, 2026

Class Term Workshop Dates:

Wednesday, 10/14  

Wednesday, 10/21 

Wednesday, 11/4 

Wednesday, 11/11 

Wednesday, 11/18 

Registration Fee
$250.00 per student
$75 per single drop in class*

For drop in classes please contact administration@kularts-sf.org for availability regarding drop in sessions.

Location: 

KULARTS & AAPI Performing Arts Center 

67 Langton St, San Francisco California, 94103

Time:
6:30 - 8:00 PM

Instructor Bio:

Conrad J. Benedicto is an author and musician who studied with kulintang master artist Danongan Kalanduyan from 1997 to 2016, including as his apprentice through the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) apprenticeship program in 2007 and again in 2013. He has also twice worked with his own ACTA apprentice, Jinji Sayson, in 2023 and 2026. In 2018, Conrad received an individual artist grant from the San Francisco Arts Commission to compose original kulintang music for his project “Kulintang Dialect.” Kulintang Dialect released its sophomore album “Dialogue” in May of 2026. Conrad’s travel blogs can be found in Positively Filipino Magazine, and his first novel, Musalaya’s Gift, was published by KULARTS in 2021. Conrad earned a Masters Degree in Music Composition for Kulintang from San Francisco State University in 2026.

KULARTS EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS PRESENT:

Kultivating Kapwa across Stillness and Movement

EVENT DATE:

Sunday, October 4th, 2026 

10AM - 1 PM 

LOCATION:
KULARTS & APICC ARTS CENTER
67 Langton St, San Francisco, CA 94103 

ADMISSION:
$40

CLASS DESCRIPTION:
Connect to Self and community through sound, stillness,  and movement based practices shared facilitated by TribuTur alumni, Trish Ong (TTUR 2011 & 2025), and Rachel Lastimosa (TTUR 2024), and KULARTS Board President, Vicool Patel (TTUR 2023 & 2025).  Bring your energy and curiosity to  gather at KULARTS’ new space and help plant the seeds that enable us all to thrive. 

Amidst the active shifts shaping our internal and shared worlds, come learn how to build a relationship with stillness and movement, enabling connection to our selves and to Kammunity.  As you cultivate a relationship with your own body, you will begin to understand how that connection mirrors relating with others.

What You’ll Experience:

• Guided, trauma-informed meditation techniques on how to quiet the mind rooted in the Vipassana lineage led by Vicool Patel.
• Sound healing and somatic/movement-based practices to complement the stillness led by Rachel Lastimosa and Trish Ong.
  

What to Bring & Prepare:

• Attire: Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to sit and move comfortably
• Gear: Bring a mat and whatever you need to be comfortable.
• Accessibility: Let us know beforehand if you’ll need a chair.

No Prior mediation experience needed to attend.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTORS: 

Vipassana Meditation, led by Vicool Patel:
Vicool Patel (they/them) spent 15 years working for Fortune 500 companies across strategy, operations, marketing & HR roles.  Their last position was as the Head of Diversity & Inclusion for a travel-tech company based in Bangkok, Thailand, where they lived for almost five years.

They intentionally left corporate to step into their purpose as an artist and yoga student/teacher, re-indigenizing into their Pilipinx and Indian roots.  Vicool joined the KULARTS Board in 2024 and was recently elected as its newest Board President.  

With a mission to cultivate liberated, sovereign spaces – especially for folks in the diaspora – some of their projects include writing a children’s mindfulness book and bringing trauma-informed meditation practices to center and uplift marginalized communities. 

Somatic Movement Meditation, led by Patricia Barretto Ong:
Patricia (Trish) Barretto Ong is a dancer, choreographer, bodyworker, and life long learner based in Huichin, Ohlone Territory (Oakland, CA). A daughter of immigrants with roots in Luzon, her work honors ancestry and homeland, connection to land and sea and the intuitive intelligence of the body. Her joyful workshops incorporate movement exploration and improvisation to foster physical and emotional awareness and connection for participants. She draws on her knowledge as a bodyworker to cultivate curiosity and intentional tending to our physical body for increased ease and freedom as we move through the world. 

Trish’s connection to Kularts began in 2002 when she participated in a workshop with T’boli master artists. Since then she has been honored to work with Manai/  Alleluia Panis Dance Theater in various projects and participate in Tribu Tur in 2011 and 2025. She is thrilled to be a part of opening Kularts’ space to the community.

Sound Healing, led by Rachel Lastimosa
Unceded Ramaytush Ohlone Territory; SF, CA - Rachel Lastimosa (she/they/siya) is a second-generation Ilokana, Kalinga Apayao, Ilocos Sur and Ifugao immigrant. She’s an interdisciplinary artist, producer and performer, scoring for theater who has  toured nationally and internationally. Rachel has been a community organizer, arts administrator, and artist for over two decades in the Bay Area. She's currently a collaborator of TNT Traysikel and Rainin Arts Fellow. She founded AGASAN (2018), creating wellness spaces for BIPOC and queer communities. With a Master's in Counseling Psychology at CIIS, in Expressive Arts Therapy, Rachel’s focus on the intersection of arts, culture, equity, and wellness continues to be the foundation for her creative pursuits and community service.