Balkan Ornamentation workshop ~ Makam workshop ~ Beginning Ney class ~ Private instruction

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New workshops — January-February 2012!

I'm thrilled to announce three new workshops for instrumentalists, starting in January 2012! May I present Balkan Ornamentation, Turkish Makam for Balkan Musicians, & Beginning Ney!

You can register for any or all of them here. (It's also on Facebook.)

Ornamentation in Balkan Melody — Sundays 12-1:30pm, in Kensington

The drive & power, finesse & sweetness, mourning & ecstasy of Balkan melody all result from the subtle inflections and ornamentations placed on & between the notes of a melody. This class will present several different approaches to ornamenting melodies, drawing from Serbian, Greek, Bulgarian, and Turkish styles (and regional sub-styles, in the case of Greek music). I will offer specific techniques for clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet, but the information can apply to many different instruments, including violin, accordion, guitar, and more.

This class will cover different styles every session or two, and while the material will build on previous weeks cumulatively, drop-ins are available by arrangement.

This class will draw at times from Turkish makam theory; while understanding makam is not a prerequisite, it will help. As such, this is an excellent companion class to my "Turkish Makam for Balkan Music" class.

Cost: $110 for the 6-class series. Single classes are $20 each.

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Intro to Turkish Makam for Balkan & Klezmer Musicians — Sundays 2-3:30pm, in Kensington

Due to centuries of Ottoman cultural influence, most Balkan (and much Greek & klezmer) music uses scales based on the Turkish makam system. Insight into makam brings a much deeper understanding of Balkan & klezmer music, and leads you to better improvisation & composition within the styles.

Makam is a modal system incorporating many extremely rich aspects, including microtonal intervals (so-called "quarter tones"), characteristic modulations & phrases, pivotal notes, and inherent melodic directionality. I'll present an overview of the most common makams used in Balkan/Klezmer/Greek music, and we'll spend some time understanding & practicing each of these aspects in the context of our particular instruments. Special attention will be given to:

This class is open to any melodic instrument, including voice and equal-tempered things (accordion, guitar). Tempered instruments will not be able to produce all the notes, but an understanding of the makam still gives insight into why melodies develop the way they do.

Note: This class will be a 6-class series, with each session building upon the previous ones; drop ins are not available except in special cases (e.g. you already have a basic understanding, and seek refinement).

Cost: $110 for the 6-class series. (Single classes not available except by special arrangement.)

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Beginning Arabic/Turkish Ney flute — Sundays 6-7:30pm, in Kensington

The ney is the soulful reed flute of Turkey and Arab lands. Often praised by Rumi and other sufi poets, it has a central place in the Mevlevi mystical tradition. This class will focus on tone production, essential breathing techniques, basic makams as applied to the ney, and simple melodies drawn from Sufi, Egyptian, & Turkish classical traditions.

Cost: $110 for the 6-class series. Single classes are $20 each.

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Private clarinet instruction

I am happy to teach beginning, intermediate, & advanced players in any of the styles I play — Balkan, Greek, klezmer, or Turkish. I can teach techniques for clarinet & trumpet, stylistic tips for other melodic instruments, & repertoire.

Cost: $50/hour at my home in Kensington (Berkeley), more at other locations.

Contact me if you're interested in private lessons.