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Sona Avagyan

Young Guitarist Optimistic Despite the Odds

Her music is too “sophisticated” for Armenian audiences

Astghik Vardanyan is a guitar player who instills a great degree of optimism in the songs she writes. She’s penned over twenty compositions in the pop genre for violin, piano, flute and other instruments.

Astghik has a positive take on life and can write uplifting tunes even during those infrequent times when she is sad.

Now twenty, she’s been involved in music since the age of nine. A graduate of the Komitas Conservatory with a focus on the guitar, Astghik also plays the piano, but not, as she confesses “professionally”.

She writes her music when the need arises; when she has something to say.

“I really don’t write sullen music, even though they may sound sad. I’d call it an illuminated sadness. There’s always a trace of optimism in the songs. Sure in the end, hope may die. But, unless one is a confirmed pessimist, there is always some optimism deep within each of us. Sadness is only a spur of the moment attitude,” she says.

Out of the classical composers, Astghik really likes Vivaldi because his music is light and uplifting; not weighty like other classical composers.

“I read somewhere that scientists were able to prove which music had a positive effect on kids. It turns out that Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Mozart really make a difference,” Astghik says

Other musicians have also performed the young guitarist’s music at concerts and festivals. Her only piece written for the guitar is called “Dream”. She performed it along with violinist Lusineh this past December at the first public concert of the Forte NGO for the Disabled that took place at the Narekatsi Art Institute. Astghik is a member of the organization.

She’s been giving guitar lessons to visually impaired youngsters for the past 2.5 years at the Nikoghayos Tigranyan Special Needs School. Astghik has 12 students ranging in age from 8-18. In the evening, after school lessons, the children of the sleep-away school rush to their guitar lessons. Even if they can’t pluck the right notes, just holding the instrument is a cause for delight.

Astghik also sang in the Choral Group for the Blind and now sings in the chamber choir devoted for the wheelchair bound organized by the Paros NGO for the Disabled. The choir performs Armenian and international classical compositions. While Astghik has no vocal training and would dare sing on her own, she has all the attributes to sing in a group setting.

Astghik and the other Paros singers got to perform two songs at the end of Placido Domingo’s recent concert in Yerevan. The day before the concert, the Paros singers got the chance to meet the famous Spanish tenor at a reception given in the National Assembly. It never occurred to them that they would attend the concert (the tickets were expensive), let alone get the unique opportunity to sing with the fabled “King of the Opera”.

Placido Domingo had a surprise in store for the Paros singers. He invited them not only to attend the concert as his guests but to get up on stage and sing with him.

“It was like a dream when we took our place on the stage. His singing was perfect but the man didn’t have an ounce of arrogance about him. I found this to be most impressive. Sure, our group isn’t all that bad. But to sing with Placido Domingo, an international star whose reputation precedes him…It was an honor. Let’s face it, there are more professional groups in Armenia he could have chosen,” Astghik says.

Astghik dreams that one day her compositions will be arranged and recorded and made available to average Armenians over the TV and radio. She doesn’t want her songs to collect dust in a corner somewhere. But this requires money and a good producer to organize it all.

Astghik says that a few years ago she approached a producer here in Armenia. She didn’t want to give his name. She was told that her style of music wasn’t in demand here in Armenia’s limited music market. What they wanted was light, uncomplicated melodies that wouldn’t get people all riled up and emotional. The term “elevator muzak” comes to mind. .

The young woman was told that there was a demand for such instrumental music overseas.

“Sure, we like your music, but it won’t make us any money here in Armenia and we have families to feed. Maybe the time will come that your kind of music is appreciated here as well. Or maybe we can get your music distributed overseas one day,” was the line the producer gave Astghik.

Instead, the producer proposed that Astghik write songs with simple lyrics and melodies.

She recounts, “When we were sitting discussing things, a song was heard blaring from a TV in the background. The producer commented that while the song wouldn’t last a year tops; that people would forget it, it sure was making money today. He told me, ‘write stuff like that song, the more inane the better, and we’ll buy it.’ On that note we parted company.”

Astghik is still looking for someone who appreciates her style of music and can help her achieve her musical dreams.

The young musician performs her songs whenever the opportunity arises.

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