Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Interview with Zayde Buti
F E A T U R E
Interview with Zayde Buti
Why do you practice listening?
Imagine if we gathered on the shore to listen to the ocean just as we gathered in an auditorium to hear a symphony. How would our relationship with the environment change? Have you ever taken a moment to listen carefully to the world around you? One benefit of doing so is that we begin to hear greater depth and detail; even seemingly mundane sounds, like those of a refrigerator, reveal things that we don’t often hear. By extension, what we commonly call “music” becomes richer and more pleasurable. Furthermore, this is something that can be practiced anytime, anywhere.
Can you share a listening exercise?
Put on a favorite piece of music and listen to it as closely as possible three or four times in a row. Each time it plays, focus on a different element, such as the bass. Can you hear it becoming more audible as you tune in to it? Listen for all the tiny details and try to identify the most subtle aspects of the piece. Notice how sounds come and go, and pay attention to how they make you feel. Do you see any images in your mind's eye? What thoughts and emotions arise? After several careful listens, turn the music off and listen to the world around you with the same level of attention you gave to the piece. This is the song of the world, the one that's always playing.
Do you have any favorite songs?
I can relate to John Cage's appreciation of the constant background music that surrounds us. I also have a few favorite songs. One of them is "Because" by The Beatles, and another is a rendition of a Riad El Sumbati song called "Your Love is Ever Young", arranged and performed by Hamza El Din. Hamza's rendition of the song, originally written for the renowned Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, is mesmerizing. In the recording, Hamza plays the oud, the tar (a type of frame drum) and sings.
How did you learn to write songs?
Listening to my favorite music repeatedly helped me learn how to write songs. This practice helped me understand musical structure and composition and I began to envision the music as if it were a painting. I recall a distinct moment in my teenage years when I decided to concentrate on the bass in a song, then replay it and do the same for the drums, guitar, and vocals, and then finally return to the song as a cohesive unit. I would repeat this process for each song on an album.
When did you start playing guitar?
I picked up the guitar during my sophomore year of high school, largely influenced by my friends who introduced me to metal, punk, and hardcore music. The opening riff from Slayer's "South of Heaven" was one of the first things I learned! It’s been all downhill from there.
Have you ever taken formal guitar lessons?
While I’m mostly self-taught, I took formal lessons with a man named John Morgan during my first few years of playing. Even though I was a lousy student back then, he would always share something that would spark my curiosity and remain with me long after a lesson. John's a big reason why I haven’t tired of guitar. He managed to get a fire going in spite of my limitations.
What are some things you've learned from students?
One thing I’ve learned from some of my students, whom I consider my teachers, is that music isn’t such a big deal. Feelings of needing to get things "right", be “perfect” and make some kind of impact through music take a backseat when I’m in their world. They remind me to have fun and that we humans are making it all up.
How do you deal with the painful moments in performance?
It’s hard to swallow those moments of ego-crushing embarrassment on stage. As painful as they might be, I think they’re highly beneficial because less ego is great! I’ve bombed many times and I’ve left the stage feeling like the biggest loser. But you wake up the next day and it’s a memory. I once heard a comedian remark on doing embarrassing things in public: “At the end of the day, nobody cares,” he said. “People are occupied with their own lives and they’re much more concerned with themselves than they are with you." While a part of me is still afraid to fail miserably and face embarrassment, I have to remind myself that less ego is good for the soul!
Learn more about our Guitar teacher Zayde Buti in his Teacher Page.
Imagine if we gathered on the shore to listen to the ocean just as we gathered in an auditorium to hear a symphony. How would our relationship with the environment change? Have you ever taken a moment to listen carefully to the world around you? One benefit of doing so is that we begin to hear greater depth and detail; even seemingly mundane sounds, like those of a refrigerator, reveal things that we don’t often hear. By extension, what we commonly call “music” becomes richer and more pleasurable. Furthermore, this is something that can be practiced anytime, anywhere.
Can you share a listening exercise?
Put on a favorite piece of music and listen to it as closely as possible three or four times in a row. Each time it plays, focus on a different element, such as the bass. Can you hear it becoming more audible as you tune in to it? Listen for all the tiny details and try to identify the most subtle aspects of the piece. Notice how sounds come and go, and pay attention to how they make you feel. Do you see any images in your mind's eye? What thoughts and emotions arise? After several careful listens, turn the music off and listen to the world around you with the same level of attention you gave to the piece. This is the song of the world, the one that's always playing.
Do you have any favorite songs?
I can relate to John Cage's appreciation of the constant background music that surrounds us. I also have a few favorite songs. One of them is "Because" by The Beatles, and another is a rendition of a Riad El Sumbati song called "Your Love is Ever Young", arranged and performed by Hamza El Din. Hamza's rendition of the song, originally written for the renowned Egyptian singer Oum Kalthoum, is mesmerizing. In the recording, Hamza plays the oud, the tar (a type of frame drum) and sings.
How did you learn to write songs?
Listening to my favorite music repeatedly helped me learn how to write songs. This practice helped me understand musical structure and composition and I began to envision the music as if it were a painting. I recall a distinct moment in my teenage years when I decided to concentrate on the bass in a song, then replay it and do the same for the drums, guitar, and vocals, and then finally return to the song as a cohesive unit. I would repeat this process for each song on an album.
When did you start playing guitar?
I picked up the guitar during my sophomore year of high school, largely influenced by my friends who introduced me to metal, punk, and hardcore music. The opening riff from Slayer's "South of Heaven" was one of the first things I learned! It’s been all downhill from there.
Have you ever taken formal guitar lessons?
While I’m mostly self-taught, I took formal lessons with a man named John Morgan during my first few years of playing. Even though I was a lousy student back then, he would always share something that would spark my curiosity and remain with me long after a lesson. John's a big reason why I haven’t tired of guitar. He managed to get a fire going in spite of my limitations.
What are some things you've learned from students?
One thing I’ve learned from some of my students, whom I consider my teachers, is that music isn’t such a big deal. Feelings of needing to get things "right", be “perfect” and make some kind of impact through music take a backseat when I’m in their world. They remind me to have fun and that we humans are making it all up.
How do you deal with the painful moments in performance?
It’s hard to swallow those moments of ego-crushing embarrassment on stage. As painful as they might be, I think they’re highly beneficial because less ego is great! I’ve bombed many times and I’ve left the stage feeling like the biggest loser. But you wake up the next day and it’s a memory. I once heard a comedian remark on doing embarrassing things in public: “At the end of the day, nobody cares,” he said. “People are occupied with their own lives and they’re much more concerned with themselves than they are with you." While a part of me is still afraid to fail miserably and face embarrassment, I have to remind myself that less ego is good for the soul!
Learn more about our Guitar teacher Zayde Buti in his Teacher Page.
