Dr. Peyman Nasehpour speaks to promising female tonbak player, Nazanin
Pedarsani. Nazanin Pedarsani, Iranian female tonbak player was born in
Tehran,
Iran in 1988. At the age of 4, she showed interests in Iranian
percussion music and started learning tonbak (Persian goblet drum)
from Hossein Tehrani (not to be confused with the late maestro Hossein
Tehrani, the father of modern tonbak). Later she was student of
maestro Mahmoud Farahmand and learnt many important points of Iranian
drumming and rhythms from him.
She learnt daf (Persian frame drum) from maestro Bijan Kamkar and tar
(Persian plucked instrument) under the supervision of maestro
Zeydollah Tolui and Mohammad Reza Ebrahimi.
She participated in different concerts and festivals in Iran and other
countries such as Canada, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Armenia and
Morocco. Once in the Young Soloists Festival of Iran, she was chosen
as the best soloist by the referees of the festival:
PN: When did you start learning drums?
NP: When I was about four years old I saw a tonbak player and I became
interested in tonbak and thanks to Mr.Hossein Tehrani, he accepted to
teach me the tonbak and that was the time that I started learning the
tonbak. Let me explain that Mr. Hossein Tehrani should not be confused
with the late maestro Hossein Tehrani that is considered as the father
of modern tonbak.
PN: Why started drumming?
NP: Well, as I explained when I saw that amateur tonbak player, I became
fond of tonbak and with the help of the pianoinstructor of my sister,
I was introduced to Mr. Hossein Tehrani. I also wish to appreciate my
parents for their support and helping me as a child to go to the
course for several years.
PN: But you play also Persian tar that is a melodic music instrument!
Why? How does that effect your drumming?
NP: First of all I wanted to experience how to play a melodic instrument
and since I was interested in Persian tar, I started learning this
important instrument of Persian classical music at the age of 14,
while I had learned a lot about the tonbak and it was actually very
difficult to learn the tar, because when you play the instrument at a
high level you enjoy that a lot, while it is so difficult to enjoy an
instrument when you are a beginner. As a drummer, I believe that it is
so important for a drummer to be acquainted with melodic pieces.
Because then the drummer will be a better accompaniment for melodic
instruments and vocalists. In my opinion, by listening to rhythmic
compositions in Persian music, drummers can improve themselves in
accompanying.
PN: Please tell us about your concerts. When was your first concert?
NP: The first time that I went on the stage to play the tonbak, I was six
years old and I played with the children orchestra of our music school
that all the members of this orchestra were less than 18 years old and
I do remember that I was the youngest one. The first important concert
that I payed on the tonbak and accompanied a women band in Vahdat Hall
in Tehran, Iran, I was 15 years old. After that I made a lot of
concerts in Iran, Canada and some European countries with different
Iranian bands and a couple of famous Iranian musicians such as
maestro Milad Kiai, one of the most famous santoor players of Iran.
PN: Have you released any
CD or DVD? Please explain a bit.
NP: Two DVDs that I have played the tonbak for Chakavak Ensemble have been
released and I have played in a couple of DVDs and CDs that they will
be released very soon. I also lead my own band, Navaye Del and we
have recorded a CD and at the moment we have some problems to release
it.
PN: Most notable concert you ever played?
NP: Well, I cannot distinguish one concert as the most notable one,
because all my concerts have been important and they have brought for
me good experiences.
PN: Have you ever faced to some problems as a female drummer?
NP: Of course that, there are some problems for female drummers, but the
worst problem that really bothers me is that it is so difficult for
people to believe that a lady can be a good drummer and in the same
conditions a male drummer is considered by public view a better
drummer than a female drummer. Anyway, I feel that the social status
of lady drummers in Iran is changing and they are going to have a
better situation, particularly in big cities like Tehran. For example
I have seen some bands that they invite female drummers to play for
them, while traditionally they are supposed to invite male drummers
and this makes me happy and hopeful for a better future for female
drummers.
PN: Who are your favorite Iranian drummers?
NP: While I respect to all styles and musicians, but my favorite Iranian
drummer is the late maestro Amir Nasser Eftetah that has been the
teacher of my main teacher, maestro Mahmoud Farahmand which I like his
style as well.
PN: Are you interested in other music instruments that you wish to
play them some time in your life?
NP: I wish to experience many different percussion instruments of the four
corners of the globe.
PN: Any advice for new female drummers?
NP: Since the character of the tonbak is like the beating heart of the
band, it is important for the drummer to understand this important
role and play this role as precise as possible, no matter if one is a
female or a male drummer. In my opinion, it seems that according to
public view women cannot play this important role like men and my
advice to new female drummers is that they should never take this
public view serious and give up drumming.
PN: Anything else you like to share with the readers of your interview?
NP: Be sincere and play sincerely in this sense that put a bit of your
soul in the music that you perform.
