Heart Centered Kirtan

About Us

Clear your mind and soothe your heart! Join Heart Centered Kirtan for an illuminating, uplifting call-and-response experience. Their unique meld of Sanskrit and Buddhist mantras with a variety of modern musical styles makes for a practice that is both accessible and inspirational. All are welcome!

With wali Libby Volckening (keys/vox), Ezra Landis (guitar), Thomas Matherly (bass), Owen Landis (percussion), and friends.

Libby Volckening

Yoga teacher and wali/songwriter Libby Volckening is a long-time student of mantra, studying first with Manorama in 2005 at Kripalu. Coincidentally, it was during that retreat that she discovered the work of Thomas Ashley-Farrand (Namadeva Acharya) whose books and audio recordings made mantra come alive for her. In Namadeva’s lineage, she has studied with Bharata Bill Francis Barry and Rajeshwari Gretchen Carmel. More recently, she studied Vedic chanting in the Krishnamacharya lineage with Sangeetha Sriram through Shraddha Yoga, and attended Devanāgarī Boot Camp with Elena Jessup. Libby has also served as kirtan respondent to Dave Russell, Charlie Braun, Bhavani Lorraine Nelson, and Yvette Om.

From a young age, Libby enjoyed music. She started piano at age 5 and sang in various choirs and choruses including the New Jersey All-State Choir and the Smith College a cappella group The Smiffenpoofs. After a 20-year musical hiatus, Libby joined Heart Centered Kirtan with Jeff Martell in 2014, and with his encouragement, she discovered songwriting. After Jeff’s sudden passing in January 2016, Libby completed and released their first CD Heart Centered Kirtan in November 2017.

A second CD of original mantra music Invoking the Divine Feminine came out in September 2021, a third focusing on the masculine principles Deva Dvāra in June 2024, and the latest album Vṛddhi was released in March 2026.

Ezra Landis

Ezra Landis has become a strong presence in the world music circuit, sharing the stage with many renowned artists such as Snatam Kaur, Ajeet, Simrit, Donna DeLory, David Newman, Adam Bauer and Jai-Jagdeesh. His gentle yet powerful guitar playing offers a profound musical experience as he weaves together influences from folk to funk to flamenco, reggae to rock, and Celtic to classical.

In 2024, Ezra released his long awaited EP of original instrumental music called The Journey Home, which can be found on all major streaming platforms. You can also find him rocking out with his funk/rock/reggae band The Evocatives and joining many beloved kirtan artists across the Northeast.

Owen Landis

For more than fifteen years, Owen Landis has been playing drums with kirtan luminaries such as Girish, David Newman, Jai Uttal, Donna De Lory, Wah!, C.C. White, and many others. Rhythm has always moved him. From an early age his parents exposed him to a wide range of music: the Beatles, Yes, Paul Simon and Bobby McFerrin, to name a few.

Over the years, Owen has played drums in several groups in the Monadnock region of NH: Firelight Revolution, Run Gazelle Run, the Terry Landis Band, Dragonfly and Same Size Feet. Most recently, you can catch him with The Evocatives (along with brothers Ezra and Walker). For two years he and Ezra ran The Gathering Space, an intimate venue for kirtan and sound art in Keene, NH. When not playing music, he enjoys time with his wife and two kids, building houses, cajons and other wooden things, rock climbing, baking and celebrating the beauty of life.

Thomas Matherly

Thomas Matherly is a multi-instrumental singer/songwriter based in Western Massachusetts. Their honest, insightful lyrics offer hopeful commentary on the themes of love, peace, and the natural world. Musically, Tom leans towards a blues and rock sensibility, their guitar underscoring versatile vocals that seamlessly range from rich baritone to soaring falsetto.

Matherly performs solo as Fissure Cat and with their latest musical project DRAiODOiR which just released their first CD in January 2025.