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Citi Global Encounters The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall ROMANI Music The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall of TURKEY A Program of The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall TEACHER GUIDE

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Acknowledgments

Contributing Writer / Editor Daniel Levy

Consulting Writer Sonia Seeman

Lead sponsor of Citi Global Encounters

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall 881 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10019 212-903-9670The Weill Music Institute 212-903-0925at Carnegie Hall weillmusicinstitute.org

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Table of Contents

THE BIG QUESTION ...... 4

PROGRAM TIMELINE ...... 5

GUIDE TO CITI GLOBAL ENCOUNTERS TURKEY CD ...... 6

A NOTE ON TERMS ...... 7

LISTENING TO MUSIC IN YOUR CLASSROOM ...... 8

LESSON AND ACTIVITY PLANS ...... 9 ACTIVITY 1: Freedom and Structure in the World ...... 10 ACTIVITY 2: Freedom and Structure in Music ...... 15 ACTIVITY 3: The Turkish Romani Experience ...... 19

PERFORMANCE ARTIST VISIT ...... 24 ACTIVITY 4: Freedom and Structure Project ...... 25 Project Example: Global Studies ...... 26 Project Example: English ...... 28 Project Example: Music ...... 32 Additional Project Resources ...... 43

OPTIONAL TEACHING ARTIST VISITS ...... 44 Teaching Artist Visit 1 ...... 45 Teaching Artist Visit 2 ...... 48

FINAL CONCERT: WHAT TO EXPECT ...... 51

SUPPORTING MATERIALS ...... 52 Meet the Artist Handout ...... 53 Introduction to Turkey ...... 55 Map of Turkey ...... 56 Instrument Guide ...... 57

CITI GLOBAL ENCOUNTERS TURKEY CD TRACK LISTING ...... 62

3 THE BIG QUESTION

Welcome to Carnegie Hall’s 2008–2009 Citi Global Encounters curriculum, Romani Music of Turkey. We are very excited that you and your students are joining us as we explore Romani music—one type of Turkish music—with our featured artist, Romani clarinetist Selim Sesler.

Our curriculum this year is built around a single guiding question:

What is the relationship between freedom and structure in Selim Sesler’s Turkish Romani music and my own life?

We will repeatedly return to this question throughout this year, including during your Turkish performance artists classroom visits, and also at the final concert. We believe this guided inquiry will sustain an interesting and thorough dialogue between students and teachers. As you and your students explore this question in your classroom, please keep these overarching goals in mind:

• to engage students in active musical exploration of global cultures, history, and musical practices

• to inspire students to reflect on their own cultures and look for ways to connect to new and different musical traditions

• to provide an opportunity for students to explore their potential as participants in a global musical tradition that is not their own

We are inspired by the possibilities that the 2008–2009 Citi Global Encounters program presents for everyone involved and look forward to working with you and your students.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Selim Sesler

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall PROGRAM TIMELINE

We hope that you will use this timeline as a calendar for your school year planning. The timeline provides a framework for activities to be completed before the final concert. For your convenience, we have included the dates for the selected activities and final concert.

Date Activity PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT March 5, 2009 Teachers receive an overview of the program and meet some of the artists March 7, 2009 who will perform during the final concert. ACTIVITY 1: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD ACTIVITY 2: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN MUSIC OPTIONAL TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 1 ACTIVITY 3: THE TURKISH ROMANI EXPERIENCE PERFORMANCE ARTIST VISIT Turkish musicians visit classrooms to perform and talk about their craft. ACTIVITY 4: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE PROJECT OPTIONAL TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 2 The final concert at Zankel Hall features Selim Sesler and the New York Gypsy All-Stars. At this concert, students will be invited to participate in the following ways: May 14, 2009 • sharing their impressions on the place of freedom and structure in Selim Sesler’s music (from Activities 1 and 2) • sharing their Freedom and Structure Projects (Activity 4) • improvising along with “Black Grape Seed” from Teaching Artist Visit 1

Istanbul at night

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 5 GUIDE TO CITI GLOBAL ENCOUNTERS TURKEY CD

SOLO INSTRUMENTS 1. Clarinet example 2. Kanun example 3. Darbuka example 4. Bass guitar example

SELIM SESLER SONGS 5. “Kasap Havasi” 6. “Kara Üzüm Habbesi” (“Black Grape Seed”) 7. “S¸ u Köyceğiz Yollari” 8. “Melodic Sesler” 9. “Crying for Soda, Fainting for Lemons” and “Kirmiziyi Severler” (medley)

FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE LISTENING MAP 10. “Kasap Havasi” (bass) 11. “Kasap Havasi” (drums) 12. “Kasap Havasi”: Main Melody A (clarinet) 13. “Kasap Havasi”: Main Melody B (clarinet)

MUSIC IN TURKEY TODAY This section begins with the Muslim call to prayer, the Adhan. Listen for echoes of this new tone and these kinds of melodic ornaments in Romani music and in all Turkish music, old and new. The three Turkish pop songs that follow (Tracks 15–17) demonstrate a connection to traditional instruments and sounds, as well as a clear Western influence. 14. “Adhan–Shaam” 15. “Ah Annem–Orientation” 16. “Biz Bizi–Aziza A” 17. “Prophecy–Harem Club”

PROJECT EXAMPLE: MUSIC 18. “S¸ inanari #1” (straight, slow) 19. “S¸ inanari #2” (straight, slowest) 20. “S¸The inanari Weill #3” Music (free) Institute at Carnegie Hall TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 1 21. “Kasap Havasi” (bass and drums looped from recording) 22. “Kara Üzüm Habbesi” (“Black Grape Seed”) (hand-drum rhythm looped from midi) 23. “S¸ u Köyceğiz Yollari” (darbuka break looped with drone from recording) 24. “MelodicThe Weill Sesler” Music (darbuka Institute break looped from recording) at Carnegie Hall TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 2 25. “Mastika #1” (solo, free) 26. “Mastika #2” (drum) 27. “MastikaThe Weill #3” Music (drum Institute and voice one) 28. “Mastikaat Carnegie #4” (drum Hall and voice two)

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall A NOTE ON TERMS

Please review the following terms with students before you begin the activities in this book. It may be helpful to write these terms and their definitions on the blackboard or on a large piece of paper, so that students can always reference these definitions during the class activities.

Term Part of Speech Definition Rom noun, singular A Gypsy (usually referring to a man) Roma noun, plural A group of Gypsies Romani adjective Of or relating to Gypsies

Selim Sesler performing in an Istanbul club

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 7 LISTENING TO MUSIC IN YOUR CLASSROOM

You do not have to be a music expert to lead a musical discussion! Here are some suggestions for talking about music in your classroom and tips for conducting your own active listening—and your students’, too. For your own preparation, listen to the Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD. Listen actively by posing the questions below to yourself before you listen to each track, and keep these questions in mind while you listen. Use this same method of active listening in your classroom. Rather than acting as a music expert, you can engage your students’ listening skills and help them build their observations and opinions over time. Because most of us are passive (rather than active) music listeners, we do not generally listen to music as closely as the activities in this program ask us to listen. Students may resist active listening, but will overcome this resistance as they discover the benefits of listening to music in this deeper way.

OPEN QUESTIONS Ask yourself, and then students: • “What do you notice in this music?” • “What stands out to you as you listen to this music?” • “What happens first?” • “What happens after that?” • “What qualities do we notice in this music?” (For example: fast or slow, light or dark, thick or thin, smooth or bumpy, plain or fancy) • “What sounds are creating those qualities?” • “What kinds of instruments might be making those sounds?” • “Does this remind you of any music you know? Why?” • “Can you make any connections between this music and any other music we’ve listened to?” • “What questions do you have about this music?” • “What do you imagine the creators of this music were trying to communicate to you?” • “What would you change in this music to make it more effective?” (For example: instruments, melody, speed, intensity, or lyrics)

LISTENING Try these techniques for engaging students in active listening: • Play only a short (10–20 seconds) section several times before asking any questions about it; repeat these mini-excerpts to refocus a question, or to verify what students say they hear. • Model your own observations, self-questioning, and thinking out loud for students. Students will Thelisten Weill more Music energetically Institute if you are a co-learner instead of an expert. •at Encourage Carnegie students Hall to identify specific sounds in the music and support their observations with concrete examples. Many students will want to say things like, “It makes me think of …” or “It reminds me of …” These statements may establish a personal connection to the music, but will not help them notice much about the music itself. Follow up those kinds of observations with questions like, “What is it in the music that makes you say that?” Replay the track if students Thewant Weill to point Music out Institutea specific sound in the music. •at When Carnegie talking Hall about qualities in the music (for example: fast or slow, light or dark, thick or thin, smooth or bumpy, plain or fancy), ask students to rate any quality they notice on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being a quality of low value to the music overall, and 10 being a quality of high value). • Praise active listening. People are often afraid of “getting it wrong” when talking about music. However, active listening urges students to pay closer, more sustained attention to music. By Thepointing Weill out Music to students Institute when they are actively listening, you will encourage them to actively atlisten Carnegie more often, Hall and worry less about being experts. • If specific musical terms come up in a discussion, ask speakers to rephrase their comments using more common terms. If you or one of your students becomes the music expert of the group, it may be hard to engage the class in discussion.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall LESSON AND ACTIVITY PLANS

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY ACTIVITY 1: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD

AIM: How are freedom and structure a part of my life? SUMMARY: Students explore freedom and structure in their own lives, in the world, and in music. MATERIALS: Meet the Artist Handout from Supporting Materials, Citi Global Encounters CD, Architectural Shelters Handout, Architectural Freedoms and Structures Worksheet TIME REQUIRED: 45 minutes NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 1.2, 2.3; Blueprint: Music Literacy

MEET THE ARTIST Introduce your students to Selim Sesler by presenting the Meet the Artist Handout from Supporting Materials.

Tell students: • “Read Selim Sesler’s biography and quotations about music out loud and summarize what the artist has said on a piece of paper.”

Ask students:

“Based on what we know about Selim, what might his music sound like?”

Play Selim Sesler’s “Melodic Sesler” (Track 8).

Ask students:

“Now that you have heard the music, were your guesses right?”

Use this transition to move on to a general discussion about freedom and structure.

Tell students: • “Selim Sesler is an expert at working with musical freedom and structure. To get to know his work, we will need to become experts on freedom and structure.”

FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN THE WORLD: ARCHITECTURE To beginThe creatingWeill Music a classroom Institute understanding of freedom and structure, lead students through these steps. at Carnegie Hall Tell students: • “Read the Architectural Shelters Handout, which details three different types of shelters.”

• “Think about how people living in these shelters might have used the same shelter in different ways.” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall • “Using the Architectural Freedoms and Structures Worksheet, compare the freedoms that the inhabitants have with the structural elements of these different shelters.”

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Have students—first in pairs, and then as a whole class—discuss the following questions:

• “What are some of the architectural structures we see in each image?” (For example: The camping tent uses poles, fasteners, and fabric; the igloo uses ice blocks and has an entrance tunnel; Hagia Sophia has towers and a dome.)

• “What possibilities and freedoms do the structures provide for the people who use them?” (For example: The camping tent is portable and quick to construct; the igloo can be constructed in any icy place, is safe from polar bears, and is easy to warm; Hagia Sophia allows a large group to congregate in its main space.)”

FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN POEMS With your class, brainstorm the structural elements in a poem, novel, or television show. Use “Nothing Gold Can Stay” (see the chart below) as an example of a poetic structure.

POETIC STRUCTURES

“Nothing Gold Can Stay” Structural Elements By Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold, The poem consists of eight lines. Her hardest hue to hold. Her early leaf’s a flower; The last word in each of the four couplets (or pairs of lines) rhymes. But only so an hour. Every line (except the last) has six syllables. Then leaf subsides to leaf. So Eden sank to grief, The middle two lines of each quatrain starts with a repeated word So dawn goes down to day. (“her,” “so”). The poem uses alliteration (“her hardest hue to hold,” Nothing gold can stay. “so dawn goes down to day”).

A square in Istanbul at night

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 11 Ask students:

“What freedoms are allowed within the structures of poems, novels, and television shows?”

Create working definitions of the terms “freedom” and “structure.”

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE? Brainstorm with your class to answer the following questions.

Ask students:

“Where are the places in our own lives where we can observe a structure making freedom possible?” [For example: our bodies (bones support and frame the body—no bones, no movement); governmental structures; school structures; family structures; musical structures.]

“What relationship do we see between freedom and structure in the areas we have named?” (For example: They support each other; they work against each other; they take turns; they replace each other.)

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall ARCHITECTURAL SHELTERS HANDOUT

Camping Tent Camping tents provide portable shelter with a simple structure made of poles (either interior or exterior), a durable fabric, and several varieties of fasteners including straps, clips, and fabric sleeves. Some tents are tall enough to stand in, while others are only tall enough for sleeping purposes. Most tents are free-standing, but must be secured in high winds.

Igloo Igloos are shelters erected from snow blocks in regions where the temperature is extremely cold. Some igloos are built for temporary use, while others are constructed carefully as part of intricate villages. To make an igloo, snow blocks are cut from an icy bank and the remaining hole is used as the lower half of the shelter. The blocks are stacked into a dome and a short tunnel at one end serves to reduce wind and heat. Due to snow’s insulating properties, igloos can be very warm.

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia is a Byzantine cathedral in Istanbul. When it was originally constructed, Hagia Sophia had four wings of equal size that projected from a central, square, domed crossing area. The largest feature of this monumental structure is a central dome spanning 107 feet across. The columns that hold up the dome are made of marble, and the lower parts of the walls are covered with marble slabs. Elaborately carved cornices and capitals also decorate the cathedral.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 13 ARCHITECTURAL FREEDOMS AND STRUCTURES WORKSHEET

FREEDOMS CREATED ARCHITECTURE STRUCTURES USED FOR INHABITANTS

CAMPING TENT

IGLOO

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HAGIA SOPHIA The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall ACTIVITY 2: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN MUSIC

AIM: How are freedom and structure vital to the music of Selim Sesler? SUMMARY: Students explore freedom and structure in music through Selim Sesler’s “Kasap Havasi.” MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD, Freedom and Structure Listening Map for Selim Sesler’s “Kasap Havasi,” Guide to Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD TIME REQUIRED: 45 minutes NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: Blueprint: Music Literacy, Making Connections, Community and Cultural Resources

FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE: AN UNPREPARED LISTENING Introduce the ideas of freedom and structure in music to your students.

Tell students: • “In music, as in poetry, architecture, or dance, anything that repeats more than once can be considered ‘structural.’ Repeating rhythms, melodies, bass lines, fragments, chords—all of these elements create structure. Elements that are improvised, or spontaneously created, are considered ‘free.’”

Play Selim Sesler’s “Kasap Havasi” (Track 5).

Ask students:

“Do these musicians seem more interested in freedom or structure?”

“What specifically about the music makes you say that?”

Record students’ responses in text form or as an audio file for presentation at the final concert. You’ll ask these same questions again at the end of the lesson.

Note: Please share exemplary work with the Carnegie Hall staff so we can include this work in the concert event.

HEARING MUSICAL STRUCTURES ON THEIR OWN Listen to structural elements excerpts from “Kasap Havasi” (Tracks 10–13). These excerpts, taken from the larger piece, are isolated so you and your students can hear the structured elements more precisely. (See the Guide to Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD on p. 6 for a list of these excerpts.)

Ask students:

“Do these elements sound new, or did you hear them before when we listened to the full version of the song?”

“Is it clear why musicians consider these sounds structural elements?”

Use this transition to segue to the next section of this lesson.

Tell students: • “Now that we have a sense of what these structures sound like on their own, we will listen for freedom and structure in the context of the full recording.”

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 15 READING THE LISTENING MAP Give students copies of the Freedom and Structure Listening Map for Selim Sesler’s “Kasap Havasi” (p. 18).

Ask students:

“How is the Listening Map organized?”

Note: Students will fill in the empty sections on the map later in this lesson.

Play the complete version of “Kasap Havasi” (Track 5) again and have students follow along as you read the Listening Map out loud. (Be sure to watch the time on the CD so that you can read each section of the Listening Map at the appropriate time. If it seems useful, have a student call out the time at the sectional changes indicated on the Listening Map.)

Ask students:

“Were you able to hear the freedoms and structures that the Listening Map indicated?”

“Was the Listening Map accurate, or would you change it in some way?”

COMPLETING THE LISTENING MAP Play the structural elements excerpts for “Kasap Havasi” (Tracks 10–13) again; then play the full version of “Kasap Havasi” (Track 5) again.

Show students, by example, how to fill in the “SOUNDS LIKE” sections on the Listening Map. Then have students, in pairs, complete this section themselves. Students can add words, musical notation, or drawings in response to each particular section of the music.

Stop, start, and repeat sections of the recording as needed.

Have students share their work.

Ask students:

“What did you add to the “SOUNDS LIKE” sections on the Listening Map?

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall REFLECTION Lead your students through the following reflection:

Tell students: • The“Now Weill that we’veMusic listened Institute more closely to our artist’s work, I’d like to ask you again:” at Carnegie Hall Ask students:

“Do these musicians seem more interested in freedom or structure?”

The“What Weill specificallyMusic Institute about the music makes you say that?” at Carnegie Hall

Record your students’ responses in written form or as an audio file for presentation at the final concert.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall HOMEWORK Have your students respond to the following personal questions in writing:

“What structures in your environment make your freedom possible?”

“How do you exercise your freedom?”

VariousVarious instrumentsinstruments hanginghanging inin anan IstanbulIstanbul shopshop

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 17 of the bassline bassline 4:21–end Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured Restatement improvisation) Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B beat (with some Main Melody B Structured basic of the bassline bassline 4:03–4:20 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured Restatement improvisation) Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A beat (with some Main Melody A Structured basic bassline bassline 3:41–4:02 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured improvisation) Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B beat (with some Statement of the Structured basic bassline bassline 3:22–3:40 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured improvisation) Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A beat (with some Structured basic Statement of the Free figure rhythm repeated repeated 2:44–3:21 ( D minor) Oud Solo Structured Structured Structured syncopated ( N ot playing) improvisation improvisation) Sound s L ike: beat (with some accompaniment over main chord Structured basic Free (Part 3) bassline repeated 2:21–2:43 Structured Structured Structured Structured syncopated syncopated E -flat major) ( D minor and Clarinet Solo improvisation improvisation) rhythmic drone Main Melody A beat (with some accompaniment accompaniment Structured basic over chords from Free (Part 2) bassline repeated 2:05–2:20 (G minor) Structured Structured Structured Structured syncopated syncopated Clarinet Solo improvisation improvisation) rhythmic drone beat (with some accompaniment accompaniment Structured basic over a new chord Free (Part 1) bassline repeated 1:21–2:04 Structured Structured Structured Structured syncopated syncopated Clarinet Solo improvisation over the main improvisation) Sound s like: t en i n g Ma p rhythmic drone chord ( D minor) beat (with some accompaniment accompaniment Structured basic of the bassline bassline 0:58–1:20 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured Restatement improvisation) Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B beat (with some Structured basic of the bassline bassline 0:41–0:57 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured Restatement improvisation) Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A beat (with some Structured basic bassline bassline 0:18–0:40 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured improvisation) Sound s like: Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B Main Melody B beat (with some Statement of the Structured basic bassline bassline 0:00–0:18 Structured Structured Structured Structured Structured improvisation) Sound s like: Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A Main Melody A beat (with some Statement of the Structured basic

O ud Bass K anun K eman (Violin) Clarinet Section D arbuka

Overview © 2009 © The Carnegie Hall Corporation. Carnegie Hall grants teachers permission to duplicate these pages for classroom use. e Li s an d Structur Fr ee d o m “Kasap Havasi” S elim esler’s NO T E : The shaded boxes indicate where freedom occurs in the recording. Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY ACTIVITY 3: THE TURKISH ROMANI EXPERIENCE

AIM: How do elements of freedom and structure in Selim Sesler’s music reflect the Roma’s cultural integrity within a majority culture, and more specifically the Romani tradition of economic survival? SUMMARY: Students explore Romani history and musical practice by creating a business model like that of the Roma. MATERIALS: Making It in Gotham Worksheet, The Turkish Romani Experience Handout TIME REQUIRED: 40 minutes NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 2.1 and 2.3

DO NOW Have students argue for or against this statement: • “It is important for Americans to have a layered identity: You should define yourself by your nationality first, your religious affiliation second, and your ethnicity third.”

Use the following statement as a transition to the next activity.

Tell students: • “Roma are a minority in Turkey. Romani people generally see themselves first as Turks, second as Romani, and third as Muslims. In order for us to get closer to Selim Sesler’s music, we need to explore these aspects of the Romani experience.”

IMAGINING THE EXPERIENCE Have students, in small groups, fill out the Making It in Gotham Worksheet (pp. 21–22). In this worksheet, students imagine they are in the fictional city of Gotham and create a fictional business in an area where multiple ethnic communities cohabitate.

Once students have completed their worksheets, lead them in a discussion about their responses.

Ask students:

“How did you decide what kind of business to set up?”

“What surprised you about your responses to the questions?”

THE TURKISH ROMANI EXPERIENCE Give students (who are still in small groups) The Turkish Romani Experience Handout (p. 23). This handout will give students a more detailed background on general Romani history, Romani musical traditions, and the life of Selim Sesler.

Tell students: • “Read one of the sections from The Turkish Romani Experience Handout. Be prepared to share what parts of your section relate to your Making It in Gotham Worksheet.”

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 19 Have students share with the class.

Ask students:

“How would you describe the similarities between your imagined immigrant experience and the experience of the Turkish Roma?”

“How would you describe the differences?”

“How do you think the Turkish Roma’s experiences influence Romani music?”

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TheThe Weill Sesler Music and Institute Gumus family at the annual picnic (daglik) in Kesan, 1999 at RightCarnegie to left: Hall Tom Padden; Selahattin Kocan; Sezer Gumus; Turan Gumus; Selim Sesler; Ayse; Nuran Sesler

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall MAKING IT IN GOTHAM WORKSHEET Imagine that you are a new immigrant to the imaginary city of Gotham, and you need a job. Gotham is city of many indigenous and immigrant cultures.

You and your family have to survive, so you start an independent business producing something everyone needs. Choose one business that you will start: a grocery store a clothing store a repair service a trading post (Set up a family network to bring any needed goods into a neighborhood: small plastic toys, pots and pans, or bedding. This business is completely dependent on staying in tune with local needs.) a wedding band (or other musical group)

Your business location is in The Nexus, an area where all the ethnic neighborhoods of Gotham converge. Answer the following questions about your business.

1. What will your business provide for customers?

2. How will you make sure that as many customers as possible do business with you?

3. What might cause your business to fail? How can you avoid this?

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 21 4. Name an aspect of your culture that people generally admire or even emulate (for example: manners, music, dance, poetry, cuisine, architecture, and belief systems). How can you draw on these admired aspects of your culture to strengthen your business?

5. Once your business is secure and thriving, how will you feel about your satisfied customers? How will they feel about you?

6. How will you honor your own ethnic traditions while confronting people of different ethnicities? Will you continue to speak in your language and practice your cultural traditions (such as weddings and holidays), or will you try to emulate your neighbors’ culture? Will your children learn your business when they grow, or will they go to college and pursue other interests?

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall 7. If people make fun of or insult you because of your ethnicity, will you maintain your polite manners and continue your ethnic traditions, or hide them?

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall THE TURKISH ROMANI EXPERIENCE HANDOUT ROMANI HISTORY Romani history is full of continuous struggle and persecution. Since they began moving to Europe in the 11th century, the Roma have been persecuted and treated with disrespect: European governments have often questioned their citizenship, restricted their travel, and suspended their due process (the principle that every person is entitled to the laws of a particular area). Romani people have rarely been included in any decisions regarding policies that shape their own futures.

European governments have attempted to forcibly settle and resettle the Roma, often with little success and negative results. In some cases, these governments create encampments where they forcibly place Romani immigrants. The Roma continue to live on the margins of society, and are prevented from gaining official recognition as a minority entitled to basic rights. Because the Romani people lack a single, united voice, governments have easily ignored their rights. Romani communities are scattered throughout Europe and have been isolated by continued persecution. In recent years, the World Romani Congresses (a series of forums for discussion of issues relating to Romani people that began in the 1970s) and the First Gypsy Congress of the European Union have begun helping the Roma speak with one voice.

Carnegie Hall has referenced The Patrin Web Journal (geocities.com/~Patrin) for this description.

ROMANI MUSICAL FAMILY TRADITIONS Romani musicians are often born into—and thus trained by—families of professional musicians. While young Romani children attend neighborhood schools, male children also have ongoing musical education at home. Some fathers make miniature instruments available as toys for young toddlers. When they are older, male relatives help with coaching, and mothers often provide guidance by singing melodies and correcting their sons’ interpretations.

MUSIC MAKING In contemporary Turkey, Romani professional musicians perform several kinds of music in various settings, such as nightclubs, restaurants, and taverns, where they play light Turkish classical music (fasil ) and popular music requests; radio and television station broadcasts; community celebrations, such as weddings, name-day ceremonies, circumcisions, and soldier-send off (as military service is mandatory in Turkey); and studio recording sessions in big cities.

THE MUSICAL LIFE OF SELIM SESLER Selim Sesler’s life story exemplifies the typical musical life of a Romani musician, because he began as a regional musician from a small town and then trained to perform in many different kinds of settings thoughout Istanbul, eventually touring abroad. Selim was born in 1957 in the Turkish Thracian town of Kesan. The men in his family are professional musicians: his father played zurna (double-reed folk instrument) and then learned clarinet when he served in the army. Most of Selim’s ancestors and other relatives were also zurna players. Selim and his older brother learned clarinet by sneaking it out while their father was out of the house. When Selim was 12, his father took him to play at his first wedding. From that point on, Selim began to play in the surrounding villages for Romani and non-Romani communities. In 1982, Selim moved his own young family to Istanbul to earn a better living. There, he played for an amateur classical music ensemble, a local theater, and nightclubs. Selim also recorded his first Romani dance music LP.

The above descriptions have been provided by Sonia Seeman.

—Sonia Seeman is Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Texas at Austin. Her articles have appeared in the Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, Ethnomusicology Forum, and Music and Anthropology. Seeman also co-produced the ethnographic recording Roads to Kesan with Selim Sesler.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 23 PERFORMANCE ARTIST VISIT: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE IN TRADITIONAL ROMANI MUSIC

AIM: What are the traditional Romani musical structures for rhythm, melody, and improvisation? SUMMARY: Students perform and manipulate the building blocks of Romani music.

An expert practitioner of traditional Romani music will lead your students in a workshop in which the students will: • speak, clap, graphically notate, and perform some of the songs that will be performed at the concert, as well as other traditional rhythmic and melodic structures that Selim Sesler uses in his music • actively shape improvisations performed by the musicians as a way of exploring freedoms within traditional rhythmic and melodic structures (for example: students combine elements from their own musical culture with traditional Romani structures) • verbally respond to a live performance by the musicians, including noticing their personal use of freedom and structure

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

The Weill Music Institute Vegetableat Carnegie stand Hall in Istanbul

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall ACTIVITY 4: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE PROJECT

AIM: What are our ideas regarding freedom and structure in global studies, English, and music? SUMMARY: Students work individually, in small groups, or with the entire class to create a research project. MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD, Project Support Materials TIME REQUIRED: At least two class periods (possibly more depending upon the depth of your class’s project) NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 2.3; Blueprint: Making Connections

We encourage teachers and students to create Freedom and Structure Projects using the knowledge and experience that they have gained from studying Selim Sesler and Romani music. Teachers will decide whether students will work on these projects individually, in small groups, or together as a class. Regardless of the size of the group(s) within the class, teachers will choose only one subject area— either global studies, English, or music, as outlined in the Project Example materials on the following pages—to be the content of all projects.

We recognize that every classroom teacher has certain areas of expertise. We invite classroom teachers to choose subject areas with which they are comfortable for these two (or more) Freedom and Structure Project lessons. Please use the Project Example materials on the following pages as a guide for your classroom work, but also feel free to let the projects take form naturally.

PROJECT PARAMETERS FOR FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE PROJECTS • can be created by individual students, small groups, or the entire class • should include some of the ideas about freedom and structure that are at the center of our guiding question (p. 4) • should include a connection with Romani music or culture • should include creating an artifact or documentation that can be shared both in class and at the final concert • should involve a minimum of two class periods of work • can be drawn from the examples provided, or can be freely invented • can involve collaboration with arts specialists in your school

The materials on the following pages present some project possibilities for the following subject areas: • global studies (pp. 26–27) • English (pp. 28–31) • music (pp. 32–35 )

ADDITIONAL PROJECT RESOURCES We have also included a list of additional web resources that might be helpful as you plan and create your projects (p. 43). These resources might provide inspiration for additional starting points for brainstorming.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 25 PROJECT EXAMPLE: GLOBAL STUDIES AIM: How can Turkey’s social structure affect the freedoms of the Romani people? SUMMARY: Students use the iconography of the Romani and Turkish flags and make personal connections with the social freedoms and structures the flags represent. SUMMARY: Students plan and create research projects. MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD, Project Support Materials

PART 1: A NEW AMERICAN FLAG Tell students: • “The new President and Congress of the United States have agreed that the United States needs a new flag. You have been commissioned to create it. Draw a combination of shapes, colors, objects, and animals that will represent the United States. Remember to honor all cultures and religions of the United States in your drawing, and be sensitive that you do not offend any of these cultures or religions.”

Have students compare their flags.

Ask students:

“What are the meanings behind the colors and symbols on your flags?”

Have students argue for or against this statement: • “The United States is too culturally complex to design a flag that will honor all of its cultures and religions, and will not offend anyone.”

PART 2: EXPLORING THE ROMANI AND TURKISH FLAG Have students use the support materials on p. 27 to decode the Romani and Turkish flags, and to make a connection between the flags’ symbolism and the freedoms and structures of Turkish culture. Have students then connect their own lives with what they have learned about social freedoms and structures in Turkish and Romani cultures.

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR GLOBAL STUDIES PROJECT EXAMPLE

ABOUT THE ROMANI FLAG The Romani flag is the international flag of the Romani people. It was created by the General Union of the Roma in 1933, and approved by international representatives at the first World Romani Congress in London in 1971. The background of the flag is blue and green, and represents the heavens and earth, respectively; the blue parts of the flag also symbolize eternal spiritual values, and the green parts symbolize earthly values. The Romani flag also contains a red chakra (“spoked wheel”), in the center; the chakra represents the migratory heritage of the Roma and links them to their Indian origins (the 24-spoked Ashok Chakra is in the center of India’s national flag).

ABOUT THE TURKISH FLAG The flag of Turkey contains a white crescent moon and a star on a red background. In Turkish, the flag is called Ay Yildiz (“moon star”) or Alsancak (“red banner”). Though the crescent and the star are generally regarded as Islamic symbols today, these symbols were used throughout Asia minor (an area of the Middle East comprising most of Turkey) long before the advent of Islam. Countless theories exist about the meaning of the crescent and the star: According to one theory, the crescent has its roots as livestock branding or stamping, used by nomadic Turkish clans of central Asia; another legend says that Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire (an area that once spanned southeastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East), had a dream in which the crescent moon stretched from one end of the earth to the other. According to Turkish legend, red represents dominance by consent, and white represents power, justice, exaltation, and purity.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 27 PROJECT EXAMPLE: ENGLISH

AIM: What qualities of the Romani experience are reflected in the lyrics for the songs “Crying for Soda, Fainting for Lemons” and “Kirmiziyi Severler”? SUMMARY: Students plan and create research projects. MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD, Project Support Materials

PART 1: A NEW NATIONAL ANTHEM Tell students: • “The US President and Congress have agreed that America needs new lyrics for the national anthem, ‘The Star-Spangled Banner.’ You have been commissioned to write these lyrics.”

• “Using the existing lyrics (p. 30) and melody as a template, write new lyrics to represent your personal point of view about the United States. Decide if your lyrics will be celebratory, critical, or a combination of the two viewpoints.”

Have students sing and compare their lyrics.

Ask students:

“Which specific lyrics—celebratory, critical, or both—do you think truly reflect your feelings about the United States?”

“Do any of the lyrics have more than one potential meaning?”

PART 2: EXPLORING ROMANI SONG LYRICS Play Selim Sesler’s recording of the medley including “Crying for Soda, Fainting for Lemons” and “Kirmiziyi Severler” (Track 9), and have students look at the printed lyrics (p. 30). Both songs are popular in Turkey, and “Kirmiziyi Severler” is considered the unofficial Romani national anthem.

Have students use the support materials on p. 30—which contains lyrics to both songs—to decode the meaning in the two songs.

Ask Thestudents Weill the Music following Institute questions about “Crying for Soda, Fainting for Lemons”: at Carnegie Hall “Who is singing these lyrics? Why would no one go near a ‘lemon squeezer’?”

“Is this song serious, ironic, or comical? How does the singer feel about the wedding guests who are ‘crying out for soda, fainting for lemons’?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Ask students the following questions about “Kirmiziyi Severler”:

“What do the lyrics tell you about the Romani people?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Ask students the following questions about both songs:

“Why would these lyrics be chosen for a national anthem? What connection can you make between the lyrics and what you have learned about social freedoms and structures in Turkish and Romani cultures?”

“What are some of the popular songs you know that observe or comment on social freedoms and structures in your own culture?”

Cappadocia in eastern Turkey

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 29 SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR ENGLISH PROJECT EXAMPLE

“The Star-Spangled Banner” Lyrics by Francis Scott Key

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

The original tune used for “The Star-Spangled Banner” was borrowed from an English drinking song written around 1780. By 1798, this melody had been used to create many new songs, including songs that praised former US presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. Francis Scott Key would have been quite familiar with this melody when he published his lyrics to the “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1814 and used this melody. Not until 1916 was “The Star-Spangled Banner” designated the US national anthem by Woodrow Wilson.

“Crying for Soda, Fainting for Lemons” and “Kirmiziyi Severler” Lyrics and Music by Kadir Üründülcü

(Instrumental Main Melody)

I came to dance, to dance, To throw the belly at weddings. They call me “lemon squeezer” And no one comes near me.

Refrain: They are crying out for soda, fainting for lemons.

(Clarinet Solo, and Instrumental Main Melody)

HeadscarfThe Weill around Music my waist,Institute I swear I hadat everyoneCarnegie look Hall at me. Headscarf around my waist, I swear I had everyone look at me. They call me “lemon squeezer” And no one comes near me. The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Refrain: They’re crying out for soda, fainting for lemons.

(musicians transition into “Kirmiziyi Severler”) The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Those that love red are proud of each other Romani [people] are this way Their hearts can’t live without playing.

Let the person be Romani Even if he’s made from mud God also created him Whomsoever he be, let him be [Romani].

(Violin Solo)

A NOTE ON THE LYRICS:

• “Throw the belly” refers to bellydancing as wedding entertainment. Romani musicians are often experts at accompanying professional dancers. Bellydancing is popular throughout Turkey and the Middle East.

• Soda water with fresh-squeezed lemon is a popular drink in Turkey; the host or caterer is responsible for providing refreshments for the wedding party.

• In Turkey, a headscarf worn on a woman’s head is a public expression of commitment to Islam. Wearing a headscarf around one’s waist might be considered inappropriate, provocative, or ambiguous.

• Romani people believe that those who wear red are protected from harm, for red connotes love and fertility. For these reasons, brides throughout the Mediterranean (an area which includes Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Croatia) wear red veils on their wedding days.

Selim Sesler playing for musicians of Trakya’nin Sesl at a restaurant, Istanbul, 1999 Right to left: Ramazan Borozan; Nusret Sute; Turan Gumus. Seated: Selim Sesler with clarinet.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 31 PROJECT EXAMPLE: MUSIC

Your students can choose from three different options for this project, depending on their areas of expertise.

OPTION 1: PLAYING ROMANI MELODIES AIM: How does performance of Romani melodies affect our understanding of Romani culture? SUMMARY: Students rehearse and perform a traditional Romani melody. TIME REQUIRED: 60–90 minutes

Have students play or sing “Kasap Havasi” (Tracks 12 and 13).

Note: We have included sheet music (in several different keys) on pp. 39–42. Experiment with these different keys until you settle on a key that all of your students are comfortable with.

OPTION 2: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE: IMPROVISATION AIM: How does our featured artist make the most of freedom and structure in musical improvisations? SUMMARY: Students connect their own lives to musical improvisation. TIME REQUIRED: 60–90 minutes

Lead your students in the Teaching Artist Visit 1 lesson.

OPTION 3: “S¸ INANARI”—MELODY AND ORNAMENT MUSIC LESSONS AIM: How does Selim Sesler create Romani-style melodic ornamentation? SUMMARY: Students establish the idea of ornament using their prior knowledge, establish a physical familiarity with the melody of the Turkish song “S¸ inanari,” and discover the musical ornaments that typify Romani clarinet playing. TIME REQUIRED: 60–90 minutes

PART 1: ENTRY POINT—PERSONAL ORNAMENTS Define personal ornaments (for example: objects that beautify the body, or function as amulets or “love letters” in courtship; expressions of individual and group identity; markers of age, class, gender, wealth, or social status).

Have students, in pairs, create outlined line drawings of the human figure. The Weill Music Institute Haveat students Carnegie add Halltheir own drawn personal ornaments with colored markers. Post the students’ work on the wall.

Ask students:

“How do you know what kinds of personal ornaments to add?” The“What Weill isMusic too much?” Institute at Carnegie Hall “What is not enough?” “What style or kind of ornament do you prefer or dislike?” “Where do you think that preference originated?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie“What effect Hall does someone’s personal ornaments have on your perception of that person?”

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Have students take a look at the ornamented figures on the wall. Ask students:

“What are the effects of ornamenting a human being?” “When does an ornament obscure the person underneath the ornament?” “When does a personal ornament make the wearer more vibrant or interesting?”

Have students, in pairs, create new outlined line drawings of human figures. Then have them add their own drawn personal ornaments to bring out certain human qualities or make a specific impression.

PART TWO: GETTING TO KNOW “S¸ INANARI”—BASIC MELODY HEARING AND DRAWING THE MELODY Play “S¸ inanari #1” or “S¸ inanari #2” (Tracks 18 and 19).

Ask students:

“As we play the song again, try singing along with the melody. As we play it a third time, try singing along and draw what you hear in the air as the music plays.”

Have students trace the ups and downs of the melody with colored markers and paper, starting and stopping as “S¸ inanari” plays. Repeat each track several times. The object of this exercise is not to see who gets it right, but rather to start listening more closely than we usually do. You may need to model this process for the students so they get the idea of how simple this is; use a well-known tune for modeling, rather than “S¸ inanari.”

In pairs, have students compare drawings, listen again, and make adjustments and corrections for details.

Ask students:

“What kinds of notes does this melody use?” “What is the shape or contour of this melody?” “What kinds of emotions, images, and thoughts do you have as you hear this melody?” “How is this melody the same as or different from melodies you listen to?”

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 33 SINGING THE MELODY Have students sing “S¸ inanari,” using the sheet music included at the end of this lesson as a guide (p. 36–39).

Ask students:

“What kinds of notes does this melody use?”

“What is the shape or contour of this melody?”

“What kinds of emotions, images, and thoughts do you have as you hear this melody?”

“How is this melody the same as or different from melodies you listen to?”

PART THREE: GETTING TO KNOW S¸ INANARI—ROMANI STYLE Lead your students through the following steps as they encounter an ornamented version of the song. Play “S¸ inanari #3” (Track 20), and tell students:

• “Clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski performs this song.”

• “As I play the song again, use colored markers and paper to sketch the ups and downs, and starts and stops of the melody as ‘S¸ inanari #3’ plays.“

Note: You can also have students graphically notate any ornaments they hear on sheet music using colored markers.

Ask students:

“How is this performance different from the one we just tried to draw? [For example: There are ‘extra’ notes or ornaments, slides up and falls down, hiccups, trills (going back and forth between two notes very quickly for just a split second), octave displacements (suddenly jumping up or jumping down for one or two notes), melodic extensions (adding little runs of notes), jumpy bits, fluttery moments; it’s less predictable, more playful).]

CreateThe a listWeill of the Music words Institute students invent to describe the ornaments, and refer to it whenever possible. at Carnegie Hall

Ask students:

“On a scale of 1 to 10, straight to fancy, how fancy is it?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie“What questions Hall would you ask the musician about this way of playing?”

“What time of day would be the right time to listen to this performance of ‘S¸ inanari’?”

“How does this specific performance change the way you experience the melody?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall “What kinds of emotions, images, and thoughts do you have as you hear this version of the melody as opposed to the first two versions we heard?”

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Connect this listening exercise to the entry point lessons in this sequence.

Tell students: • “The ‘extra’ notes, slides, falls, hiccups, and trills we noticed in Ismail’s playing are called ornaments. In Turkish, süsleme refers to both personal decoration and musical ornament.”

Ask students:

“What connections can you make between Ismail’s way of playing this melody and the work we did with personal and architectural ornaments?”

“How would you compare personal, architectural, and musical ornaments?”

“Did the ornaments we observed have any of the qualities that we heard in Ismail’s version of the song?”

“How do we define ‘musical ornament’?”

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 35 SINAS¸ INANA NARIRI (Turkish folk melody)

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© 2009 The Carnegie Hall Corporation. Carnegie Hall grants teachers permission to duplicate these pages for classroom use. The Weill Music Institute 36 at Carnegie Hall Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall KASAP HAVASI (at concert pitch) Composer: Selim Sesler composer: Selim Sessler

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Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 39 KASAP HAVASI (for B-ﬂat instruments) Composer: Selim Sesler q »104 composer: Selim Sesler A

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall KASAP HAVASI (for E-ﬂat instruments)

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Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 41 KASAP HAVASI (for bass clef instruments)

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall ADDITIONAL PROJECT RESOURCES

SUGGESTED ONLINE SOURCES FOR ROMANI CULTURE

The Patrin Web Journal: Romani Culture and History geocities.com/~Patrin/patrin.htm

Romani Homepage romani.org

ONLINE VIDEO RESOURCES

“Melodik Sesler” (4:15) youtube.com/watch?v=uzTvI-MmF7I

“Sehnaz longa” (3:17) youtube.com/watch?v=QUloCsXtChU

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 43 OPTIONAL TEACHING ARTIST VISITS

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 1

AIM: How do our artists make the most of freedom and structure in their musical improvisations? SUMMARY: Students connect their own lives with the practice of musical improvisation. MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD TIME REQUIRED: 60 minutes US STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 1.2, 2.3; Blueprint: Music Literacy, Music Making

CREATE A MAXIM Lead students through the activity of creating maxims to use in this exercise around improvisation.

Tell students: • “Generate short phrases, observations, or maxims comprising up to 10 words.” (For example: ‘Don’t cry over spilt milk.’; ‘Ain’t no stoppin’ us now.’; ‘How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.’)

• “Write your maxim on a strip of paper, fold the strip of paper, and place it in a box.”

Model the process of improvising for students through the actions below: 1. Choose a text from the box (have text already chosen). 2. Play one of the four accompaniment tracks from the Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD (Tracks 21–24). Have an accompaniment already chosen. 3. Say the phrase three times rhythmically along with the accompaniment. 4. Improvise with the text (repeating, fragmenting, and extending). 5. Repeat the original phrase three times.

Example:

PHRASE: You get what you get, and you don’t get upset You get what you get, and you don’t get upset You get what you get, and you don’t get upset

IMPROVISATION 1 (repeating): You get, you get, you get get get You don’t, you don’t, and you don’t don’t get What what what you don’t get, you don’t get—a what what

IMPROVISATION 2 (fragmenting): Get, g-get, g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-get-et what you get Y-g-g-g set, y-g-g-g set Et et set set what you up-up-up-up-set

IMPROVISATION 3 (extending): What you get is what you get is what you want is what you need You need what you want, so you feed the need Do you get it? Do you got it? If you get it, will you want it? Who’s the giver? Who’s the getter? PHRASE:

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 45 Ask students:

“What did we just do?” (For example: we repeated, fragmented, and extended.)

“What was the relationship between the music and the text?”

“Was that a good or not-so-good musical choice to accompany that text? Why?”

CHOOSE A MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT Lead students through the process of choosing a musical accompaniment.

• Have each student draw one random text from the box. Play 30-second clips of the four accompaniment samples on the Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD (Tracks 21–24).

Ask students:

“Which of these tracks will work best with the chosen text?”

“How could you adapt your spoken performance for each musical accompaniment?”

“Would it be easier to improvise with or without accompaniment?”

IMPROVISE WITH A MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT Have five students volunteer to perform their texts along with one of the accompaniment tracks. They should try each of the four instrumental samples. 1. Begin playing one of the four accompaniment tracks. 2. Have performers say their text or phrase three times (rhythmically) along with the accompaniment. 3. Have performers improvise with the text (repeating, fragmenting, and extending). 4. Have performers repeat the original phrase three times.

Note: Please share exemplary accompanied texts with the Carnegie Hall staff so we can showcase these student performers in the final concert. The Weill Music Institute HEARatING Carnegie OUR ART HallIST IMPROVISE Preview the discussion questions below and have the whole class listen to Selim Sesler’s recording of “Kara Üzüm Habbesi” (“Black Grape Seed”) (Track 6).

Ask students: The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall “What do we notice about this improvisation?”

“Where was the artist’s use of repeating, creating fragments, or extending especially effective?”

The“Why Weill might Music the Institute artist’s musical improvisation be easier or harder to create than our textual at Carnegieimprovisations? Hall Can you be specific?”

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall SUMMARY AND REFLECTION Lead your class in a discussion of the recordings you just listened to. Think about and discuss the following questions:

Ask students:

(For all classes) “How does the artist’s use of freedom compare with your own?”

“How can we share this work with other students at the concert?”

(For music classes only) “What musical structures make the artist’s free improvisation possible?”

“What does the artist do with his freedom?”

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES Brainstorm with students and come up with a list of things people can discover in their lives. Pick one item from the list and have students write a short poem or essay about it. Have each student find a recording of instrumental music (or use one of the instrumental accompaniment tracks on the Citi Global Encounters Turkey CD) that works well with his or her poem. Then, have students practice improvising the text with the music, and perform their accompanied poems for the class.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 47 TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 2 Note: The teaching artist and classroom teacher should discuss these lesson options, and then together choose and plan one lesson before the second teaching artist visit. Option 1 allows time for the teaching artist to support students’ ongoing projects. Option 2 is a music lesson that delves deeper into freedom and structure in Selim Sesler’s clarinet playing.

OPTION 1: TEACHING ARTIST SUPPORTS STUDENT PROJECTS

AIM: How can our teaching artist support our Freedom and Structure Projects? SUMMARY: Students make use of the teaching artist’s musical skills and insights to shape and enhance their work. MATERIALS: See the materials provided for each Project Example in Activity 4. TIME REQUIRED: 45 minutes NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 2.3; Blueprint: Making Connections

The teaching artist and classroom teacher create a workshop that will support students’ ongoing projects, according to the individual needs of each classroom. For this lesson, teachers may ask Carnegie Hall to provide support materials, such as sound, video recording, and editing equipment to document students’ work.

OPTION 2: FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE: RHYTHM, MELODY, AND ORNAMENTS

AIM: What are the qualities of Selim Sesler’s Romani-style free melodic ornaments? What rhythmic structures are distinctly Romani? SUMMARY: Students compare the Karshilama rhythms with rhythms of American dance music. Students apply their understanding of ornament to the Turkish melody “Mastika.” MATERIALS: Citi Global Encounters CD TIME REQUIRED: 45 minutes NYC AND STATE STANDARDS: NYS Social Studies: 2.1, 2.3; Blueprint: Music Making, Music Literacy

THE RHYTHM OF KARSHILAMA Play the solo clarinet version of “Mastika” (Track 25).

Tell students to imagine that they are at a party.

Ask Thestudents: Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall “At your party, what song will you play to get everyone dancing?”

“What is the basic beat or rhythm of this song? Sing it or tap it on a table.” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie“Is there a Hallparticular dance style that goes best with this song?” “How fast should a song be for dancing?”

“What is too fast for dancing? What is too slow for dancing?” The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Tell students: • “Most music in the United States has rhythms that are organized in groups of fours; you can hear groups of four beats when you listen to this music. We are so used to hearing these groups that it is easy to tap our feet to the pulse of the music.”

Ask students:

“Do you know any music in which the rhythms are not organized in fours?”

Have students describe this music.

Play “Mastika #2” (Track 26) recorded with a drum playing the pulse. Have your students try to clap along with the basic pulse as played by the drum without your help.

Note: American students and teachers may not be able to clap along with these rhythms easily. Practice clapping these rhythms so that you are more comfortable leading your students in this activity.

Play “Mastika #2” (Track 26) again. While the music plays, have students (in pairs) try to count out and clap the basic beat. Ask for pairs of student volunteers to demonstrate counting and clapping while the music plays.

Ask students:

“Who can tap the basic beat of this music on their own?”

“What number is organizing the pulses in this song?”

Play “Mastika #3” and “Mastika #4” (Tracks 27–28), recorded with a drum and two different counting methods that are spoken out loud along with the music. While the music plays, have students tap and say the numbers along with the recordings, and try to continue even after the counting voice fades out.

Ask students to volunteer tapping and counting out loud.

Ask students:

“Which counting method do you find easier?”

“How would you define the numbers that organize the pulses of this song?”

“What kind of dance do you think goes along with this music?”

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 49 Tell students: • “This song is called ‘Mastika,’ and its rhythm known as Kars¸ ilama. Kars¸ ilama is an important dance rhythm in Turkish folk music, especially for Romani musicians.”

• “We have been listening to simplified versions of the melody so that we could focus on the rhythm of the song. Here is the way the melody sounds when played in the Romani style by clarinetist Ismail Lumanovski.”

Play “Mastika #1” (Track 25) for the class.

Ask students:

“How is this version different from the melody we have been listening to?”

“Which version of ‘Mastika’ do you prefer? Why?”

Note: You may want to play all versions of the song (Tracks 25–28) to help students decide which version they prefer.

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The Weill Music Institute IstanbulIstanbulat Carnegie streetstreet Hall marketmarket

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall FINAL CONCERT: WHAT TO EXPECT

On May 14, 2009, you and your students will attend the final concert of this program in Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall. A host will welcome you to the event and guide you through the entire concert.

Selim Sesler and his ensemble will perform several pieces, some of which you will be familiar with from these curriculum materials. During the concert, students from your class and other classes involved in the Citi Global Encounters program will have opportunities to share some of their work from this year’s program.

Students will be invited to participate by: • sharing their impressions on the place of freedom and structure in the Selim Sesler’s music (Activities 1 and 2) • sharing their Freedom and Structures Projects (Activity 4) • improvising along with “Black Grape Seed” from Teaching Artist Visit 1

Note: If you have something that you would like to share at the event, please notify the Carnegie Hall staff or your teaching artist at least one month before the concert.

Student participating in a school concert at Carnegie Hall

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 51 SUPPORTING MATERIALS

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY MEET THE ARTIST HANDOUT SELIM SESLER

SelimSELIM Sesler SESLER

Selim Sesler was born into a family of professional reed horn musicians in 1957 in Kesan, a village located in Edirne, Turkey. During the 1960s, many children from drum and reed-horn musician families began to play Turkish classical ensemble instruments; Sesler learned to play the clarinet.

Already a regular performer at weddings and fairs by age 14, Sesler set out with Romani, or Gypsy, musician friends to play in Istanbul by the mid-1980s. He gained experience and recorded a lot of material by playing at restaurants, performing at the Ferhan Sensoy Theater, and continuing to play at Romani and non-Romani weddings. In 1998, Sesler got the chance to tour Canada with Canadian folk singer Brenna MacCrimmon, which afforded him the opportunity to represent his Turkish Romani and Rumelian (a term used during the Ottoman Empire to refer to a region in the southern Balkans) roots. Drawing from his eclectic musical experiences, Mr. Sesler developed a repertoire and musical style deeply reflective of his region.

Selim Sesler now performs as a solo and collaborative musician. He is known for his master improvisations and repertoire of dance melodies and wedding airs. Aside from being invited to play at many important festivals in countries including Germany, France, and Sweden, Mr. Sesler has performed many special concerts and taught at music workshops across the United States over the past two years.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 53 SELIM ON IMPROVISATION “I play my own compositions, and I also play Balkan styles, Romani style, and traditional authentic music. I also play Turkish classical music. After all, our specialty is that kind of music.

“Improvisation—that is between me and my clarinet. For improvisation, there is no notation. Improvisation is something that comes from the brain, from the soul, from the heart, and goes through the clarinet. There is no set form—it’s a form of inspiration.”

SELIM ON MUSICAL STRUCTURE “There is no such thing as working on a makam [a structured group of notes used in Turkish music]. If you want to, move from one makam to another … But it must be pleasing to your ear. Now if you start to move towards a makam as if you are falling down on a branch, it will be harsh to your ear—in other words, it will be ugly.

“Within the Turkish classical makam system, you have to play without disturbing the ear. This is in all music, and in Romani music. There is music theory. Those who know theory know this. But some who play do not know this. They do not have the ability. If you cook without using salt, then it becomes a tasteless dish. If you add salt, what happens? Does it not add flavor? These things are like that. That is, you play well if you are able to play tastefully, but if you do not, you cannot play. It is that basic.”

SELIM ON THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROMANI AND NON-ROMANI MUSIC “There is not a clear difference between Romani music and Turkish music. But of course Romani music is more kıvrak [in other words, more agile and lively], more merry. Turkish music is a bit slower, and more heavy. This liveliness is from our soul. Romani style is something that comes from within. This is feeling. The ear is able to listen well. We have this. Romani musicians play warmly; non-Romani musicians play cold.

“There are non-Romani clarinetists, but in their entire lives they cannot play like the Roma, cannot play lively like us. Their feeling is missing, the melodic phrases are missing. I still check it out; I listen, and sometimes they do not do the koma [microtones particular to Turkish music] right. They cannot make it The Weill Music Institute lively.at O Carnegieur style is Hall to give feeling to music, to feel it well so that people will say, ‘What beautiful melodies; how did he do that?’”

TheseThe quotes Weill are Music taken from Institute interviews with Selim Sesler and his son Ramazan Sesler in Istanbul, Turkey, conductedat Carnegie by phone Hall by Sonia Seeman, October 6, 2008. Reprinted with permission of Sonia Seeman.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall INTRODUCTION TO TURKEY Turkey is a Eurasian country that stretches across the Anatolian peninsula in western Asia and Thrace in southeastern Europe. Turkey borders eight countries: Bulgaria to the northwest; Greece to the west; Georgia to the northeast; Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the southeast. The Mediterranean Sea and Cyprus are to the south; the Aegean Sea and Archipelago are to the west; and the Black Sea is to the north. Separating Anatolia and Thrace are the Sea of Marmara and the Turkish straits (the Bosporus and the Dardanelles), which are commonly reckoned to delineate the border between Asia and Europe, thereby making Turkey transcontinental.

Due to the country’s strategic location astride two continents, Turkey’s culture has a blend of Eastern and Western tradition. Turkey has come to acquire increasing strategic significance, as it is a powerful regional presence in the Eurasian landmass with strong historic, cultural, and economic influence in the area between the European Union in the west and Central Asia in the east, and Russia in the north and the Middle East in the south.

Turkey is a democratic, secular, unitary, constitutional republic whose political system was established in 1923 under the leadership of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, following the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the aftermath of World War I. Since then, Turkey has become increasingly integrated with the West. Turkey began full membership negotiations with the European Union in 2005. Meanwhile, Turkey has continued to foster close political, economic, and industrial relations with the Eastern world, particularly with the states of the Middle East, Central Asia, and East Asia.

Istanbul (known earlier in its history as Byzantium and later Constantinople) is Europe’s most populous city and Turkey’s cultural and financial center.T he city covers 27 districts of the Istanbul province. It is located on the Bosporus Strait and encompasses the natural harbor known as the Golden Horn in the northwest of the country. It extends both on the European and on the Asian side of the Bosporus, and is thereby the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents.

INTRODUCTION TO ROMANI MUSIC AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Various groups collectively referred to as “Gypsy” moved into the Anatolian peninsula (or present-day Turkey) as early as the 11th century. Three of the Gypsy groups can be found in present-day Turkey: Dom (Middle Eastern groups that speak a dialect called Domari), Lom (people who speak Lomavren, a language with Armenian elements), and Roma (European groups that speak a language known as Romanes, which contains many Greek words). The Roma used bears for entertainment, fortune telling, and warding off the evil eye. In addition to entertainment with trained animals, Romani acrobats, jugglers, and dancers often performed and traveled as a troupe.

Dom, Lom, and Romani groups contributed to the vigor of the Ottoman Empire (an area that existed from about 1250–1922 and spanned southeastern Europe, Africa, and the Middle East at the height of its power). These groups were not only entertainers, but participated in a number of other occupations and trades, as metal smiths, sieve makers, animal traders, flower-sellers, makers of grates and tongs, food vendors, and basket weavers. During the Ottoman period, Romani professional musicians continued to provide important musical services. Roma from musician families were conscripted into service as musicians for mehter, the Romani military ensemble; when the mehter was abolished in 1826, mehter musicians continued to perform for celebratory ritual events in smaller ensembles consisting of çifte nacra (small kettle drums), davul (a double-headed bass drum), and zurna (a double-reed wind instrument). Musicians from Romani and related groups also used music to sell goods such as macun (“taffy”) or to accompany trained dancing animals, such as bears, chimpanzees, and baboons.

—Sonia Seeman

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 55 © 2009 © The Carnegie Hall Corporation. Carnegie Hall grants teachers permission to duplicate these pages for classroom use. INSTRUMENT GUIDE CLARINET History The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. It was developed around 1760 from a Baroque instrument called the chalumeau , which looked similar to the modern recorder. This instrument consisted of a cylindrical bore with a series of holes, similar to a recorder, but with a single-reed mouthpiece, like that of the modern clarinet. Among many other types of music, the clarinet is prominent in Bulgarian wedding music, an offshoot of Romani traditional music.

Materials and Techniques Clarinet bodies have been made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, hard rubber, metal, resin, and ivory. The vast majority of clarinets used by professional musicians are made from African hardwood. Today, the instrument uses a single reed usually made from the cane of arundo donax, a type of grass that originated in the Mediterranean. Reeds may also be manufactured from synthetic materials. When air is blown through the opening between the reed and the mouthpiece, the reed vibrates and produces the instrument’s sound. The body of a modern clarinet is equipped with numerous tone holes, seven of which are covered by the fingertips (including one in the back, which is covered by the thumb), while the rest of the holes are opened or closed using a complex set of keys.

KANUN

History The kanun—meaning “canon” or “law”—is one of the most common Turkish instruments, and is similar to the Turkish zither. It is believed that the kanun has been in use continuously since the ninth century and was invented by the Turkish scientist Farab, who lived from 870 to 950 AD.

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Materials and Techniques The kanun is constructed by skilled craftsmen in Turkish workshops. The instrument is made completely by hand with up to seven different kinds of wood. The top of the kanun is made of sycamore wood; the back, of pine wood; and the bridge, of maple. The design on the sides and top is cut from rosewood and white pine. The Thesound Weill board Music is completed Institute by using either fish skin or calf leather, giving the instrument its rich resonance. The atstrings Carnegie are made Hall of six different diameters of high-grade nylon.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall Darbuka

History The darbuka is a goblet-shaped hand drum of ancient origin used in Arabic, Persian, Balkan, Armenian, Azeri, and Turkish music. Its thin, responsive drumhead and resonance help it to produce a distinctively crisp sound.

Materials and Techniques The darbuka has a single drum head on one end and is open on the other side. The body may be made of beaten, cast, or spun metal (usually aluminum or copper); ceramic (often with a glued-on head); or wood. Materials for the head include synthetic plastic or more traditional animal skins, such as goat or fish skin. In general, darbukas tend to have much lighter heads than African or Indian drums. The darbuka may be held under one arm or held between the knees while seated. It produces a resonant, low-sustain sound when played lightly with the fingertips and palm. To alter the tone, some players move their fists in and out of the bell.

BASS GUITAR

History The bass guitar, or electric bass, is a low-pitched string instrument. The bass is typically similar in appearance and construction to an electric guitar; however, the bass guitar contains a larger body, a longer neck, and four strings tuned one octave lower in pitch than the four lowest pitched strings of a guitar. The bass is typically used in many different styles of music, from rock and metal to blues and jazz.

Materials and Techniques Most electric basses, including the body and neck of the instruments, are made from wood. The electric bass, in contrast to the upright bass (or double bass), is played in a similar position to the guitar, held horizontally across the body. Bass players determine the pitches of notes by pressing the strings down on the neck with the left hand; to make the notes sound, they use their right-hand fingers to pluck the strings or use a plastic plectrum (a “pick”). The strings of the electric guitar vibrate close to electronic “pickups” set into the body of the bass. These pickups send the sound as electricity to an amplifier and speaker through a cord.

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 59 DRUM KIT

History The very earliest drum kits were developed in England in the 1700s. Until this time, drums and cymbals were played seperately in military and orchestral music settings. Drum kits enabled drummers to play multiple percussion parts in smaller performance spaces.

Materials and Techniques A drum kit, or drum set, is a collection of drums, cymbals, and sometimes other percussion instruments arranged to be conveniently played by a single drummer. Drums are made of wood and have metal rims. Drum heads are made of plastic and come in a variety of sizes. Metal cymbals were introduced to the drum set when people found a way to hang the cymbals above the drums—initially using curtain cords. The individual instruments of a drum kit are struck by a variety of implements held in the hand, including sticks, brushes, and mallets. Two notable exceptions include the bass drum, played by a foot-operated pedal, and hi-hat cymbals, played either by using a foot pedal or by striking them with a stick.

Carnegie Hall has referenced Grove Music Online and Wikipedia for this Instrument Guide.

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The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall S¸ inanari BIBLIOGRAPHY

The Straight Dope straightdope.com/columns/read/624/was-the-melody-of-the-star-spangled-banner-taken-from-an-old-drinking-song

The Colonial Music Institute colonialmusic.org/Resource/Anacreon.htm

Pigments through the Ages webexhibits.org/pigments/indiv/color/reds2.html

Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY 61 CITI GLOBAL ENCOUNTERS TURKEY CD TRACK LISTING

SOLO INSTRUMENTS 1. Clarinet example 2. Kanun example 3. Darbuka example 4. Bass guitar example

FREEDOM AND STRUCTURE LISTENING MAP 10. “Kasap Havasi” (bass) 11. “Kasap Havasi” (drums) 12. “Kasap Havasi”: Main Melody A (clarinet) 13. “Kasap Havasi”: Main Melody B (clarinet)

MUSIC IN TURKEY TODAY 14. “Adhan–Shaam” 15. “Ah Annem–Orientation” 16. “Biz Bizi–Aziza A” 17. “Prophecy–Harem Club”

PROJECT EXAMPLE: MUSIC 18. “S¸ inanari #1” (straight, slow) 19. “S¸ inanari #2” (straight, slowest) 20. “S¸ inanari #3” (free) The Weill Music Institute TEACHINGat Carnegie ARTIST Hall VISIT 1 21. “Kasap Havasi” (bass and drums looped from recording) 22. “Kara Üzüm Habbesi” (“Black Grape Seed”) (hand-drum rhythm looped from midi) 23. “S¸ u Köyceğiz Yollari” (darbuka break looped with drone from recording) 24. “MelodicThe Weill Sesler” Music (darbuka Institute break looped from recording) at Carnegie Hall

TEACHING ARTIST VISIT 2 25. “Mastika #1” (solo, free) 26. “Mastika #2” (drum) The Weill Music Institute 27. “Mastikaat Carnegie #3” (drum Hall and voice one) 28. “Mastika #4” (drum and voice two)

Photos: (p. 5) Istanbul at night by Latif Bolat; (p. 7) Sesler by Edwin Gardner; (p. 11) A square in Istanbul at night by Latif Bolat; (p. 13) Hagia Sophia by Latif Bolat; (p. 17) Instruments by Latif Bolat; (p. 20) Sesler picnic by Sonia Seeman; (p. 24) Vegetable stand by Latif Bolat; (p. 29) Cappadocia by Latif Bolat; (p. 31) Sesler performing at restaurant by Sonia Seeman; (p. 50) Istanbul street market by Ann Baranski; (p. 51) Distance Learning Event by Julien Jourdes. The Weill Music Institute 62 at Carnegie Hall Citi Global Encounters ROMANI Music of TURKEY

The Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall