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TAMF: A Word to the Musician and One to the Listener
By Mohsen Namjoo
namjoo@tehranavenue.com
November 2005
به فارسی بخوانيم
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I listened to almost 90 pieces with keen interest. I tried to rein my prejudices in – well, at least those that I am aware of, for there are many that are no so conscious and that nonetheless affect judgment. One of these, of course, is our so called taste in music, which is quite personal and perhaps acquired. It is not fixed, but has its mainspring within us.

 

One of the members of the selection committee, who is a friend of mine, admits that his taste doesn't answer well to any piece inspired by Heavy Metal. I am mentioning this to highlight my earlier claim that I am aware of some of my prejudgments and that I have tried, as much as possible, to suspend them for the article that follows. I have not mentioned the name of songs or individuals here, simply because my aim is more general.

The Call Itself

I remember that when we were planning for the third round of TehranAvenue Music Festival, none of our colleagues imagined that so many pieces would come in and so many young musicians were working at home (even though, for obvious reasons, the number of underground musicians has to be a lot more). But as far as I know, the accumulation of so many works in one place, regardless of their quality and style, is unprecedented in our music history. With eighty-seven pieces (over 87 musicians, over 87 mindset, over 87 tastes, over 87 hopes, over 87 claims to creativity, and finally over 87 people or bands hungry for a place in the music scene), this call is important: these pieces represent the essence of what goes on in the unofficial music scene of the country. No doubt these musicians have submitted their best works. Now, considering these “best works” it is possible to offer general comments. The question is: What do young Iranians have in mind musically? In my opinion, in the past no trend has tried to answer this question better than TAMF.

Restlessness

While listening to the music on offer, I tried to think what the general tenor was. The single word that popped into my head was RESTLESSNESS.

 

Restlessness is one of the main characteristics of these songs. It is also an epidemic of our age. I even detect such restlessness in the music produced outside the country. Our young people are a ball of larval energy, but they are also confused and lost. Most of them have managed on their own and as such are both praiseworthy and liable for criticism.

A Positive Evaluation

To the author, if you pay attention to these works, one must kiss the hands that made them. {Roger Waters}, with all his pains, will not come close to that unassuming Bandar Abbasi group whose work is among those that entered the competition. Manchester is a port and so is Abbas, but the difference is from here to the moon. Is it even possible to compare the work of the Bandar Abbasi group and that of Waters? Which one of these Iranian young musicians has spent his/her youth on motorbikes roaming the city in search of meaning or has had the chance to play in pubs and clubs? Where can any of these bands play? Many of them even rent their amps because they cannot afford to buy one. Every breath of these musicians equals a lifetime of pain and suffering that a group like PINK FLOYD has had to endure. It is impossible to compare two musical tendencies without considering the background of each. Had the "Manchester Morality Police” broken the guitar of {David Gilmore}, it would've gone down in history as a landmark of the band's formation and loudly protested at every corner. And this is something that has happened innumerable times to Iranian musicians. The author has himself witnessed many of our musicians going home in fear after a jamming session, not knowing what would happen to their instruments or to them afterwards. Which one of the Western musicians has had the same experiences? Even though things have improved for musicians in Iran over the past decade and they haven’t been under the pressure that they used to be, they have always lived under the towering presence of a supervisory Big Brother watching their every move. No Western musician can claim such control.

 

These young musicians are active in the face of many difficulties. They breathe and this, in itself, is quite amazing. Not very many people are helping them with their craft and that's the situation that they have to work under.

 

Should we loose all hope for Iranian music – which is not such an unrealistic assumption – we have be looking for livelihood in the rubbles. These young musicians are very dexterous when it comes to living under arduous conditions. They have learned how to laugh, sing and dance against all odds, and that is worthy of the highest praise.

A Word to the Wise

What I am going to say from here on may seem antithetical to the earlier praise. There is an argument that I became familiar with through my friends in the arts department of our university. They said that great artists – {Picasso}, {Mondrian}, {Dali} – were all masters of classical painting and drawing, that is, they were technically superior painters that ultimately broke free of the conventions. In Iran, too, great poets like {Shamloo} were well versed in classical literature and as such their innovations brought a new language to the fore that was itself rich.

 

To me, a musician must also be familiar with classical tools that go to make his/her art. Many of the musicians that have submitted work are blindly following Western music but may fail their Persian literature courses in school. If a junkie doesn't know the ins and outs of the language no one will take him to task, but someone who is writing lyrics and composing songs must know her own language well or be punished for her lack of attention.  Not everything in music is playing instruments and recording songs, the language used – especially in Rock music – is of great importance. Those who know their language well realize that words must be spent like gold coins in a slum not like grains of sand in a beach.

Two Points

A) How is it that these young musicians have a passion for Western lyrics but fail to recite two verses of Persian poetry? With what literary support are they attempting experimentation? I have a partial answer: The lyrics of SEPULTRA are more compatible with the sound system of the automobile, highways, speed, and the taste of freedom, all of which, together or individually, make learning them easier. On the other hand, poems of our classical writers remind us of school, homework, textbooks, and sitting bored for an hour and a half behind an uncomfortable desk addressed by a sour-faced teacher. It is obvious that young people of every society would pick the former (if they are in their right minds) over the latter, but then their music has to speak to their peers.

 

B) My second point is more specific and not limited to younger musicians. Listening to these pieces one realizes how much their creators are preoccupied with their personal lives or how much they bring their selves into their work. Where does this tendency come from? Each one of these young musicians must consider that he or she is unknown to his or her audience; as such, the aim should be to develop themes that will communicate to their listener. The story of one’s life may be of interest if one has already reached fame. But this is not a two way street. A piece of music that is preoccupied with the life of an unknown individual will not be listened to carefully, even if the form is attractive.

 

This very act of going beyond oneself is the commendable trait of those who have an understanding of their situation and society. It also shows an understanding of Language beyond a simple tool for direct communication. One may use language metaphorically to speak of people of various social strata. These musicians must learn to open their eyes to their surroundings. Music here is also seeing.

A Few Words to Young Musicians

1) Your Form, Your Message

Works that you have created – most of which belong to one of the branches of Rock music – can only be creative in terms of theme and message for the simple reason that the style of music employed is already well-established (Rock). Another words, if your music is not thematically original, it would have nothing else to show for.

 

If there is any meaning in music (an inevitability), it has to be transmitted through both form and content. You must know that form is the structure of music. It continues to live outside the music’s content. Form is that very noise that each of the instruments produce. It lives in the drum beats, guitar and bass sounds, keyboard sonority, and so on. The collection of sounds has a unique sonority, which in this case belongs to a Rock band. Now, this collection will live on regardless of how well the musician performs it. To be more precise, your work is supported by a collection of sounds arranged in a particular way, which is in no way different from an arrangement offered by a group like BLACK SABBATH or DEEP PURPLE.

 

On the other hand, we all know the difference between THE WHO and a band like 127. So, where does this difference lie? I think the difference cannot be found in form, because we know that both bands are producing roughly the same set of sounds. But the thing that makes 127 what it is is different from that of The Who, namely content.

In short, as soon as you pick up an electric guitar, you are armed with the basic necessities of form. The whole point, then, is to create themes that are authentic and original.

2) To Be or not to Be an Underground Band

You all know how your music differs from those that are heard on television every night: yours is underground and theirs isn’t. They are lodged within an official structure, which yours is not. You may even be critical of that structure. You may even chose to make that criticism the theme of your music.

 

Now, you can remain underground for the rest of you life. Yes, you can. In the West, there are many fully professional musicians (like JANE or {Lou Reed}) that refuse to come to the surface.

 

For one thing, there is no stigma attached to being underground. The value of the music of Lou Reed is no less than Pink Floyd. For another, fans of Jane are many, sometimes more that popular bands. Given the conditions that exist in countries where underground bands like Jane have thrived, and comparing it to the situation of music in Iran, you may not want to remain underground for the rest of your life. You may want appear on television, be it a local or satellite station. What you need, however, is to be honest to your wishes and desires. You need to assess your work and see what are the potentials of your music for coming to the surface?

 

You need to find out where you stand, how much music theory you know, how well you understand music, how much music you listen to, how much you learn from listening, how much you spend reading books: What do you read? What is the background of the family that you grew up in, culturally and artistically? What city do you live in, in what part of town? How much sun does your room get? How much time do you spend in your room? What do you eat and how much? How much do you sleep? How much of your time is spent in seeking pleasures? Who are your friends? What social strata do they belong to? What does your father do? Or what did he do? How many novels have you read in your lifetime? What do you understand of the relationship between characters in a novel and notes in a music score? And many other relevant or irrelevant some such questions. All of these affect your music. You need to find out how much Western Rock musicians were inspired by their Eastern counterparts and how much have we? And this sad question: How much have we learned from our own musical traditions?

And the Last Word

What should we do about the music presented in TAMF? Should we support or limit it? We don’t know. I must admit that I am not sure what this music represents, whether from the point of view of a musician or from that of a general listener.

 

Another point: How can we compare the various pieces presented here? It is true that they all point to a common mindset, but they are coming from different tastes and minds. I sense that all of these young musicians are irritated, whether they want to be or not. They are irritated and, again, whether they want it or not, will transmit their irritation through their music. We may become emotional and chose a poetic language to express our feelings. The truth is, however, that for a beginner it is much easier to write “poetry” than it is a novel.

 

I have benefited from the suggestions of my friends {Abdi Behravanfar} and {Ali Pouransari} in writing this article.



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