Kalin Kirilov - Balkan Music Lectures

Balkan music is incredibly complex and diverse. Music of neighboring countries differs to the point that even master musicians would often hesitate to perform in public a tune from a different Balkan country. Contrary to the common Balkan belief that “musicians should stick to the music of their own people,” I followed my musical curiosity and began playing musics from different Balkan countries. This unusual journey opened up a new musical world which I want to share with you.

The Balkan Music Lectures Project

Balkan Music Lectures bring the music of Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey to university students and people interested in Balkan music all over the world in the form of lectures, workshops, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, ensemble coaching sessions, and concerts. The project was initiated in 2017 by Dr. Kalin Ki rilov, Professor of Music at Towson University and renowned multiinstrumentalist who has been studying and performing Balkan music for over 40 years.

Balkan Music Lectures Classes (dates TBD):

Fall

Class 1 – Balkan Meters and Rhythms (8 weeks)

Class 2 – Balkan Scales and Modes (8 weeks)

Spring

Class 1 – Bulgarian and Balkan Harmony (8 weeks)
Class 2 – Balkan Ornamentation and Improvisation (8 weeks)
Class 3 – Rudiments of Music Theory (16 weeks)

Class Format:
The 8-weeks classes meet once a week for 75 min. Classes are structured as 60 min. lectures + 15 min. for questions. At the end of each 8 weeks class, there is a review session which is entirely student driven (Q&A).

These classes are college-level lectures where each concept will be reinforced by live demonstrations. The lectures will involve group/workshop activities, such as writing chord progressions, clapping advanced rhythms, and ornamenting melodies. After a certain level of knowledge is achieved, class sessions will be entirely devoted to applying concepts to practice, such as harmonizing songs, or applying ornaments to a new melodies.

The 16-weeks Rudiments of Music Theory class is asynchronous. The course has pre-recorded lectures and students take the course at their own pace.

Meeting Time:
All 8-week classes meet on Saturdays at 1:00PM Eastern Standard Time (USA) over ZOOM.
Classes will follow the Fall and Spring academic semester schedules in terms of breaks and holidays.

Learning Modality:
The Balkan Music Lectures are intended to build a steady foundation for your understanding of Balkan music and will explain how the music of the master performers works. After taking these classes, you will be performing at a completely different level, you will be learning new tunes and songs much faster, your timing will be precise, etc.

Textbook and Materials:

There is no textbook or materials required. However, many of the concepts in these Balkan music lectures are also discussed in depth in my book Bulgarian Harmony. The paperback version of the book was just released (June 2020) and it is moderately priced at $38.00 USD. The book is highly recommended especially if you are interested in the scales and harmony or if you are playing an accompaniment instrument. Despite the fact that the book is focused on a single musical culture, it provides a theoretical and analytical foundation for understanding the music of all neighboring Balkan countries.

Registration:
You can take a single lecture, several classes on topics of your interest, or the complete 8-week classes. Please, keep in mind that the knowledge in the classes is cumulative, i.e., if you join us in Lecture 5, you may struggle with concepts discussed in the previous lectures. If you want to see a particular class but the time does not work for you, I can send you a video recording of that class session.

Cancelled and Rescheduled Classes:

In cases of inclement weather (in Maryland, US), classes may be cancelled and rescheduled. The ZOOM lectures depend 100% on technology. If there is a storm, there is no electricity, no internet, and I cannot teach online.

Learn Online with Prof. Kirilov!