As the new year turns, we all have aspirational resolutions that we want to accomplish. We have all done it whether we write them down or keep them tucked in our minds. How many of those really get realized?!

I am not a fan of resolutions, but there is nothing wrong with setting goals. Goals should be realistic and obtainable. I have had those lofty goals in the past, they never got accomplished. This year, I have some basic goals which I look to achieve, they are personal to me and so I will keep those locked up in my mind for the time being. However, musically – I do have some basic goals which I hope I can get accomplished in 2018.

1. I have hundreds of cassettes in my basement in cases that contain some very rare musical performances of great Armenian and Middle Eastern musicians. I think it would take me years to accomplish this. Well, it has since I have talked about this every year – but this time I expect to try something different and only digitalize the real important ones to me first. (Right now, as we speak I am digitalizing a live cassette from 1978 recorded at Cape Cod in Massachusetts. One cassette at a time…
2. Recently I announced that I was appointed by the Governor of Michigan (Rick Snyder) to the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. I look forward to this appointment and hope to make a difference to strengthen our arts and culture community in Michigan. The creative industries in Michigan have a billion dollar economic impact and we can never do enough to provide an increased visibility for this industry. Ok, more on that later.
3. Make difference with my music. It isn’t the amount of times we perform, but how we impact others when we perform. I particularly enjoy performing for audience unfamiliar with not only Armenian music, but my heritage history. Teaching and educating a group or audience of any size to the music and expose them to history that they are unaware creates a major sense of achievement.

Happy New year to all of you and I wish you a happy and healthy…and productive 2018!