March 1-7, 2008 (Kyrgyzstan)

March 1-7 (Kyrgyzstan)
Mark Twain
United States of America

Dear Mark,

Kyrgyzstan is breathtaking. In all of my travels, I have never seen a place of such natural beauty and splendor, save the Grand Canyon. Granted, the two are in a way opposites: one a desert canyon and the other a mountainous landscape, but both should be on everyone’s ‘top two list’ of what to see during their lifetime.

The Kyrgyz are a very traditional people; a nomadic culture that was brought to settlement (for good or bad…) by first the Russians and then the Soviet Union, who also exploited their resources. The people, however, being on the Silk Road, have not allowed this to effect their kindness and hospitality, which is unmatched in most regions of the world. There are also strong parallels between them and the Native American cultures and there has been speculation on a common heritage.

This traditional outlook may have also led to the way that music education is presented in both the earlier and advanced schools. The training is very Russian in its approach and tendencies (and you KNOW my views on that…), yet it doesn’t have the inclination towards experimental or Avant-garde ideas which the other post-Soviet nations seem to be embracing. The training to me seems very conservative, and like it’s post-Soviet neighbors there is a lack of knowledge of Western music and compositional techniques after the 1960s. Where the other CIS countries (like Russia) seem to be constantly flailing around in the mid-20th Century Avant-garde, the Kyrgyz training appears to disregard much of it…this is where I come in.

But more on that shortly…

My hosts were fantastic! The US Embassy rolled out the red carpet for me, and I can only hope that I honored their commitment to inter-cultural connection that seems to be a main priority here. My main contact person and host, Kamila Kojokmatova, who is a musicologist turned cultural ambassador in her own right, is dedicated to improving the academic situation here and bringing the music programs (as well as other artistic initiatives) up to Western standards. She also created (with the backing of the US Embassy) the American Music Center where I gave many of my talks and lectures to students from all Bishkek colleges. This is a great resource and she has acquired many good recordings and important scores, which is fantastic. The students here have something to start their education of music from the West, which is far better than what I have seen in other countries.

The other member of our traveling trinity was my interpreter, Elita Asankulova, who was just great for numerous reasons; the most important of which being the fact that she translated all of my lectures and interviews and followed all of the unimaginable nuances of my East Coast dialect. Even though I’m from New England, there’s very little of proper English pronunciation left, let me tell you…she also (along with Kamila) has a great sense of humor, which is crucial in dealing with me for an extended period of time…

The students were great. I think that some were a little frightened at my concerts; coming from such conservative training, the music that I play (I played solo, with electronics, and with film) was very much out of their, and their teacher’s, comfort zones. This, I think, was good for them. They reacted, which means that it had an impact. Many didn’t know what to make of me, my music, and my ideas. Actually, the Rector of the Bishkek College of Music gave after my main concert what sounded to me like a disclaimer, and I paraphrase “this was new; some liked it, some didn’t”…hey, that’s OK. I think what was even more interesting was the reaction in my composition seminar the next day when I told them that my music is actually considered conservative (I do love a good tune…) by Western academic circles and that I probably would never get a full-time academic position due to this. This hit home when I played some recordings of more experimental music and they really didn’t know how to react. “See”, I told them, “my stuff’s not so bad now, is it?”; they nodded sheepishly…

One of the major events that was taking place while I was there was the week leading up to International Women’s Day. This is a Socialist holiday turned Hallmark (in a post-Soviet sort of way). I did, however, get to officially ‘congratulate’ women many times, including on Kyrgyzstan television (where I also played Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady”; seemed like a good choice) and at a special solo concert I gave at the US Ambassador’s residency. The pieces I played were all American women composers. Now, to be honest-and I KNOW these particular ladies feel the same way about this as I-I dislike putting them into a category of ‘Women composers’ rather than just ‘composers’. Alex, Carol, Denise, and Molly are all kickin’ composers! The pieces are fantastic and I have played them all year on tour, and will keep playing them. Using these terms forces these artists to be judged separately rather then how they should be, which is with their peers. I have always felt the same way with any competition or job ‘audition’; the best person should always win, regardless of any gender, creed, or race (I also hate this use of this word; we’re all one race if I remember correctly; just with a whole lot of neat variations…) concerns. That was probably the only thing that state Communism got right; equality across the board. Communism’s problem was this (oops…no, I guess they didn’t quite get this right either then, I’m afraid…) was that it should’ve been an equal starting block for employment, etc., and then it should have allowed for the person’s individuality to carry them to the highest planes they could reach for. Blank slate (or the ‘blind audition’) at the beginning, then let the Individual be exalted! I know…I’m just a dreamer…it’s that wild-growing Humanism hair again…amazing how much it’s grown since I’ve been here….

But back to Kyrgyzstan…these are a wonderful people; kind, considerate, giving, and wanting to learn and to be included on the world stage. It’s this last idea where I think that I may have had the most impact. The students, mostly composers, who weren’t afraid of what I was doing and were even intrigued by the possibilities, will be the ones to lead them to this. They see the possibilities, and they see how they can use what I taught them to expand their own individual voices. This has been my hope all along: not to inundate students across the CIS with American and other Western musical ideas and history, but to bring the West’s most important gift, Individuality, to young artists seeking a way to express themselves in a closed, mass-minded, environment.

I hope that here, as well as elsewhere, I have planted this seed. I want to return here, soon, to see how it may have taken root. We have spoken about an extended stay here in the near future, even a Fulbright to work with students intensely…this intrigues me, not just for the opportunity to live in this remarkable place, but also to see the evolution of thought that I, that WE, are bringing about.

Until next time,

Demetrius