Background
I have been manipulating the world of sound as long as I can remember. A preoccupation with guitar related activities took hold at about the same time that we immigrated to Rockville, Maryland from Tehran, Iran.
Keeping things to myself (as teens do) but a tad bit more than most, since my English skills were and if you ask some people, still are developing….This aided in the deeper sub-conscious processes involved with observation and digestion of aural, visual and social interactions. (Couple of grains of salt...!).
Fell in love with everything music + jazz + lyrical soon after her first Yamaha Nylon String. I knew I was on the right path when I got the following comment from one of the instructors after showing up bright eyed and bushy tailed with my electric guitar to a Summer Jazz Workshop at the local Montgomery College:
"Just what the world needs…a girl with a guitar!"
Boston (1992-1995)
Had a great time in Boston and the studying, composing and playing was great too. I learned how to dress for the cold and still look cool and pay my own way and still find time to woodshed. Somewhere in the Boston years and possibly as a result of too many cold days and mild malnutrition and perhaps too many great concerts, the line between styles of music became really blurry. This syndrome has brought immense clarity to my enjoyment of Berg and Joni Mitchell.
Influences
My biggest influences have been language and and the wonderful teachers that I was lucky enough to run into and still do everyday.
But the absolute biggest has been Film Noir.
... the music of Iran, its many cultures and crafts, and Brazilian music are other top contenders.
But seriously…Olive Oil and all things good and food and tea and family are on the top of the list!
Ok, Ok, must have been those crazy Polanski movies...
Now really, lets get real: I have three words for you: Ellington Schoenberg Mingus
Current Projects
I am currently working on creating compositions for Kafka pony, a project that first took shape in 1992 in Boston. As a guitar trio Kafka pony performs original compositions and arrangements. The various incarnations of the group have centered on the idea of collaboration. Kafka pony's first CD is now available.
Since 1998 I have worked as a theatre and film composer and have been involved with groups performing Jazz/Indian fusion, Azarbaijani and Armenian repertoire. For information about my composing visit my Composition Page.
Education and send-off
Enjoy the music and other fun stuff and hope to have you over for TEA soon. (I really mean it, I have a mini tea store at my house, the stuff is good and has expiry dates!! Contact me). My studies have taken me from Berklee to Brisbane Australia, where I had the opportunity to work with wonderful teachers and composers.
I have been producing concerts and music related community events since 1992. My main interest is in the meeting of composition and improvisation, the rest is just time manipulation tricks!
The real deal
If you would like the low-down you can download it here:
Biography (MS Word) Biography (PDF)
Resume (MS Word)Resume (PDF)
References from students' parents (PDF)