Anatolian Rock Ensemble: Psychedelia and Social Change
Course Description
Summary
This performance ensemble will immerse students in the distorted lutes, fuzzy guitars, swirling electronic effects, driving percussion, and soulful vocals of rock music in Turkey. Inspired by the music of artists like Elvis Presley and Fats Domino, the earliest Turkish rock musicians began to explore the sonic possibilities of adapting western instruments and amplification to the sounds and styles of Turkish folk music while also embracing the "mind expanding" aesthetics of psychedelic rock—feedback, electronics, and intense volume. Anatolian Rock (referring to the region of Asia Minor in modern Turkey) was born. Through the 1960s and 1970s, an influential crop of Turkish and Kurdish rockers infused their now iconic music with socially conscious lyrics, often using their songs as platforms to protest government injustices and longstanding political, ethnic, and economic struggles in the country. In the sweeping and violent political turmoil of the 1970s and 80s in Turkey, several of these artists wound up in jail or in exile. In this performance ensemble, we will learn some of the major hits and lesser known gems of Turkish and Kurdish popular music, highlighting artists like Erkin Koray, Selda Bağcan, Barış Manço, Esmeray, Ahmet Kaya, Orhan Gencebay, Cem Karaca, Ciwan Haco, and more. We will also study examples of the current Anatolian rock revival and its relationship to contemporary Turkish politics, including the band Altın Gün and the singer-songwriter Gaye Su Akyol.
Learning Outcomes
- By the end of the term, students will:
be able to identify several performers and songs in the Anatolian Rock repertoire.
• recognize the differences between musics of different regions based on cultural context, instrumentation, dance styles, language, and other criteria.
• learn a variety of rhythms and meters and their associated functions in Turkish music.
• play an assortment of Turkish and Middle Eastern percussion instruments, understanding their function in an ensemble/ritual/folkdance context.
• be able to participate in class discussions about the music we learn and how it relates to the everyday lives of the people in the region.
• sing in a variety of languages (Turkish, Kurdish, Lazuri, Armenian, etc)
• perform in a final concert
Prerequisites
An audition is required for this ensemble. Email josephalpar@bennington.edu to schedule. All instruments and voice types are welcome. Students should be reasonably proficient on their chosen instruments and be able to match pitch. Performance of a Turkish song or a rock song from any culture is preferred.
Please contact the faculty member : josephalpar@bennington.edu
Corequisites
Occasional attendance at Music Workshop on Tuesday evenings
Occasional attendance at relevant on-campus concerts
Cross List
- Ethnomusicology
- Music History
- Society, Culture, & Thought