Duduk Mind, Beginner’s Mind
My duduk arrived today. I’ve been entranced by this instrument since I first saw the film, “The Last Temptation of Christ,” more than fifteen years ago (the soundtrack by Peter Gabriel includes a duduk in the opening track.) The duduk has been a favored instrument for television and film scoring recently, gaining even greater exposure in the western world. This Armenian double reed aerophone is reminiscent of the oboe, and has a haunting, almost choral quality to it.
During these past fifteen or so years, I have wanted to learn how to play the duduk, but was satisfied by simply collecting duduk music, especially the works of Djivan Gasparyan, the most well-known of the duduk players living today.
Last week, I decided that it was time to learn how to play the duduk, and I am now just today at the beginning of this long learning process. I received my duduk today from duduk.com (seriously), along with some instructional videos, and a fascinating academic text on the role that the duduk plays in the Armenian national identity. While there is no duduk instructor in Portland, I have found someone in the Bay Area and hope to schedule lessons while I am there on business.
My experiences learning the duduk will likely be a regular topic on this blog. In those moments when I am able to transfer my love of music from passively listening to actively playing, I am most in synch with the world.
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