An interview with Arto Tuncboyaciyan: Music is sound of my life … Video

Jazz interview with jazz percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan. An interview by email in writing.

JazzBluesNews.Space: – First let’s start with where you grew up, and what got you interested in music?

Arto Tuncboyaciyan: – I grew up in Istanbul. My brother was a musician he inspired me.

JBN.S: – What got you interested in picking up the percussion?

AT: – I wanted to be a drummer but i had the opportunity to work in a band as a percussinost when i was 10 years old.

JBN.S: – What teacher or teachers helped you progress to the level of playing you have today? What made you choose the percussion?

AT: – I didn’t have music education at the school and i did not have teachers but leader of the percussion group, legendary Burhan Tongucer treated me as a his son. And also i was so lucky to have the musicians around me share their thoughts and encorage me to walk by myself. That make me have confidience to proggress and have experience my musical journey.

JBN.S: – How did your sound evolve over time? What did you do to find and develop your sound?

AT: – Be myself and be aware what’s going on in creative world.

JBN.S: – What practice routine or exercise have you developed to maintain and improve your current musical ability especially pertaining to rhythm?

AT: – I follow my muscles and nerves to match what i am imagining. To do that i practice my drums 5 hours every day.

JBN.S: – Which harmonies and harmonic patterns do you prefer now?

AT: – I don’t have no one type harmony understanding. Not just the notes harmony, harmony of rythm, harmony of colors, etc.

JBN.S: – Many aspiring musicians are always looking for advice when navigating thru the music business. Is there any piece of advice you can offer to aspiring students or even your peers that you believe will help them succeed and stay positive in this business?

AT: – To know what you dedicating yourself. Be yourself and be aware what’s going on in the creative world.

JBN.S: – Аnd furthermore, can jazz be a business today or someday?

AT: – It is already big business.

JBN.S: – How can we get young people interested in jazz when most of the standard tunes are half a century old?

AT: – The question is already saying it. Jazz world should react for today and imagine for tomorrow as it was.

JBN.S: – John Coltrane said that music was his spirit. How do you understand the spirit and the meaning of life?

AT: – Music is sound of my life. When you dedicate yourself to represent and serve to humanity through music than you can understand what Coltrane saying.

JBN.S: – What are your expectations of the future?

AT: – Honesty.

JBN.S: – What brings you fear or anxiety?

AT: – Be coming slave of our own creativity.

JBN.S: – What’s the next musical frontier for you?

AT: – When people share their thoughts and imagination and perform honestly in front of people they will be frontier.

JBN.S: – Are there any similarities between jazz and world music, including folk music?

AT: – They are same in their own reason. But I am a avantgarde folk musician.