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LOCAL MUSICIAN WANTS TO PRESERVE ARMENIAN MUSICAL HISTORY ON FILM
Hometownlife.com, MI
Feb 7 2014
Ara Topouzian wants to preserve Detroit's Armenian musical history
on film.
"My goal is to show the hidden story about Detroit, the ethnic
community," said the Farmington Hills resident. "Our music represents
sadness, happiness, weddings, parties, picnics."
The idea for the film stems from a project Topouzian, Troy Chamber
of Commerce executive director, created when he received a fellowship
from the Kresge Foundation in 2012.
A nationally known musician, Topouzian taught himself to play and
love the kunan, a trapezoid-shaped instrument that boasts sets of
three strings tuned to the same note. He and other Armenian musicians
continue to perform.
His Kresge fellowship gave Topouzian yet another opportunity to open
the doors to preserving Armenian music.
"It allowed me to create a project for the public that was a
lecture/concert about the history of Armenian music in Detroit,"
he said. "I thought it would be great if it was a film."
That dream is on its way to reality thanks to a $12,000 matching
grant from the Knight Foundation. That joy, however, presents a hurdle.
Topouzian must raise the $12,000 match and he has until September.
He is working through the Miami Foundation and the online Kickstarter
to raise the necessary money. The former executive director of the
Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce and former economic development
director for the city of Novi is also accepting private donations to
help with the grant match.
With Kickstarter, Topouzian had to set a dollar goal and if that
fundraising goal is not reached by March 18, that's the end of that.
"No money goes in my pocket from any fundraising for the film. I get
nothing except maybe the notoriety of the film," Topouzian said.
Making progress
Progress is under way. If he can raise the minimum $5,000 on
Kickstarter, then he has $2,600 already with a total of $7,600 so far.
If all goes as planned, Brian Golden, Farmington area historian, will
film the historical project Topouzian has in mind. And again, if all
goes as planned, he wants to pitch a completed film to PBS. The film
in 2015 would coincide with 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
The Armenian Genocide, also known as the Armenian Holocaust, took
place during and after World War I when the then-Ottoman Empire
systematically exterminated its minority Armenian population from
their homeland, which is today's nation of Turkey.
Before the genocide, Detroit could boast some 3,000-4,000 Armenians.
Following the genocide, the ranks swelled to some 30,000 as survivors
made their way to Detroit and jobs with Henry Ford.
For the most part, Armenians brought their culture and music and
settled in the southeast section of Detroit. "They had no tape
recorders but they brought the tunes in their heads and desperately
made a life here and brought the culture they lost," Topouzian said.
And this is the story he wants to tell the world. At first, Armenian
musicians played in churches, community centers and halls. In time,
nightclub owners realized Armenian music was popular and began inviting
the musicians to play a few nights a week.
"It is a story that needs to be told," he said. "About how important
Armenians have been in Detroit preserving their culture and their
music."
Topouzian plans to return to the spots where those nightclubs once
stood and interview Armenian immigrants and musicians who steadfastly
protected and preserved their culture.
"I want them to tell their stories. This is the history the Turks
did not get."
To help Topouzian with his fundraising
campaign, go to Kickstarter campaign at:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aratopouzian/detroit-hye-times-armenian-music-in-detroit.
More information about Topouzian can be found on his
website at: http://www.aratopouzian.com and on his blog,
http://aratopouzian.wordpress.com/.
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20140207/NEWS06/302070019/Local-musician-wants-preserve-Armenian-musical-history-film
Hometownlife.com, MI
Feb 7 2014
Ara Topouzian wants to preserve Detroit's Armenian musical history
on film.
"My goal is to show the hidden story about Detroit, the ethnic
community," said the Farmington Hills resident. "Our music represents
sadness, happiness, weddings, parties, picnics."
The idea for the film stems from a project Topouzian, Troy Chamber
of Commerce executive director, created when he received a fellowship
from the Kresge Foundation in 2012.
A nationally known musician, Topouzian taught himself to play and
love the kunan, a trapezoid-shaped instrument that boasts sets of
three strings tuned to the same note. He and other Armenian musicians
continue to perform.
His Kresge fellowship gave Topouzian yet another opportunity to open
the doors to preserving Armenian music.
"It allowed me to create a project for the public that was a
lecture/concert about the history of Armenian music in Detroit,"
he said. "I thought it would be great if it was a film."
That dream is on its way to reality thanks to a $12,000 matching
grant from the Knight Foundation. That joy, however, presents a hurdle.
Topouzian must raise the $12,000 match and he has until September.
He is working through the Miami Foundation and the online Kickstarter
to raise the necessary money. The former executive director of the
Farmington Area Chamber of Commerce and former economic development
director for the city of Novi is also accepting private donations to
help with the grant match.
With Kickstarter, Topouzian had to set a dollar goal and if that
fundraising goal is not reached by March 18, that's the end of that.
"No money goes in my pocket from any fundraising for the film. I get
nothing except maybe the notoriety of the film," Topouzian said.
Making progress
Progress is under way. If he can raise the minimum $5,000 on
Kickstarter, then he has $2,600 already with a total of $7,600 so far.
If all goes as planned, Brian Golden, Farmington area historian, will
film the historical project Topouzian has in mind. And again, if all
goes as planned, he wants to pitch a completed film to PBS. The film
in 2015 would coincide with 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide.
The Armenian Genocide, also known as the Armenian Holocaust, took
place during and after World War I when the then-Ottoman Empire
systematically exterminated its minority Armenian population from
their homeland, which is today's nation of Turkey.
Before the genocide, Detroit could boast some 3,000-4,000 Armenians.
Following the genocide, the ranks swelled to some 30,000 as survivors
made their way to Detroit and jobs with Henry Ford.
For the most part, Armenians brought their culture and music and
settled in the southeast section of Detroit. "They had no tape
recorders but they brought the tunes in their heads and desperately
made a life here and brought the culture they lost," Topouzian said.
And this is the story he wants to tell the world. At first, Armenian
musicians played in churches, community centers and halls. In time,
nightclub owners realized Armenian music was popular and began inviting
the musicians to play a few nights a week.
"It is a story that needs to be told," he said. "About how important
Armenians have been in Detroit preserving their culture and their
music."
Topouzian plans to return to the spots where those nightclubs once
stood and interview Armenian immigrants and musicians who steadfastly
protected and preserved their culture.
"I want them to tell their stories. This is the history the Turks
did not get."
To help Topouzian with his fundraising
campaign, go to Kickstarter campaign at:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/aratopouzian/detroit-hye-times-armenian-music-in-detroit.
More information about Topouzian can be found on his
website at: http://www.aratopouzian.com and on his blog,
http://aratopouzian.wordpress.com/.
http://www.hometownlife.com/article/20140207/NEWS06/302070019/Local-musician-wants-preserve-Armenian-musical-history-film