Fengaros Music Village 2015
27 July - 1 August | Kato Drys, Cyprus
Louvana Records is organising the first Fengaros Music Village in Cyprus, in collaboration with Music Village in Greece, which takes place in Pilion* every summer for the past eight years. With nine different workshops for music and theatre, and with instructors from Cyprus, Greece and England, this event will attempt to give a different approach to artistic learning.
The workshops will take place in the beautiful setting of Kato Drys village. They will run on a daily basis, divided into two sessions, morning and afternoon. Following the ending of all workshops every day, there will be free concerts by the Village's instructors and local bands, as well as performances by the Fengaros Music Village students.
The organisation's goals are:
- To offer educational units in the form of symbiotic masterclasses, which will be instructed by artists/musicians of international calibre in the area of contemporary or historical performance and creation. The themed sections of each workshop will function integrally and will intend to approach musical art broadly, yet effectively, whilst putting particular emphasis on original and unconventional areas that have not yet been integrated into the Cypriot educational system.
- The pre-scheduled and spontaneous performances of musical ideas and the productive exchange of ideas and projects among artists of diverse nationalities.
* The Music Village is one of the largest musical communities in Europe. It was founded in 2006 by musicians Thymios Atzakas, Kostas Makrygiannakis and Giorgos-Emmanuel Lazarides. It has been taking place every August for the past eight years in the village of Ayios Lavrentios, in Pilion, Greece.
GIORGOS XYLOURIS – Introduction to Cretan music
The well-known lute player-performer Giorgos Xylouris (Psarogiorgis) will present a workshop of traditional Cretan music, where he will teach melodies, tunes, improvisation, dances (syrtos, maleviziotis, pentozalis, kontylies), as well as contemporary trends of this incredibly agile instrument. This workshop is intended for players and lovers of Cretan music, who wish to experience a new approach to this musical tradition, taught first-hand by one of its most respected and active members.
DAVE DE ROSE – Drumming and Beyond
Dave De Rose (Mark Ronson, Moloko, Jamie Cullum, Mulatu Astatke) shares his extensive experiences as a professional drummer and his thirty year musical evolution within a five day workshop aimed primarily at drummers from beginner to pro levels, but also suitable for any instrumentalist looking to strengthen and broaden their rhythmic sense, production techniques, musical approaches and inside knowledge of the music business.
Dave explains and demonstrates his approach to music development involving the participants in hands-on practical sessions, as well as in-mind, meditative group exercises. Breaking down the methods of assimilation that have led him to personalise and solidify his own style and unique musical identity within a broad spectrum of styles including: African rhythms, Funk, Soul, Dance, Rock, Jazz and Hip-Hop/Loop drumming.
In addition to this Dave shares his experiences of working with internationally renowned artists both live and in the studio, life on tour, on and off stage, the music business and the human relations side of life for the jobbing musician, in order to equip the participants with healthy responses to the infinite variety of scenarios the industry can present.
ANDYS SKORDIS - Takedimi -Tadighinaton - Take
Takedimi-Tadighinaton-Take, is a workshop in both theory and practice, dedicated to the techniques and concepts of Carnatic music (South Indian Classical Music) and their application to current musical styles such as Contemporary Classical, Jazz, Traditional, Progressive Rock and many more genres. These workshops will be entirely focused on rhythm. Travelling through the world of polyrhythms and polypulses that Carnatic Music is enriched by, we will study on how we can precisely execute them, approach them and most importantly conceive them.
These workshops are interesting and extremely helpful for a vast range of artists. From highly skilled musicians, to amateur musicians, dancers, or anyone else who likes rhythm and likes to put some movement in their life!
ATHΕNA KASIOU - Starting from the text (Open Arts)
Through the use of practical methods and our imagination we will approach the theatrical scripts that intimidate us the most, and dare to tackle them in a modern manner. We will focus on the information that a text gives us about its world, its characters, its circumstances, its intentions, its main themes and facts e.t.c. and through exercises we will bring specific scenes into life. This way, a lot of emphasis will be put on what makes a scene immediate and spontaneous.
This workshop is intended for actors, directors, writers, and at the same time individuals that have a relationship, or want to have a relationship with the theatrical world. If you wish to attend, please write a paragraph explaining why you would like to take part in this workshop, as well as a script/play/narrative that you would be interested to explore and work on with the workshop’s coordinator.
ANDREAS PANTELI - Improvisational freedom
The workshop is designed for improvisers of all levels, instruments and styles of music. The problems all improvisers face are common. For this reason we are not limited to one specific style of music, but instead we concentrate on the creative process that allows the improviser to express himself with greater consistency, ease and freedom. Topics that the workshop will deal with: the psychological state that allows for improvisation, correct and incorrect habits of practicing, basic and advanced harmony, melodic consistency and development, rhythm, expression and emotion. We play, discuss basic concepts, locate the problem and clear it up, in way that we guide the improviser on to the next level.
EMMANUEL VOURAKIS – The electric guitarist’s “package”
This music lab aims at covering all basic components that form a successful career of an electric guitar player. Topics covered will include the electric guitar as an instrument, the sound components that form the sound chain (parts, effects, cables, amps), the guitarist’s role within different musical enviroments and ensembles, what sets apart an artist from a session player as well as the differences between live and studio performance, guitar playing in general with different techniques required for different styles, and in conclusion, within the 5 days of its duration, Emmanuel, through the experience gained from his 25 year long career span, will draw the description of the “package” required to form a today’s professional guitarist’s complete profile.
VASILIKI ANASTASIOU - The power of your voice. Songs of our neighborhood and improvisations.
Α vocal workshop that will explore the abilities of the human voice through an educational journey, with songs from neighboring countries and beyond. The lessons will be taught in a group circle, exploring and developing a wide repertoire through interactive learning. This workshop is intended for anyone who wishes to improve and develop his/her vocal abilities through group-work, regardless of their profession or musical background.
KOSTAS MAKRYGIANNAKIS - GUITAR WIRED..! Workshop for the classical and acoustic guitar
- What is the relationship between a song with guitar accompaniment written in the 19th century by Fernando Sor with “Under the bridge” by Red Hot Chili Peppers?
- How can we perform a masterpiece like Strawberry fields forever by the Beatles, without the song losing its power?
The workshop aims to familiarise the musician-guitarist with the procedure of music making. The understanding of the ‘geography’ of the fret board, acoustic exercises, aesthetic approaches, exchanging opinions, one on one lessons and a lot of group playing will be used as tools. Especially, the following will be studied and discussed:
Basic and specific sound production techniques for the guitar.
Repertoire
Part – lead sheet making
Techniques and aesthetic: a love story
Covers and re-arrangements: The original creation and re-arrangement on the guitar from the 19th century till today.
For all levels!
PAVLOS MICHAELIDES - Violin workshop
The subject of this workshop revolves around those elements that contribute to the approach of the traditional violin and its rich repertoire. It’s an introduction to the violin’s art and techniques, its handling, style and aesthetics within the repertoire that is going to be taught during the seminar.
More specifically, there will be analysis of melodic phrases, stylistic and aesthetic development, technical approaches and ways of practicing. All these will be based on a modal repertoire that is initiated from the musical traditions of Minor Asia, the Aegean and Cyprus. There will be a chapter covering specific approaches and notation to score reading.
The seminar targets beginner to advanced level students, where depending on attendance levels, students may be divided into sections. Note that, although the content will primarily focus on violin players, the seminar will be open to anyone interested.
Audio material and scores will be given to participants upon registration.
