Bamshad (Bob) Lotfabadi's Website

My favorite Traditional Iranian Music Singer – Shahram Nazeri

Several great things happened today besides the main topic I like to discuss here!.
In a variety of occasions I was able to communicate much stronger than the previous days. I felt that there was more challenge today, especially that the time I spent outside the house was much more than usual. Before writing about the singing class I attended today (it was for first time in my life and it was a very pleasant experience) let me write a bit about the things I did today:

> Having several heated debates with my good friend Ehsan Sh.;
> Speaking English in the Farsi-speaking society with more comfort and unwillingly getting attention;
> Being called crazy (being too outgoing as I understand) by a university student, and hence making me explain myself more and think more about the society norms;
> Being invited to a “Farsi Literature & Poetry” meeting at university for tomorrow;
> Speaking to new very good students at the university campus (hopefully my future good friends), and
> Continuing strongly through-out the classes I had today, being more involved than the other students and feeling more relief in what I did;

My First Singing Class!

I am capable of singing well “if” I practice. I went to a traditional-singing class with my friend who is a student there. He can sing very well. I am surprised to see someone this good around me in managing his voice. Anyway, I was introduced to the method people practice singing Iran’s cultural music. This is done through the traditional master-student relationship.

Arrival
When we arrived, the master was playing Taar (an Iranian musical instrument like the Guitar)
I enjoyed the healthy comfortable atmosphere. After a while all students arrived and each one on his turn, started handing in his homework: singing a piece of the assigned song that was a famous Iranian piece of poetry. Mind you, I found out later on that some of the students can play a musical instrument as well. For example one could play the violin and the other, “Daf”. “Daf” is a Middle-Eastern musical instrument which acts like a mini-drum held by two hands.

The Students
The class was a mix of students with different capabilities. Two younger boys one of age 8 and the other around 16 were also in the class. The 8 year old boy who had the best voice and was very able in singing had such an interesting cute character. He had a very powerful and influencing voice that grabbed everyone’s feelings and moved emotions around. As it was so affective it really touched me and therefore made me recorded his voice for myself, just so that I can relax with it in close future.

My Singing Test!
At the end of the class I also sang for the master so that he could evaluate my potential in becoming a success in music!! He had a cheerful positive response and so did my good friend. When asking my friend how he felt about my voice, he replied, “You have a great affective voice and you can reach better places with your voice if you practice singing from the bottom of your throat” and he taught me a few things in how to manage my voice better!

What I taught about the Master and the whole experience
The master was relatively serious and that was my only concern in this beautiful atmosphere he had set up for learning to sing. Now, will I take singing lessons in the future? Perhaps later but not now.

I’m not saying firmness is bad, but when it blocks the way to more understanding of the world, it becomes nothing but a painful burden on people’s shoulders. The master-student system I saw in the class was valuable because it kept everyone together and showed the value of the lesson. But as it stopped creativity and flexibility for the students (or maybe that’s the way it is with traditional music) it really loses its meaning. This is seen too often in the third world countries. The lesson should relate to the real life people live and offer valuable life-long help. That’s what sets that course apart from the many courses and lessons a person takes during his life. When I find my ansewer to some main questions, I will feel that it worth going for that experience: 1-What is the purpose? 2- How will it improve the life quality for me? (How will it improve my spiritual and economical power?)

I love to take more singing lessons. It is a real pleasure. But as I have more important things on my agenda at the moment, I think I will stick to getting my friend’s direct help instead of plunging seriously into the world of music

/Bamshad\

Recently I gained access to some popular music through friends whom I think have a passionate taste for what they listen to. And some things came to my mind, which I thought might be interesting to be shared with all.

It is interesting how the modern music that sooths my heart is not strictly Western nor fully Eastern. Whatever is closer to the human soul and need seems to always win the competition. What I love from the West is its passionate works on technique and desire. What I love about the East is its sincere works on the soul through out the history. But to be human, it seems that a healthy combination of both is needed. When a smart artist brings these together in a piece of art to a decent extent, there develops a tsunami of emotions in me. There needs be no limitation but only those of strict human morality.

It is very interesting how the more clever artists take advantage of both Eastern and Western music concepts in their work to offer something totally attractive and apparently new. It is not just me who likes to taste some art work that has a coordinated mixture of many cultures and nations. There are many young people across the land who love music works by artists such as ATB, Enigma, Oakenfold, Yahel, and many Western DJs who appreciate no limit in mixing and creating new albums. I see that the Iranian Pop music creators also use some of these techniques and are sometimes successful too! But usually and due to many reasons, produce low quality works of art although I think we have strong producers too such as Andy or Bizhan Mortazavi. I must confess that the Iranian Pop music doesn’t attract me as much.

I think in order for a specific team or group of artists to have a place in the era we live, the best thing would be to agree with all these changes, this coming together of the all time needs that the human beings are dependent on. (Just imagine how deep and full of wisdom the Persian literature is and how it can offer its warm support to the world of science, art, and humanity). The people should go along with the flow and show the strengths their culture or nation has in the works of science and art while appreciating the beauty in other peoples’ and nations’ lives.

We are not talking about gaining benefits. That will happen on its own. We are talking about the significant need to contribute to the ever-increasing intelligent world we live in. It’s the matter of survival. If you don’t show sincere work, eventually no-one will pay attention to you because that is not how God has defined nature. Naturally the world grows and becomes a better place and you want to take part in it. In making fantastic pieces of art, I think it is good to realize what many philosophers and scientists have said: The West has to develop through the East and the East can develop only through the West. That’s what attracts me and many others anyway when selecting a song to trust their emotions in.

/Bamshad\