A new music documentary from Kazakhstan to Alaska, bringing near-extinct cultural expressions into the future.
The fundamental purpose of Time Travels Through Sound is to bring oral tradition and music that faces extinction into the future.
In order to protect these precious forms of expression, I’m going to bike from Kazakhstan to Alaska creating a movie that will feature musical performances, wildlife, and stories from several regions.
One of the unique things about this Kickstarter is that it allows some backers co-creation input in the film. (see rewards #9-#12)
During this project I will be producing:
• A Documentary Film (in 4K)
• A Music Album
• Long Form Written Stories
• Photographic Journal
There are about 7000 languages in the world, only 85 of these languages are being spoken by 78% of the population. Every 14 days one of the lesser spoken languages become extinct, due to its speakers leaving it for a more common language.*** (Learn more: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/07/vanishing-languages/rymer-text)
This project will uncover ancient sounds and contribute into the music community. Mountains, tundra and coastal towns from Central Asia to North America are full of ancient culture, and this film celebrates it by creating art together with its natives.
In addition to the film, throughout the course of 18 months I will collaborate with local musicians to create a musical album of traditional songs. By donating you will give me a chance to bring back music that we didn’t know existed, and help me document cultures before they disappear.
I’ve found myself deeply connected to the nomadic cultures along my journey, and over the past few years I’ve built countless friendships with people from these cultures. The tribes that I will meet are mainly Kazakh, Mongolian, Altaic, Tuvan, Uygur, Ainu, Yup’ik and Inuit. Even though my means of transportation is a bicycle, rather than a horse or reindeer, I feel I relate to these traditions in the sense that we all share the same spiritual connection to music; we write songs and throat-sing; and we share the same love and respect for nature.
I believe that it is up to the artists of our generation to be bold, brave and passionate, to not only get to know these incredible people and their art, but also to inspire others from all around to know more about our world.
The vast majority of native groups between Central Asia and Alaska are nomads that herd horses or reindeer, live in tough climates, have shamanistic beliefs, and do throat singing.
The film will portray the life of Turkic, Mongolian, Ainu, and Eskimo people and my journey on a bicycle amongst them. It involves the process of music making, active scenes while out riding in nature and stories from the native’s mouths that will put the puzzle pieces together.
The common musical theme of these tribes is that they all throat sing. Throat singing is a type of singing that is used in both songs and music therapy. Stylistically, a throat singer can produce up to three notes at a time, as opposed to just one note – which is the norm in Western Music. This style differs from culture to culture. For instance, the Inuit and Ainu throat singing is traditionally performed by two women, one of whom repeats the notes that the other one sings in delay, creating a full melody together; yet Tuvan and Mongolian throat singing is generally sung in unison by men.
My name is Deniz, I’m from Istanbul, Turkey and currently living in Boston, MA.
I’m graduating from Berklee College of Music in May of 2015. Since I’ve moved to Boston I’ve concentrated on Fretless Guitar, World Music (i.e. African, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, Chinese and Cuban music) , Song-Writing, Throat Singing, and Japanese language, while working at the Apple Store as a Business Specialist; Circle of Boston Nursery School as a Music Teacher; and Genuine Voices, a foundation helping youth at risk, as a Coordinator.
Right before starting Berklee, I lived in Mexico City for half a year learning Spanish and salsa. Through this experience I had built the encouragement to travel from Spain to Turkey along the Mediterranean, a dream I’d had for years. Instead of using a tent, map or any money, I CouchSurfed, asked for directions and busked in the streets. This experience allowed me to accept myself as a world citizen, just like we all are. It also helped me to learn to plan ahead, but go with the flow of serendipity.
As a songwriter, photographer, and cross-continent cyclist I will follow a roadmap allowing me to be at the right place in the right moment; making music, shooting visuals from the mountains of Altai to the tundra of North America.
I’m currently the grand-sponsor of this project. I’ve saved up for the past three years, and that helped me get professional recording equipment, and most importantly my plane ticket to Almaty in Kazakhstan.
The rest is up to you! By supporting this Kickstarter you can help me go the extra mile and help TIME TRAVEL THROUGH SOUND.
Please donate and share!Check out these cool rewards! —->
A BIG THANK YOU.
It has almost been a year since the inception of Time Travels Through Sound. I would like to take this moment to recognize some of the people who have helped me on this quest.
Without the support of the following individuals, I would not be so close to my goal.
A Heartfelt Thank you…
for going above and beyond with editing and animating the Kickstarter campaign;
Enver Perez
for helping create and establish this idea, giving fearless feedback and listening;
Ayumi Alma Ueda founder of Women of the World, http://www.womenoftheworldmusic.com
Robert Marshall www.thenewburymediagroup.com
Louka Panourgias http://www.mld-productions.com
Berkay Birecikli http://berkaybirecikli.com
Cem Eskinazi http://www.cemeskinazi.com
Parker Simon http://www.parker-simon.com
Fulya Atalay http://www.fulyaatalay.com.tr
Tunahan E. Bilgin, Erika Solyom, Pervin Yanikkaya Aydemir, Alex Benton, Juri Ify Love, Sam Swan, Galen Ellis, Eren Başbuğ, Richard Gerardi, Yasmina Peker
for translating and helping translate; Sarasa Uchiyama, Annie Apam Xitlali Erendira, Dana Altynbek, Jin Jing Fang, Nihal Harmandar
for networking across the globe;
Uyanga Bold http://www.uyangamusic.com
Kento Itoh http://www.kentoitoh.com/blog
Utku Öğüt, Tolga Ayıklar, Billy Yeung, Nuurma Haragana, Ryoko Seetaa, İpek Büyükdığan, Eren Yalçınkaya, Devon Bartlett
for helping me logistically;
Azimkhan Kozhakhmetov, Sanjmyatav Purevnyam, Jason Lee, Shiva Shivaun, Daniya Ozma, Adilbay Orazaliyev, Chechena Badarchy & Arslan Badarchy, Tsendka Tsend-Ayush, Aysa Dadar-ol
Magma Dergisi team; http://www.magmadergisi.com
Selcen Kucukustel, Özcan Yüksek, Kemal Tayfur
for helping me learn Russian; Lena Shukel, Larisa Kagermazova
for helping me learn to throat sing;
Alex Glenfield http://alexanderglenfield.blogspot.com
Special thanks to:
the Berklee Community,
the entire staff of Apple Store Boylston Street
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Longer video with clearer subtitles; in EN�� TR��
***Due diligence \ Project Research;
– http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/03/language-extinction-economic-development_n_5759850.html
–http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140606-why-we-must-save-dying-languages
List of nearly extinct languages;
–http://linguistlist.org/forms/langs/get-nearly-extinct.cfm
The song on the video is; Proverbs by Mamer on his album titled Eagle.
Some of the footages of this video were by;
Xiger Xiger – Hanggai from Inner Mongolia 2013
Apple – Making a difference. One app at a time.
Huun Huur Tu performs Morgul at Womad 2013
On the Journey
When it comes to biking across a continent, basic things such as food, accommodation, directions, and maintaining wellness become quite challenging. That paired with a constant workflow of videography will push me to new personal limits.
However, I have friends in high places; by that I mean mountains and tundra.
What makes this project possible are the friendships I’ve built with hundreds of people from Kazakhstan to Alaska mainly in the past 3 years. I have made it a habit to go out of my way to get into different communities my entire life. Almost every evening I will be joining friends at their home or yurt.
As for the biking, my 3000 mile (5000km) trip across Europe without a map, money or tent has allowed me to understand how to be prepared and overcome issues while riding as they arise.
With Language
Since I will be visiting Mongolia, China, Japan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Korea and possibly other countries, one of the immediate challenges is the language.
The five languages that I can speak will cover the majority of these regions, and for the rest of them I have friends that will interpret for me.
In Production
To finish the production and post-production of such a long project, with Terabytes of information, images shot in 4K and hi-fi audio is definitely one of the most challenging parts of this project. It will take several months of work, after the trip is over.
The good news is I am in a network of artists and studios that are waiting for me to start shooting the footage. I have a wide array of connections from working on the Business Team of Apple to being involved in the community of Boston as a volunteer at the Japanese Spring Festival and Department of Youth Services.