Meg York Blog, Azra sings, Klezmerize, Sherefe, Van Life, Balkan Music, Indecent Play, Tarjama Ensemble, Basma Studio, Bella Diva Dance

Blog

Apr 7 2023

2022 in Review

Here's a reposting of my newsletter:

Hey!

So there *is some small dance space at the concert at Ken Gilman's house on New Year's Day, so come on out and shake it off for a great new start!

Here's the…

Dec 27 2022

Winter Update: Tarjama in Burque

Hey!

So there *is some small dance space at the concert at Ken Gilman's house on New Year's Day, so come on out and shake it off for a great new start!

Here's the FB Event LINK if you're into…

Dec 4 2022

Music Instigatrix at it again, Janis Kelly, the energetic music director at Columbine Conference Center pulled together many of the top Colorado world artists for a concert in March. I played myself on Sholeh Mani, Nabin and Bijay, Dr. Michael…

Dec 4 2022

How to Learn to Learn by Ear

Back in the day, you just listened to live teachers to learn, over and over.

They would create loops of melodies and ad lib variations for you to take turns repeating until you got it, then move on. I still…

Dec 4 2022

Testimonials for Taksim Class

"Together, you presented a very fine experience in the study of taxim, (solo improvisation), both technically from a dancer’s perspective, and musically from a musician’s perspective, in this case a musician who genuinely enjoys “partnering” with dancers during the taxim…

Dec 4 2022

What is Tarab?

"Tarab to me is when you are expecting something beautiful and you get something even more beautiful.

Improv is where it's at for me.

It's about what the moment feels like instead of what it looks like.

I'm lucky because…

Dec 4 2022

Athena Project Artist in Residence

I got hired to be an Artist in Residence for two days at Swallow Hill through Athena Project. I was partnered with a visual artist Charlotte and I created a sound track for a time lapse film she created of…

Dec 4 2022

Hadgaba

I played with Hadgaba for about a year. A bunch of young Israeli and Jewish 20 somethings, I wasn't a great fit, but we did have a lot of fun. I got us to open for Daniel Khan, and KlezFest…

Dec 4 2022

Catrene Malshey's band Zuruna

Catrene put together an Arabic band in about 2004 with Lisa Rooney, a ney player, then held a revolving door policy for all the Denver based Arabic music loving musicians for two decades. I played off and on with Zuruna…

Dec 4 2022

Jurjuna Turkish Ensemble

Kanunist Kylie Halihal put together a Turkish band and we played for several community events. I got us a gig at the Colorado Early Music Fall Festival in the Boulder Library and that was a highlight.

Dec 4 2022

Klezmerize with Ben Cohen and Florin Alaxandrescue

This was the later incarnation of the Klezmerize grouping -- after I had moved to Lakewood from Evergreen. I wasn't associated with a synagogue anymore, but still hungered to play Klez and Balkan material. Ben Cohen also wanted a band…

Dec 4 2022

Klezmerize at Beth Evergreen -- the original band

I started my first great Klezmer band at Beth Evergreen in 2002 under the gleefully supportive Rabbi Eliot Baskin, D.Min. He would lead hora dance lines out one door of the sanctuary and around to enter the other door and…

Dec 4 2022

Dazzle Jazz with Hal Aqua Lost Tribe and Zuruna

I've played with Hal Aqua at Klez Fest and with him at Dazzle Jazz with Catrene Malshey's Zuruna band. Always a great time!

Here're a few photos and fliers to commemorate the decades

Dec 4 2022

Mercury Cafe World Music Nights

I've played and produced events at the Mercury since about 2000. Here are just a few photos and fliers to mark the time.

Dec 4 2022

Lisa Siciliano Photos Tarab Retreat 2022

Dec 4 2022

Colorado Ren Festival 2022

I used a grant from Alex Legacy Fund to fly Faisal Zedan out from the Bay area and we had a blast. Phrank Bramlitt joined us from New Mexico and we were under the tender care of dancer Liz Azi…

Dec 4 2022

Alex Wilson Legacy Fund Grant 2022

We received a mini grant from Alex Wilson Legacy fund to fly Faisal Zedan here from the Bay Area. It was such a treat to have him join us -- he really enjoyed meeting our Colorado musicians and dancers. He…

Dec 4 2022

Rachael Rodgers Photos of Alb Folk Fest

Dec 4 2022

Lisa Siciliano Photography of Tarjama First Plymouth

Dec 4 2022

Tarjama at First Plymouth

My new Tarjama configuration of musicians includes Nepalese tabla maestro, Nabin Shrestha, Pete Jacobs, and Arthur Lefebure.

We just did a beautiful concert at First Plymouth.

Here's the LINK. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTDs6lovjgg

It's the entire concert live stream: I suggest having it…

Dec 4 2022

Support our Third Eye Studio Recordings: December 29 and 30 2022

Please support us by donating on my virtual tip jar or becoming a member!

Let me know if you would enjoy being named on the credits for the two new albums: Tarjama with Ronaldo Baca and Maria Dickenson or the…

Dec 4 2022

Tarjama New Year's Day House Concert

Greetings!

I'm excited to let you know I am playing a concert Jan 1 in Albuquerque , New Mexico North Valley area on January 1.

Ken Gilman is hosing: Pease RSVP to him at kagilman@gmail.com

We'll play mostly the same…

Dec 4 2022

Kantorei Chorus "Miracles" Concerts

You may remember back when dinosaurs roamed the planet, I got a clarinet performance degree at UNM. I've been hired to play a classical gig for the Kantorei Chorus this season under the direction of Joel Rinsema. I'm thrilled to…

Dec 4 2022

Bella Diva Dance Winter Solstice Hafla

Join Bella Diva and Tarjama Ensemble for an end of year hafla celebration!

The evening will include a short lesson on dance improvisation from our musicians at 6:00 pm, followed by live music and an open dance floor and food…

About Meg York

I grew up off-grid in rural New Mexico, United States in the 1970's in an artistic household and community. I have become a seasoned musicologist, performer, and band leader in global folk music styles for these past 30 years.

I was in symphonic band and pit orchestra, marching band, jazz band, music theater, and headed up small ensembles all through school. I started playing for dancers in the Society for Creative Anachronisms, with Sazlar a Middle East ensemble and got HOOKED playing for all night, fire circle haflas ... weaving notes with wafting sparks into the crisp high desert air... These ladies took me to my first Mendocino Music and Dance Camp in 1990. The rest is history.

I started going to Eastern European Folklife Center Balkan Camp in about 1997 and am a Lifetime Member of EEFC. It's also great to be in the middle of the circle of folks dancers. I was really lucky to be on staff at Stockton Folkdance Camp two years with Bruce Sagan.

I got a Bachelor's Degree in Clarinet performance from University of New Mexico, leading and playing in all sorts of Western Classical ensembles on clarinets, saxophones, recorders and even a short stint with Javanese Gamelan Encantata. I also accompanied and danced in Eva Encinias-Sandovol's Flamenco Dance Program, performing through out the United States and Mexico. Eva is a powerhouse performer and producer, her vision crystalline and inspiring. I relished steeping myself in movement by being a corps (ensemble) dancer -- Flamenco with Pablo Rodarte's Dance Espana tours, swing dancing at Denver's Mercury Cafe, the Turnverein Ballroom for 25 years, accompanying and dancing at Colorado Friends of Old Time Music and Dance Contra Dance and Boulder International Folk Dance Events. I studied with Frankie and Norma Miller, among many other great swing dance teachers through Denver's Community Minded Dance programs. As the great Frankie Manning of the Savoy Ballroom, New York, said:

"I don't know, but I've been told: if you keep dancing -- you never grow old".

Most recent studies include Turkey and India with Sedat Gulci, clarinetist, the Gundecha Brothers at the Dhruphad Institute in Bhopal, India, and with Dr. Scott Marcu, University of California Santa Barbara.

I loved accompanying David Taylor Zikr Dance Company classes and productions, including creating the Atash soundtrack with Farabi Ensemble for Persian fusion choreography by Sharhzad Khorsandi. Persian Contemporary, Taylor's own Modern choreographies, and TWO Gurdjieff's classics on the same program -- far out! I toured with Zikr as roadie and got to see the incredible stamina and focus of his dance corps company on the road. Astonishing.

I've also trained deeply in the Dahn Yoga Brain Management Training in Sedona with Il Chi Lee from South Korea. I do enjoy leading private yoga sessions with my family. The practice unkinks my body after long hours practicing or performing (and being in front of the computer!)

I've done my 10,000 hours.

I am now known for my world music playing and productions including Tarab Retreat, performing in Denver Center Performing Arts’ Klezmer play by Paula Vogel, Indecent, co-founding the Farabi Iranian Ensemble, and heading up the Eastern European style party band, Klezmerize. I've played for Circus Luminous in Santa Fe, at Arise Festival for Monkey Chant, and countless Society for Creative Anachronisms all night music jams. Pete Jacobs and I have had many co-productions over the years including a Yuval Ron Colorado tour, playing Turkish music on NPR in Paonia with Jon Seligman and David Alderdice, playing with Zvek Sufi Ensemble for numerous outreach events over the years with Zuruna to benefit International Rescue Committee and Musical Ambassadors of Peace.

I am an Athena Project Artist in Residence, and I join Hal Aqua at Dazzle Jazz and the Mizel Museum/Mercury Cafe Denver KlezFests. I love sitting in with Gora Gora Orkestar and Hadgaba Balkan Band!

Community Outreach includes Denver Sister Cities and Denver Spring Institute events, Musical Ambassadors of Peace Benefit Concerts, playing for Colorado Senate sessions, Yo Yo Ma’s 2018 Colorado Tour, Roshni Denver and the Boulder Balkan Bash.

I've met my closest friends and colleagues through playing music for their movement -- through that trans-personal connection. There is NOTHING else like playing for live movement.