Kef Times

Location: Santa Fe, N.M.

Occupation: I work at an art gallery and also teach art to preschoolers once a week

Connection to Balkan music/dance: I’m a member of Sevda Choir. We’re a group of about 14 people and meet every Sunday from 4 to 6. We’ve had several concerts since our group formed about three years ago and mostly perform at the San Miguel Mission in Santa Fe.

Number of times at Balkan camp: This was my second year!

Studied at camp: Serbian singing with Svetlana Spajić and Albanian singing with Merita Halili.

Memorable moment at camp: One scene or experience?! There are so many! Possibly my favorite was after our Serbian singing class performed, a few people came up to me and said, “Wow, I had never heard you sing before. You sounded great!” I felt so grateful that this time around at camp, I became more a part of the creative community and my singing was heard and seen by others who loved it!

There were moments in Svetlana’s class which still stick with me. One time she stopped me mid-singing, and told me to move around the space to become more comfortable, take a few seconds if I need it, look at a fellow singer in the choir for information (aka Bluetooth transmission as she would call it, we had just learned the songs and weren’t using notation), and then trust that I knew what to sing and do it! It was a powerful experience. One of the takeaways was realizing that the most important thing for a voice to come across as authentic, is to be grounded, connected to the place and especially connected to the other people you are singing with, and singing for.

I LOVED camp. There were so many wonderful, creative and supportive people.

Location: Santa Fe, N.M.

Occupation: I work as a general music teacher for grades K-6 as well as a freelance trumpet player and vocalist.

Connection to Balkan music/dance: I currently perform with the Sevda Choir run by Willa Roberts. I also have recently started a Balkan brass band in Santa Fe with Char Rothschild.

Number of times at Balkan camp: This was my second year coming to camp.

Studied at camp: My main focus at dance was trumpet playing in the brass band and studying with Nizo Alimov.

Memorable moment at camp: This year I had learned enough material to be able to play a bit in the kafana for a large brass band jam. It was an incredible experience to take what I had been working on throughout the year since my first camp experience and apply it to collective music making. The feedback was positive and I felt embraced by my new family. I was encouraged and elated. This was the night that I felt as if I had solidified my newfound relationship to the music and the wonderful brass musicians in the EEFC community. Because of these new deep connections forged by the experience, I am already planning and looking forward to next year’s camp.

Location: Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

Occupation: I am a student at the American University in Bulgaria. I came here because I want to learn Bulgarian music. Outside of school I am studying with some players from the Pirin Ensemble. I also have a teacher in Sofia at the National Folk Ensemble.

Connection to Balkan music/dance during the year: There are not too many music-related events in Blagoevgrad. I go see the Pirin Ensemble when they perform and have been to a few mehanas [taverns with folk decorations and sometimes folk music]. It’s not like Balkan camp where there are parties with folk music every day. In Plovdiv things are little more musically active, but it is four hours away by bus. I have been to a few events in Plovdiv and Sofia.

Number of times at Balkan camp: Five years.

Studied at camp: Gudulka. I didn’t go to the gudulka classes because the teacher there was using the same materials that my teacher developed, so I asked him for private lessons in his free time. We did that every day.

Memorable moment at camp: Playing a kafana set with Eleni and Bobby Govetas, Nick Maroussis and Benji [Rifati]. That was probably the thing that stuck out to me. Most the time I don’t get to play with people my age. I grew up in Durham, N.C., and my mother was a folk dancer, and I’ve always been surrounded by people significantly older than me. Playing with talented people close to my age, like those guys, it brought a different feeling that I hadn’t had before. It was really satisfying.

Location: Los Angeles, Calif., and Istanbul, Turkey

Occupation: I’m a Ph.D. candidate in culture and performance at UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance (formerly Dance Ethnology).

Connection to Balkan music/dance: I’m a professional dancer specializing in traditional dances of Asia Minor, Turkish Roma, and Flamenco. Parts of my work and dance research can be seen on my blog, www.terraroman.com

Number of times at Balkan camp: One.

Studied at camp: I have learned new instruments like tapan, practiced singing Albanian songs and I joined almost all dance classes as my main focus. I enjoyed everything that I newly practiced in the camp and these new experiences surely fed my artistic approach and practice.

Memorable moment at camp: The camp was a fantastic experience in its entirety. Living for a week in a beautiful natural forest with no internet was tough yet emancipatory.

Because this was my first time in the camp, I did not know many people before I arrived; however, from day 0 (I mean, even before the camp started, the days during which I was trying to figure out how to go to the camp) until the very last day campers were extremely accommodating, helpful and friendly. Their kind and humble being provided a neophyte camper with the warmest environment, besides the fire set every night outside of the kitchen.

One thing that I would not forget is the deer family accompanying our drum classes and everyday life in the camp. This lovely family composed of parents and little deer kids were very curious about our studies in the camp and showing up particularly in tapan and doumbek classes. It was delightful watching them as they came and went. Their elegance, curiosity and unity as a family were sparking inspiration.