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Pulse check out the £ RA D IS SUE ON STANDS Monday, June 7th Discover the best places to eat, drink, celebrate, and shop! Oregon Daily Emerald § The campus newspaper tor the University of Oregon Community f PHOTO 1 [specials] MAY 31 - JUNE 6 2ND SET FREE! 3.x 5 prints: 12 exp $2.25 24 exp $4.25 36 exp $6.25 4x6 prints: 12 exp $3.25 24 exp $5.25 36 exp $7.25 Next day onUns only. Fioin • C-fid lull 11nine l.’hi'i.'-1 ' halMraine, and negatives t • lulled.) 20% OFF APS Processing: 1 5 exp. (one set) $4.40 25 exp. (one set) $6.66 40 exp. (one set) $9.40 Next day aiders nnfy. Allow 1-2 days'lot APS f fitbeessmg. Glossy hi ni.ttu ■ finish. FUJICOLOR UNIVERSITY OF OREGON BOOKSTORE www.uobookstore.com Tim Kupsick Photographer Assistant Professor of ethnomusicology Mark Levy teaches his class about a popular urban music developed in Greece called Rebetika on Tuesday, May 1. Professor shares love of ethnic music Mark Levy calls on visiting musicians and his own performances to enrich his students’ musical insight By Natasha Chilingerian Pulse Reporter University music professor Mark Levy has devoted his life to expanding his learning of music from around the globe, and found that each culture's music is just as unique as its lan guages and customs. "I don't believe that music is a uni versal language," Levy said. "It's a uni versal phenomenon." Now, Levy not only shares his knowledge of ethnomusicology with University students, he also takes his expertise outside the classroom. He organizes three foreign-music per formances in the School of Music's World Music Series every year and reg ularly brings in guest musicians to work with his students. He also plays clarinet in a Balkan-style band, "Trio Slavej," with graduate music student Kalin Kirilov and his wife, University anthropology and folklore Professor Carol Silverman. Levy's journey through a world of music began with piano lessons — which Levy admits he "wasn't that en thusiastic about" — when he was 8 years old. In middle and high school, he played clarinet in the band and vi olin in the orchestra, which he said he enjoyed mostly for the social aspects. Influenced by his family, Levy start ed at the University of Chicago as a pre-medicine major but quickly de cided to follow his passion and switch to music. He became swept up in the folk dance movement of the 1960s, falling in love with the music an<| dance ofthe Balkan regions, especial ly from Bulgaria and Macedonia. One summer, Levy went out dancing every night. Combined with a sparked interest after taking an introductory eth nomusicology class, the folk dance craze caused Levy to focus on what he now teaches — world music. After graduating from the Universi ty of Chicago, he worked with visually impaired children in Los Angeles for five years. Levy then pursued a mas ters degree in ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles, with a focus on North Indian and Bul garian music. While completing his seven years of study — from 1972 to 1979 — he played the gaida (a Bul garian bagpipe) and clarinet in a Balkan and Middle Eastern style mu sical group, "Aman," and spent his summers traveling to Bulgaria and Macedonia, where he experienced the cultures' music firsthand. "I would fly to Europe, buy a used car for a few hundred dollars and drive to the Balkans," he said. "There, I would sleep in campgrounds. The locals were very hospitable. I had the chance to spend time in villages and see how music fits into daily life." It was during one of these visits that Levy met his wife. He first crossed SH FOR BOOKS. June 2-12 UO Bookstore Main Regular Store Hours June 7-11 EMU Lobby Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Duck Shop at Autzen Monday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 10 am. - 4 p.m. UO ID Required. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON" BOOKSTORE paths with Silverman, a New York based teacher of Balkan singing at the time, at a folk music festival in Bulgar ia. They met up every few years at vari ous music events, and eventually mar ried. They lived in Bulgaria from 1979 to 1980, then moved to Eugene when Silverman was hired to teach anthro pology and folklore at the University. Levy worked his way up to his current University position, beginning as an outreach coordinator in the Russian and East European Studies Center, then working in the Office of Interna tional Programs and finally teaching at the School of Music in 1991. Levy said he emphasizes hands-on work in his courses by bringing in visit ing musicians, which he discovered was a useful learning method while in grad uate school. Last year, he brought in a Javanese performer to make use of a number of Javanese instruments that had been donated to the School of Mu sic He also said he shows videos to turn classes into virtual travels. Music Grad uate Teaching Fellow Kurt Doles, who has worked with Levy for five years, said Levy goes above and beyond the duties of a teacher. "He works harder than anyone else in the music school," Doles said. "He puts out effort to bring in new perform ers and styles and does work that he doesn't necessarily have to do. He makes class meaningful and interesting for students, and we have had feedback from students who said he has changed their perspective on the world." His trio (which features vocals from Silverman, clarinet music from Levy and accordion and keyboard music from Kirilov ) plays around Eugene at venues such as Cafe Paradiso and Cozmic Pizza, while also perform ing nationally. Silverman said be cause of Levy's performance experi ence, he brings an enriched knowledge of the type of music he teaches to his students. "He brings an understanding of the music and the expressive qualities that it should have," she said. "Some people teach who have only listened to the music, but he has actually played it. He brings in the point of view of a practitioner." Levy said he plans to continue strengthening the School of Music's ethnomusicology program, and he has already made a significant im provement. Last year, he initiated the requirement that all freshmen music majors complete an introductory world music course. He said he would like to begin a course in music of the African diaspora, which includes gen res triggered by Africans moving to new parts of the world during slavery. He said teaching gives him the oppor tunity to keep learning. "It's really mind-broadening to re alize there are all different kinds of music, and different views of what is beautiful in music," he said. "My courses are a trip to these places. Mu sic is a window into other cultures." Contact the Pulse reporter at natashachilingerian@dailyemerald.com.
