The
last august 2004 I stayed in Istanbul, during a holiday trip. There I
met Mr. Nurdogan, who kindly explained and showed me what he works on in
his establishment “Les Arts
Turcs”. While he was showing us his web page, I saw on it that he
offered music lessons, and I asked him if I could recieve a ney lesson
and… I had already for the next day, an appointment to have a lesson
with Hüseyin Ozkiliç, a distinguished teacher of this instrument in
Istanbul! Mr. Nurdogan let us a room in his local. I was a little bit
nervous… I couldn’t imagine how would be a lesson of a so exotic -for
me-, difficult and mystical
instrument
like the ney, but the calmness and the experience of Hüseyin, made me
live the lesson with serenity, attention and a great curiosity. We did a
little bit of teory (the names of the different neys depending on their
size and tune, the name of the different notes, a brushstroke of history…)
for all that I had to write notes, and then we alterned also with the
practice (posture, hand position, how to blow, the fingering…) and I
made it sound differents notes!! It was two nice hours of learning and
meeting, where Hüseyin was opened to answer all my questions, and to
give all the explanations that were necessary… but also, making me
realize and experience the perseverance and concentration that are
necessary to play this great simple instrument.
Carles
Bartolomé
