Zachariah Sullivan S2753668 Jalal Zolfonun Documentary First, I would like to begin by stating that on an emotional and political

al level, I find this exercise abhorrent. As far as I can tell, we (as a group) have been asked to prove our loyalty to this project by demonstrating research weve accumulated and to (for lack of a better word) beg to maintain our positions in the production. My reason for joining this production is simple. I liked this project more than the others. The idea of learning about a culture I have no previous knowledge of, a man Id never known existed and an instrument Id never heard before this year fascinated me. Besides, I found the music beautiful. I wanted to see others discover that music through this documentary, and I wanted to be a part of its creation. I could easily list a number of things Ive learned through my own research on Jalal Zolfonun, Iranian history and culture and the music of the Setar, but I doubt it will be as extensive as anything my peers have already provided. I had liked the idea of working on this project as an opportunity to learn through and from the project, but not if it is simply to prove or disprove my own value in the production. If thats the only motivation for the research, itll be driven by anxiety rather than passion. Below is some of the research Ive done. I cant pretend to be an expert in any subject that will be explored in the documentary, but a quest for knowledge is what drove me to do this task in the first place. I dont doubt that my position in this project is easily the one in most jeopardy of being culled, and honestly, if anyone is going to leave Id rather it be me. This group has demonstrated that in spite of the obstacles already put in front of them, they are a motivated, passionate, driven group of individuals who clearly want to be a part of creating what could become a beautiful, insightful piece of documentary filmmaking. If it were my responsibility to decide which of them should leave the production, I wouldnt choose any of them. Research: Jalal Zolfonun, born 1937 in Abadeh, Fars, Iran, is a master of the setar, as well a composer and teacher of Persian music. In 1967, Jalal was accepted into the faculty of the Fine Arts department of Tehran University, where he studied the setar, dedicating himself to the delicate instrument. At age 72, Jalal Zolfonun continues to record a number albums on which he is featured as lead soloist, composer and ensemble player with a number of well-known singers and musicians he has toured worldwide. - http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/video.asp?ID=6011001 He was the composer for a film The Fifth Season ( 1997) - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125099/ Wrote the book Setar Playing and Teaching Method A disciple of Borumand and Safvat, Zolfonon had been hired as a teacher for the Ministry of Culture in 1961. He was a teacher and researcher at the Centre during the 1970s and authored a book on teaching traditional Persian music. He was nominated for a Grammy in the 1990s - Miller, Lloyd. Music and Song in Persia (2012) Kurdish tanbur (long-necked,fretted lutes - Wikipedia) and Dotara techniques and stylings were

Zachariah Sullivan S2753668 Jalal Zolfonun Documentary incorporated into the setar by Zolfonun (24) In the 1980s Zolfonun began experimenting with large, Soviet-style ensembles featuring dozens of setars. (25) - SIMMs, Rob. Koushkani, Amir. Mohammad Reza Shajarian's Avaz in Iran and Beyond (2012) Jalal Zolfonun introduced an ensemble of only setar players, creating the best selling album of traditional Persian music, Golehsadbarg (which means, "100 petal flower") Since Golehsadbarg's success, the setar evolved from the least to the most popular instrument in Iran. - http://www.whatsupiran.com/Profile/Jalal-Zolfonun/About Setar, one of the most favorite musical instruments of Iran, is a four stringed lute. Two of the strings are made of steel, two are of brass. Its sound box is wooden with some holes on its surface. It is played with the nail of the index finger. - http://www.tehrantimes.com/highlights/98570-miracle-sounds-of-history The setar is also loved for its delicacy and is the favorite among Mystic musicians - http://www.setar.info/ For more than two thousand years music has been teached by man to man order and there were no any kind of writing music method that musician can used to write what they created - http://www.myriad-online.com/images/workshop/Persian_music.pdf Cultural Context: Since the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran, many aspects of Iranian society have been brought under control of the government. Following the rhetoric of anti-westernization and Ali Khameneis campaign against cultural aggression of the West in 1992, traditional Persian music gained popularity and support. Zahir, Sanam. The Music of the Children of Revolution: The State of Music and Emergence of the Underground Music in the Islamic Republic of Iran with an Analysis of Its Lyrical Content (2008) Persian traditional music embodies two distinct types: The rural folk music and the urban art music. A country as vast as Persianecessarily possesses a folk music of great variety, particularly since her population includes diverse ethnic groups. No definitive study of Persian folk music has ever been made as the sheer scope of such a task makes it forbidding. Farhat, Hormoz. The Dastgah Concept in Persian Music. Cambridge University Press, 2004. The modal concepts in Persian folk music are directly linked with that of the classical music. However, improvisation plays a minor role as folk tunes are characterized by relatively clearcut melodic and rhythmic properties. The function of each folk melody determines its mood. The varying aesthetic requirements of wedding songs, lullabies, love songs, harvest songs, dance pieces, etc., are met with transparent and appropriate simplicity. - http://www.iranchamber.com/music/articles/introduction_to_persian_music.php Classical Persian music is an ancient art form and one of the earliest musical traditions known today. Because of the geographic location and sociopolitical role of the ancient Persian empire, Persian music and culture has contributed enormously to the foundation of many other musical

Zachariah Sullivan S2753668 Jalal Zolfonun Documentary traditions in Central Asia, Asia Minor, China and North India. - http://www.oud.gr/music_iran.htm The western musical instruments are mostly rooted in or taken after the oriental ones. Almost all European instruments were taken to Europe by Muslims from Asia through the southeast of Byzantine and northern Africa in the Middle Ages. - http://www.iranchamber.com/music/articles/iranian_music_other_culture.php