oLo GRASSHOPPER MAKER'S SONG Music ay DUBAN BoGDANOVEE San Boydanovié sovalls the mo- nent he decided to become a clas- sical ciusician, Ustening to Bach's Passacaglia in C Minor for organ. thought, well, this is really the summit,” he saya, “lf fection, beauty, and expressiveness of ‘hat music was reason enough to ded ‘cate my life to classical muse.” But the Yugesiamborn musician ide’ want to limit himself te intexpret Ing the music of others, so he began to. form bis own path within the classical sgulter world, Through # synthesis of composition, Improvisation, scholar ship, performance, and the Integration ‘of etinic musta idioms, he bas created ‘8 unique voice that has touched aud. Tuning: DAD GBE Relaced arc flowing ‘ences from eastern Europe to east Aste ‘and inspired a growing number of prom Ingnt guariete to record his compost tions, The smprovisatior-based. piece “Grasshopper Maker's Song," from hs Worlds CD, typibies his adventurous approach to the classical guitar Bogidanovié started his career at the ‘age of 20, when he complete is studies In gutor and composition at the Geneva ‘Conservatory Inthe two years that fot lowed, he took First prize at the Intor- national Guitar Competition in Geneva, bogan teaching at the Conservatory, and gave a successful debut at Cernegle Hall—an intense caveer as a traditional Classical guitarist was in fll swing. But hare a year later. in the midst of this 1100 on gern A gh ese. Used by pron,November 910 A€oUSTHC GUITARSo rm kind of nervous as it is. I’ve never played this club before. And when I get a good look at the sound guy I get really scared. A wave of panic hits me. Then I grab my secret weapon. My Seymour Duncan ‘Acoustic Tube!” In seconds it's clipped into my guitar and my worries disappear With its stacked, hum-canceling design I get true acoustic response for natural sound. An adjustable volume ‘knob right on tne plocup puts me in control sorry Mr, Sound-Guy). Plus, Seymour Duncan's reputation for roaking the ost sounding pickope moana that Ihave the tone pert n my ldo S when you neod to fae tho muse. pickup a tube of acoustic tone_}success, Bogdanovie found himself in a dificult situation that forced him 10 rethink his artistic direction, The rigid demands of his concert schedule were nck allowing him the space to develop his creativity, and the pressures of maintaining such a focused career at so young an age became unbearabie. “felt lke my fe was so defined that J might ag well die rignt now and it ‘youd make much difference,” says Bogtdanovié. Equally disturbing was the realization that he had not even chosen ths touring focus for himself, Unt then, he hed never seriously thought about ‘what he wanted 'o aceomplish with his ‘husic, or the specie diteetion he want fed to take: Bogdanovit could have cone wed down the secure, conventional path, but that way segmed 2 little to0 worn #0 he chose another, “One day ! just decided 1 was eanceling all of my concerts,” he recalls, “The [st took a Jong, long break, This eecision to redirect his life was areatly smisunderstond, "Well, 1 was a iisaster, obviously” Bogdanoé says of the canceliations, Concerts had been scheduled long in advance, and some of he promoters were angry at the young perlormer's audacity. Stl, the break seemed to be just what the developing artist nesded, For the better part of tree years, he practically gave up play {ng the guitar and lived as elmply as he could, developing a reflective space ‘where he coukl prioritize his interests ‘and rediscover his motivations. “Tt was ‘great (or me because | could suddenly reevaluate all the decisions [had made, he says. “After that I veally opened my: Sell up to a much larger view of itis to bea musician—and what its to bes human being. Of course the inspiration of Bach's Passacaglia stayed with him, $0 eventv- ally Bogdanowé began to rebuild his ‘carver. Inthe early ‘80s, he immigrated to the United States and settied in Los ‘Angeles. He began teaching at the Uni versity of Southern Calfornia and tour- ing 45 @ member of the Falla Trio. She years ago he moved north, Jolving the faculty of the San Francisco Conser vatory of Music, where he has been teaching ever since. Although Bogdanovlé once again finde himeal in the midst of a success ful music career; he has been careful to ‘mak creativity and expression ts focus. These days he allows plenty of space for experiments like his improvisatory ‘collaborations with Miroslay Tadie, umes Newton, and Mileho Leview. He prefers. to play his. own. compositions and ravely perlorms the standard repet- toire, When he does play sore tead- tional pieces, the results are highly Imaginative, as in his work wth Baine Camparone on the Bach with Pluck CDs. Bogclanovi's music has been stead- ly gaining in populacity ever since his first pleces were published in 1980, arel his compositions have been recorded by'such internationally known guitarists a8 Eduardo Isaae, William Kanenglser ‘Andileno Sebastianl, the Newman Oltman and Grber-Makdar gultar duos, and the Asti Quartet. His Sie lum rations for Piano are being recorded ‘and pérlormed by Brozillan pianist Fabio Luz, and a commission trom the Pacific Dance Company was the stimu lus for “Crow,” bis “contemporary blues ballet-poem” based on the poetry of Ted Hughes. An interesting commission from Shitley Yormamoto of a work for flute, guitar and Japanese koto also seems likely Bogdanovie’s compositional style blends 0 variety of ethnic Idioms with ‘conventional forms from the classical tradition, The irregular meters of Balkan music, the improvisational technique and harmonic ‘anguage of jazz, Indian raga forms; Mrican polysty tims, inodeHands.on bast & alvaned cours, worishop & sein in stel-string, das, atop felecrc uitarmalng cfd intrament ehinology agit airs Wm Caplan, bon Schnee, ‘Aw apn, Brad Nihon, hie Mil, Stove hot DLP, Tin Whe, eek ii, Leeds Gitarmahor School ‘Ethanon Rad Nocharton NADIOAD ((U)S8LO0teneivnrn crakear ff Dewy, ane it ork” jeckson Browne * she net capo have ever use. [ev ellertess ard tdeesny put the guts cut 9 ture? Country ioe MeDanalé "The Bi i THE YORD" Buck Dharme, lee Oyster Cutt ‘ern roek and soul, European art music, and the music of Brazil are just a few of the jlavors that seep into his works Specific examples of his. particular Ind of integration can be found in the ‘way Indian raga tafluenced the forms for his two "Raguettes.” A fascination with the complicated polyshythms of west African music was the stimulus for his. Polyahythrais and Polymetric Studies for Guitor ane Seven Easier Poly. metric Studies. Polythythin has. since been at important part of his tech- fique, adding to an already sophisti- cated sense of rhythm inherited fom tis Balkan backyround, ‘Unlike most cleasical gultarists, Bogdanovié has developed a refined style of inprovisation based on the same musical languages and rhythmic diversity found in his notated composi. Hons, He uses this spontaneous way of expressing himself la many of his recorded works, Including “Grasshop- per Maker's Song.” ‘The inspiration for the plete came from o chance meeting while on tour in the Orient. One day near « Hong Kong market, Bogsdanovic happened upon a peacetullooking gen- tHleman making grasshoppers. out of hhad een left im a garbage cas to die. A group of Taoist monks found him raised hima, and taught him how to male the straw grasshoppers that would ‘enable hn to earn a living. “For nearly 440 years he has been going to that wall to make and sell his grasshoppers,” Bogdanovie says. “There's. something ‘very satlafying about that man ancl t power of focus and simplicity” DUAN BORDANOWE Worlds, WA 008 (1982), MA, 4728 Park Encino Lane #117, Encino, CA 91436; (818) 907.9896. 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