Category Archives: Reflections

When Did That Happen?

Posted on 12/20/2021 by aratopouzian

So another year has flown by, almost behind us, and with comes another year of a pandemic. It is a bit surreal now to thing that we have been in a global pandemic for two years. It also seems that … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenian, detroit, music, Reflections | Leave a comment

Why it’s important to tell your story

Posted on 12/13/2021 by aratopouzian

Last month I had an opportunity to share my passion of Armenian music to a new audience. I was invited to present at TEDx Detroit,. Several years ago I presented at TEDx Oakland University, which was a fabulous experience and … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenian, armenian genocide, creativity, culture, detroit, music, Reflections, world music | Leave a comment

Creating Out of Nowhere

Posted on 10/28/2021 by aratopouzian

Of all times to come up with an idea for a blog post, it was while I was outside, after dinner, doing mindless yardwork. Calling it mindless is not an insult because it is not something I dread doing, I … Continue reading →

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Sweet Partridge; Performing with my daughter

Posted on 06/03/2021 by aratopouzian

We performed together for the first time a few days ago. My daughter and I played an Armenian folk song and I wanted to share the experience with you. My twelve-year old daughter, Aline is in the 6th grade and … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenian, detroit, music, Reflections | 2 Comments

The Return

Posted on 05/10/2021 by aratopouzian

It seems that, at least in the United States, we are slowly seeing that “light at the end of the tunnel” that we keep hearing about as we hopefully put the pandemic behind us and return to some form of … Continue reading →

Posted in art, covid19, culture, film, Gigs, music, Reflections | Leave a comment

What would go in your 2020 time capsule?

Posted on 12/30/2020 by aratopouzian

Creating a time capsule that captures a period of time with items that would go into a container and buried in a location only to be discovered many years later is an age-old tradition. While I was researching the origin … Continue reading →

Posted in covid19, Reflections | 2 Comments

Cultural Identity, Repeated History

Posted on 12/02/2020 by aratopouzian

105 years ago, our ancestors were driven from their homelands by the order of the Turkish government. A well documented massacre that can be easily researched for those unfamiliar with this important and dark piece of Armenian history. In order … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Artsakh, culture, Genocide, Reflections, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How I Wish To Remember Artsakh

Posted on 11/14/2020 by aratopouzian

Personal Note: This was a difficult story to write for several reasons. Initially, I wanted to be able to express my thoughts about Artsakh and the the war against the Armenians in this region – struggling to find the right … Continue reading →

Posted in Armenian, Artsakh, music, Reflections | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Year in Review – buh-bye 2019…hello 2020!

Posted on 12/31/2019 by aratopouzian

As a general rule, I have never really been fond of these year end type of blog postings as they always seem to be self serving and dare I say – boring. As I grow older (I hit the big … Continue reading →

Posted in music, Reflections | 1 Comment