Workshop: Traditional Music and Dances of Türkiye Trakya (Thrace Region)
Theme: Traditional Music and Dances of Türkiye Trakya (Thrace Region)
Language: English
Speaker: Olcay Muslu
Host: Prof. ZHANG Boyu
Date&Time: Nov.22, 2023 (Wed.) 15:00
Venue: Multifunction Room 106, Teaching Building(MUS)
Students & Faculties Only.
Admission Free, No Registration Required.
Abstract
Turkish folk music is characterized by its use of a particular type of maqam, or melodic mode, as well as a unique rhythm called usul. The most common usul in Turkish folk music is 9/8, but other rhythms such as 12/8 and 7/8 are also used. Folk songs typically follow an AABA structure, with each section (A) having its own unique melody. The B section (which is usually in a different maqam than the A section) provides contrast and helps to create tension and release.
Much of Turkish folk music is based on the pentatonic scale, which gives it a distinctive sound that can be recognized instantly. Another characteristic of Turkish folk music is its use of improvisation – both in the lyrics and in the melodies.
Turkish folk music has been influenced by a number of different cultures over the years, including Arabic, Persian, and Central Asian. In more recent times, it has also been influenced by European music, particularly in the 20th century.
This workshop presents the culture of the Thrace Region of Türkiye. The rhythmic structures and prosodic features of the songs will be practiced accompanied by the score and music. Some relevant folk dance steps will be applied in the workshop.
About the Speaker
Olcay Muslu is the Founding Chair of the Board of MİRAS Centre for Cultural Sustainability and its Chief Executive. Dr. Muslu completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at Istanbul Technical University and her doctorate in Musicology and Music Theories Program at the Istanbul Technical University Social Sciences Institute. In the last 25 years, she has held various positions in and outside the academy as an educator, culture, and art coordinator, using formal and non-formal education models in the education of young musicians, dancers, music experts, and industry professionals.
Muslu is a founding member of the Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Antioch State Conservatory where she has been an Asst. Professor between 2017-2022. She was the first recipient of the Visiting Scholars Scheme to be jointly supported by University College London (UCL) and the British Institute at Ankara and was hosted by the SOAS University of London in 2019.
In the last ten years, she has been carrying out projects focused on cultural sustainability both in Anatolia and in the southeast of Turkey. She continues to work in the fields of applied ethnomusicology, intangible cultural heritage, music in higher education, performance, and sustainability both at home and abroad. She was co-opted as Executive Board Member of the ICTMD International Council of Traditional Music and Dance in 2023 and continued her academic activities at the University of KENT, United Kingdom as a Research Associate.