Category Archives: culture
When Music Becomes a Passport: The Role of Global Festivals in Preserving and Sharing Culture
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to perform at Troy Family Daze in Troy, Michigan, as part of their Global Troy celebration. I shared the stage with my trio — Jerry Gerjekian on dumbegs and George Nigosian on guitar — … Continue reading
Posted in culture, detroit, music, world music
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Old Tunes, New Energy: A Reflection from the AYF Jr. Olympics Dance
I recently had the opportunity to perform with The Hye Vibes, led by Mark Gavoor and friends, at the Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Junior Olympics in Chicago, IL. It was a weekend filled with spirited competition, tradition, and a hopeful … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, culture, music
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Michigan Creates Podcast: Gathering Insights for Season 2
Last year, I had the privilege of launching Michigan Creates, a podcast series dedicated to celebrating the incredible artists and cultural organizations that call Michigan home. From visual artists to musicians, from theater groups to community organizations, the talent across … Continue reading
Posted in art, art work, Creative Industries, creativity, culture, podcast
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Michigan Creates, New Podcast Series
For several years I served proudly on the Michigan Arts & Cultural Council (MACC) through appointments by both Governor Snyder and Whitmer. The experience I gained being a council member exposed me to abundance of artists and arts organizations in … Continue reading
Posted in art, creativity, culture, detroit, music, Uncategorized
Tagged amazon, apple podcast, Ara Topouzian, art organizations, artists, Arts, culture, fyp, marketing, michigan, michigan creates, musicians, painters, podcast, promotion, spotify, writers, youtube
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Guardians of Music Re-Airs on Detroit Public TV
On February 27th, my film documentary Guardians of Music: A History of Armenian Music in Detroit re-aired as part of Armenian night on Detroit Public Television. My film followed the world premiere of Armenia, My Home produced by Emmy award … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, armenian genocide, culture, film, Genocide, music, Reflections
Tagged Andrew Goldberg, Ara Topouzian, Armenia My Home, armenian genocide, Armenian music, art, culture, detroit, documentary, dptv, Guardians of Music, history, kanun, music, pbs, television
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The Next Generation and Cultural Continuity
Armenia, with its rich history and vibrant cultural heritage, has faced numerous challenges throughout the years. Recently, the conflict in Artsakh has left an indelible mark on the Armenian diaspora, highlighting the need to fortify cultural bonds in the face … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, armenian genocide, art, Artsakh, culture, detroit, Genocide, music, Uncategorized
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My Wife is a Curious Creative
In the several years of writing this blog, I have never dedicated a post to my wife, Della, but it is certainly about time. For those of you that personally know me, know how very proud I am of my … Continue reading
Posted in culture, Journalism, Uncategorized
Tagged America, Arts, author, Beirut, Blue Duffel Bag, culture, Curious Creative, DEI, Della Cassia, diversity, French, Immigrant, Lebanese, Lebanon, Literary Mama, writing
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A Cultural Experience Performing at The Hawk
In the last few years, I have tried to avoid writing blog posts about my performances as I am really looking to create content in these postings which may be more thought provoking or promotional of other topics. However, I … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, armenian genocide, art, creativity, culture, detroit, music, Reflections
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Musicians Reunite, No Missing Beats
This morning I was thinking about a musical gig I did the other night. Luckily now that the pandemic part of COVID seems to be behind us, playing music has picked up once again and we are seeing live music … Continue reading
Posted in Armenian, culture, Gigs, Middle Eastern music, music, world music
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HYE Times 