HYE Times

Starbucks in Walla Walla, WA

The second and most important day for us was on Friday. For me, the day started at 3:30am local time and after taking in some of the local atmosphere and of course…Starbucks coffee, Mark, Leon, Mike and myself headed to Whitman College. We rehearsed, checked our sound and got prepared for our workshop that we would offer the college students.

During my early morning walk I stumbled on Whitman College and the hall we were to perform at…only a few miles away from the hotel.

The group clicked immediately and I got the clear sense the music was going to be very nice. The workshop was great with an engaging crowd that wanted to know about the instruments, history and our experiences playing the music. We had a number of adults there as well. (I guess not everyone does wine tasting all the time in Walla Walla!)

That night was certainly an experience for all of us. The auditorium was filled and it was standing room only. I am not bragging, its just a tad uncommon for us to constantly have such an audience for this type of event. We performed Armenian folk material mainly with music from per-Genocide in Turkey. After the first song, the crowd was very appreciative and we knew as a musical group we were in for a good time that night.

The night ended in an eruption of applause and standing ovation and as Mark put it “the energy they provided us was exhilarating!”

I am not writing this to talk about how well we were received as much as how energetic a group of musicians can be when the crowd is “into the music”. As Leon would call us “a community of musicians”, he is so right about that description. Where can you find an abundant amount of musicians that can come together virtually from around the world and with little rehearsal – play great music…without sheet? Perhaps this could be argued by musicians, but I think when it comes to ethnic music, you cant compare them to other genres.

Thank you Elyse and Whitman College and most of all Walla Walla for showing a small bundle of Armenian musicians a great time!

So many titles I could call this blog, but none seemed as fitting as just simply calling out where I traveled for a concert this past weekend — Walla Walla, Washington.

This is the furthest I have traveled west for a gig. What an interesting town. It seems as I get older, the more I am interested in the day to day culture of towns that I visit, especially as far west as Washington.

Musician and friend Mark Gavoor coordinated a concert at Whitman College and as with any type of concert so far from home, we had to travel a day earlier. This proved to be important especially as Mark got caught up in some airline troubles which got him to Walla Walla later in the evening instead of during the day like the rest of us. Sorry Marko!

My kanun arrives safe and sound in Walla Walla! Needless to say..it got a lot of stares. Not sure they see many kanuns!

It also seems that the older I become, the less interested I am in airline travel. I am not afraid of flying and have no trouble getting on or off planes – but the stress involved prior to and arriving at airports seems to intensify with age. I am not alone in this thinking as my fellow musician travelers also chimed in that the stress is sometimes over consuming.

Anyway, I arrived in Walla Walla and had the opportunity to walk the town a bit to get a little of the local atmosphere. Wine country. A fellow on the plane next to me said this city has over 176 wine vineyards, apparently gaining competition for Napa Valley, California.

Once we landed, I could certainly see what he meant. There were wine tasting stores not only on every corner, but in places – right next to each other. I was amazed. I was surprised I didn’t find them in the bathrooms! We tried one of them out – what a cool experience. The vast lands in Walla Walla are perfect orchards for growing the grapes that in turn make these…yea…expensive wines. $50 a bottle. I mentioned “two buck chuck” and got a nervous giggle out of the one wine tasting store we visited.

Ara with band mates Mike Shimmin and Leon Janikian trying out the local vino!

Later that evening, our gracious host took us to a great restaurant for dinner and we had the opportunity to meet two colleagues of hers that were in the jazz music world and one is even working on a Middle Eastern jazz album. Suffice it to say, we all got along great and had a wonderful evening. We talked about other local jazz legends and as it turns out, they knew several of the jazz legends I had the opportunity to perform with in Virginia a few years ago.

It was great to see musicians and professors embrace Armenian and Middle Eastern music. They understood the makams (scales) and did their homework for sure.

I continue to say that the world of ethnic music is a small one, but one that the jazz community has always embraced and understood. Maybe its because jazz artists understand that the music may not be the most popular genre, but one with the most soul.

Day #2 is just around the corner….

Another member of the folk music community lost his life this past month, Turkish clarinetist Selim Sesler. He was 57.

Sesler was called the “Coltrane of the clarinet” by many throughout the last few years of his life and I think I agree with the comparison. John Coltrane was a masterful musician that had a complete command of the saxophone. A pioneer of using free jazz and modal scales, I can clearly see why so many in the music world compare the two artists.

I never had the opportunity to meet Sesler but I often commented that he was one musician I would travel to see in person. He came to Chicago a few years ago and I missed that opportunity – luckily YouTube saves the day and you can see him perform on stage. The best part of these clips is his ability to enjoy the music he is playing and we see him dance around as well. Let me add that he is not playing with Turkish musicians but in most cases American musicians that love the music. I think this says much about this folk clarinetist and many other musicians that cross cultures to perform their craft.

Sesler left us too early.

Normally, I confine my posting on this blog to subjects that surround music. I simply avoid using this resource as a means to pontificate my personal views as I can do so in person or in other ways.

With that said, this posting will not betray my mission in writing for this blog, however the issue itself concerns today’s date – April 24th. It is a day of remembrance for the Armenian people. On this date, 99 years ago the Turkish government begin the massacre of 1.5 million innocent Armenians. I am able to write this blog today because of relatives that escaped the Genocide.

Next year is the 100th anniversary, which I wrote about back in February, 2014.

Today felt different from the past anniversaries which have seemed to come and go as the years moved on. Perhaps knowing we are so close to the 100th anniversary with the hope and desire that the Armenian Genocide will be acknowledged by Turkey and the United States triggers this feeling. Facebook and Twitter were on fire today with commentary and news articles marking the Genocide. Perhaps that was it?

No, it seemed to be the church service itself and the beautiful but sad music that was sung by a joint choir (for which I participated) of dozens of vocalists singing the classical Armenian hymns. Our church music is very special to me and I enjoy it very much. More so as I get older. I have a greater appreciation for the music and often wonder of its roots of composition. How was it composed and how did it sound when created enter my mind. The music is powerful. The music can transport you back 100 years or more and I would bet that the passion and feelings I feel for the Armenian liturgical music can be found in all Armenians.

The music has endured for centuries, the Armenian liturgical music can define you as it does for me. I feel at home when I hear.

God rest the souls of my Armenian brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and fathers and mothers that perished for just being Armenian.

Whenever you set out to tackle a project, especially one that involves a multitude of people, you hope that most will be supportive in a multitude of ways. Support is not always in the financial sense but just a simple “great idea” or “good luck” really can go a long way – especially depending on who says it to you.

When I started out on the venture of producing a film documentary on the history of Armenian music in Detroit I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be by my friends and the Armenian community at large. As I mentioned above, I was fully prepared for comments like “waste of time” or “whats the point of this?” commentary. To my pleasant surprise, I never received (to date!) any of those phrases. Honestly. Everyone I have spoken to about this project has been supportive and inquisitive in the positive sense. Even non-Armenian colleagues of mine have supported and continue to check on the progress of the project.

I think sometimes we are ingrained that people will be against what we are doing for reasons of jealousy or uncomprehending of a subject that we end up put our guard in place and squint waiting for the negative comments to fly in our face.

Not every idea is a winner and sometimes it makes sense to have nay-sayers shoot holes into an idea. For this project – I have had nothing but support. This support shows me that I am certainly doing a great thing. I truly feel that homage needs to be made for those Armenian musicians that settled in Detroit and made it their home and by doing so brought life again to our folk and dance songs.

I have to believe that the majority of people who enjoy learning and have interest in history want to engage in a wide variety of subjects including origins. My project has all the elements that will allow for a broad audience to want to watch and learn. The focus of Detroit has only increased in the last few years due to the negativity of bankruptcy, corruption and stereotyping. I am a firm believer that without a successful Detroit, the rest of our state will fail. Detroit is slowing making a comeback and people want to be part of it and also embrace stories surrounding Motown. It peaks their interest to hear about the Armenians — a nationality that many in the Detroit area still don’t know much about. You combine Detroit with Armenians and under a non-political story that surrounds music – you have now got people’s interests.

A story needs to be told and I feel a sense of obligation to show the heritage of my people in the melting pot of Detroit.

I have much admiration for those that write a blog. It isn’t as easy as one might think, especially when you decide that you wish to focus on a particular topic and you wish to stick to that. I have read many blogs over the years and some spark my interest and others – well, one or two postings and that’s all I am interested in. I do follow two bloggers and admire their penmanship but more importantly, I admire their themes.

Writing a blog based on a theme really taxes the brain in trying to provide good content with interest. To date, I have posted close to twenty postings on this blog, the most commitment I have ever had in writing since I was in college. I guess those journalism courses can start to finally pay off!

I really enjoy sharing thoughts and historical information as it pertains to the musical world that I have a bit part in and by viewing the stats, many of you seem to enjoy this journey as well.

For me, I want to be relevant in my writings and thus I want to try and provide readers content that they may not have heard before in other blogs. Sure, I am probably putting much thought into this, but I do so to really give my mind a work out.

Its true that you cant just make an appointment with yourself that you will sit in front of your computer or a piece of paper and say – WRITE! It never works that way, especially for me. I will end up writing “It was the best of times, and the worst of times….”. Right now, I started this blog at 11pm on a Friday night, because I couldn’t sleep and the thought came to me that I was having a writers block on another subject, but the subject of trying to be a creative blogger seemed to come natural to me.

I have said before, my good friend Mark Gavoor who has been blogging for several years is someone I admire when it comes to this social media medium. He has been an inspiration to me in keeping this blog going and to be creative. One thing I learned from his writings, which I have adopted, is that you don’t have to pound out a posting in one sitting..unless you feel compelled to do so. I take my mothers approach to writing in this sense. Write all that you can, come back and review. You will undoubtedly find things about your writing you wish to change for both flow and grammar. Outside of my mother and her fantastic journalistic talents she had, my wife is right up there with her. I marvel at people that can write stories and make them interesting and captivating to the audience. It is truly a gift.

So I write these blogs for a few reasons. First and foremost, I enjoy it. I miss writing and whenever I get a topic coming to mind that I think I want to discuss, it becomes pure enjoyment for me. Secondly, I give readers the opportunity to know me a little better as a musician. Sure, it is a great promotional tool but as this particular shows, not much to gain as a musician covering a topic about blog writing. A bit Seinfeld-esque — a story about nothing.

Now that I am warmed up – let me write about the topic that got me in front of the computer late at night. Stay tuned….

6705 West Lafayette Avenue in Detroit, Michigan probably doesn’t mean much to the average reader of this blog, but for thousands of Armenians from Detroit dating back to the 1940s, this address was a part of their rich past they will never forget. This was the address of the Findlater, also known as the Armenian Community Center. A focal point for the Armenians living in the 1940s through the early 1960s.

The Findlater was not only a gathering hall for Armenian youth groups, coffee hour, meetings and dances, but it was the site of one of the first Armenian church services in the Detroit metro area.

The Findlater as it appears today as a dance hall.

Some of the finest musicians performed at the Findlater and if the building could talk (yes, it is still on Lafayette!) I am certain the memories would be phenomenal.

A scene from November 23, 1990 with a packed hall of Armenians dancing the night away.

I remember in 1990, a reunion of sorts occurred through an organized effort simply called:  The Findlater Dance. It was held on November 23, 1990 and Armenian music was provided by the Hachig Kazarian Ensemble along with appearances from Adam Manogian (dumbeg), John Sarkisian (dumbeg), Kelly Kuchukian (oud), Eddie Arvanigian (vocals), Kazar Kazarian, (percussion), Andy Shamelian (sax), Simon Javizian (vocal) and many others. I even sat in playing tambourine. It was a great night of fun and music and I enjoyed listening to the ‘elders’ talk fondly about their old home. When the music roared, the wooden dance floor shook.

In my forthcoming film documentary, we will take a trip back to the Findlater and talk with some of the musicians that performed there and what it was like playing in this hall.

If you grew up listening to Armenian ‘kef’ music like I did, you have undoubtedly heard of Hagop (Jack) Chalikian. An Armenian kanunist.

Jack Chalikian playing kanun at Kef Tim Hartford in 2003.

You don’t read much about Jack online unless it refers to him in the liner notes of a re-released album from the 1960s. Jack often jokes about being the second fiddle to the clarinet and oud players when he would play in different ensembles. The truth was he was far from a second fiddle, in my eyes – a big part of the overall sound of an Armenian ensemble.

It was Jack that I first saw anyone play the kanun live on stage. He was and still is “old school” to me — playing kanun on a TV dinner tray, an old DeArmond pickup rubber banded to the side of his kanun and preamp to give himself a small boost of volume on stage. I certainly knew of him as a kid growing up listening to albums such as the Kef Time series and with Armenian oudist John Berberian. Watching an Armenian kanun player on stage playing the music that I loved – was rare.

The title suggests that Jack was just an inspiration to me and my playing music. He was more than just a musician that played kanun. He cared about passing the music on to the next generation. No ego, no secrecy, he wanted to make sure that those of us that enjoyed the music – continue to enjoy the music. A true artist.

I used to travel to Connecticut every November for several years to attend Kef Time Hartford, a weekend musical convention of sorts that featured some of the finest Armenian musicians of its time. This is an old event that continued for decades and I was fortunate to catch it while it was still in its hey-day. The video clip that I include in this post is not only a perfect example of the weekend that no longer exists, but a nice glimpse into the musicianship of Jack Chalikian. To me, it was pure enjoyment.  

I have told this story in person many times, but want to tell it in this blog to show you what kind of mentor he was to me. I was in my early twenties when I went to the Kef Time weekends and to be honest, all I wanted to do was party. Hence the word Kef which means party. I wasn’t looking to really learn music as much as I wanted to watch, dance, laugh and enjoy the vacation.

Jack has lived in the west coast for many years and therefore would typically arrive in Connecticut (for the Kef Time weekends) a day earlier of the night he was to perform on stage. It would be a matter of minutes when I would see him arrive in the hotel lobby with his kanuns (yes…kanunS..sometimes he traveled with two which were both tuned differently) and luggage and with a stone face expression he would tell me: “Meet me in my room in a half hour for your lesson”. He would do this every year I saw him and I never had to ask for a lesson. I remember once telling him that we can catch up later as I was going to the bar. He shot another look at me and would say “no…now”. So I went for my lessons, a few hours each year for a few years. I wish I filmed those lessons, they were valuable and I still retain much of what he taught me.

In retrospect, you could call those Kef Time weekends more of a workshop for me. In the middle of partying, I would take lessons from a master kanun player and then in the middle of the ballroom (which used to be packed in the day), he would find me somewhere in the crowd of people and motion me to come towards the stage. He would tell me (while he was playing) to stand near him and watch what he was doing. Jack would demonstrate some of the techniques he would show me during the lesson. You can not get any better than that. On the job training! 🙂

Jack and I still stay in touch, albeit not by phone as much as my a simple Christmas card we both got in the habit of sending each other many years ago. It has been a long time since I have seen him or watched him perform live on stage.  Nevertheless, a fine musician, a great teacher and a good friend.

The only way you haven’t heard that I have been fundraising for my project Detroit Hye Times is if you have been living in a hole for the last several weeks or better yet..you have been blocking me from your computer. I get it. If you are like me, you get annoyed by everyone that is fundraising for their particular cause, it can get daunting reading and reading all of the emails and stories surrounding the fundraising world. The reality is that many organization and their projects would never see the light of day if not for these efforts. I would much rather get a call from my university alma mater asking for money than a robo call political message. Wouldn’t you?

Raising funds for the Detroit Hye Times project is the least enjoyable part of this process in producing a project, but it is part of what I agreed to sign on when I received a matching grant from the Knight Foundation. In general, musicians, writers, artists hate to fund raise. It isn’t in their DNA for the most part because the creative mind doesn’t “jive” with the business side of the brain. In my opinion, this is where the “starving artist” originated. I say “their” because I actually enjoy the business side of the music world. it is equally enjoyable to promote and put together projects as it is to play music. Now, I don’t like fund-raising, but I accepted the fact that it was part oft he business a long time ago. I had a friend tell me tonight that he respects people who fund raise because it is never easy to ask for money. When it comes to cultural fund-raising, it is usually at the bottom of most charitable donations. Well, in this world – if you don’t ask, you don’t get. I am not a pushy fundraiser. If I ask and you say no, I move on. Simple as that. I respect that decision.

The famous P.T. Barnum.

When I think of the business side of the music world, I think of my good friend Mark Gavoor. A fellow musician and blogger likes to compare me with Phineas Taylor Barnum (P.T.) Barnum to the rest of us. Anyone that knows a bit of history on P.T. Barnum may say that’s offensive – but I don’t. I actually look at it as a compliment. Mr. Barnum was famous for many things, most notable was how he was able to captivate audiences with his world renown circus. He was not only a showman, but author, sound businessman and philanthropist. He once said:  “Without promotion something terrible happens – nothing”. This goes for fund-raising and my point above.

So, I may not like raising money for project, but I must. For Detroit Hye Times, it is actually an easy one to promote because I truly wish this film to be produced. It will serve as a document about an important period of history for Armenians, Detroiters, and enthusiasts of music from around the world.

Consider contributing to my Kickstarter campaign which ends March 18th. I have a little over a month to raise $5,000 otherwise anything already pledged is lost. Check it out at: http://kck.st/1efHMnk 

The new buzz word these days in economic development is crowdfunding.

Truth be told, my “daytime” passion and (steady paycheck) involves running a business association (Chamber of Commerce) while utilizing my professional background in economic development to help accomplish those goals. Ok, I wont go off on a tangent about my job, but I do want to discuss crowdfunding as I find it fascinating.

I became aware of the growing use of crowdfunding a few years ago through the Kresge Foundation. In one of the seminars, the CEO of RocketHub, Brian Meece, based out of New York visited our group to discuss how we could this valuable tool to raise capital for projects. Meece commented that in order to have a successful campaign, you needed three things: a strong project, an existing social network and a creative rewards system.

Artists around the world have been the innovators in using crowdfunding and now we are seeing entrepreneurs engaged in the art of capital raise campaigns. Much has been written about this tool and the pending legislation to regulate this tool.

For me, I am using Kickstarter. One of the early adopters of crowdfunding and one fo the most popular websites. There model is simple. You pledge an amount that you wish to obtain, assign it to a length of time for the project to be public and provide great incentives to get folks to contribute. They get a percentage of your intake, but it also allows strangers to take part in your fund-raising efforts. It is an exciting process to watch and you get a sense of how important your project can be to people. I had one backer write the following:

“I’m happy to help! I really want to see this project come to fruition. I believe that the diaspora Armenians of my​ generation do not appreciate our musical culture enough, and so this could be one way to increase exposure (along with preserving the art)”.

Kickstarter offers me some insight to my current campaign which I find interesting. For example, the most popular incentive I am offering is at the $50 level and at the time of writing this blog, I am 46% away from reaching my goal.

All artists should consider using Kickstarter or other similar websites when working on a project. It is a great way to get buy-in and create buzz.

Check out my Kickstarter project at: http://kck.st/1efHMnk