I am a chick from Pittsburgh who spent many years living in rural Western PA with a single mom, a much older sister and my close younger brother. I used to have a vivid imagination and I read tons of books (still do). I was a Barbie fanatic and loved playing Hot Wheels as well.

I started clarinet and snare drum at age 10. My mom wanted me to play flute cause it was "pretty", but the Volkwein's music store guy said I needed to play clarinet. Probably because he didn't have any flutes that day. I played the same clarinet until I was 16 when I got an antique Buffet clarinet with the sweetest sound. I was one of the best players in my school bands. I played clarinet in Somerset County Band from 83-87, District 6 Band from 86-87, and Region 3 Band from 86-87. For 4 years I was in Allegheny Heartland Regional Band sponsored by NBC affiliate WJAC in Johnstown. I was in Pennsylvania State Lions Band for 4 summers playing clarinet and crash cymbals. I also played snare drum for 12 years in an all girl fife, drum and bagpipe marching corp called the Tam O Shanters.

I have travelled extensively because of my band background. Canada, Virginia, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Missouri and Taipei, Taiwan.

I never took a private lesson: all my musical training came from public school and my own hard work. I would sometimes march in a parade with one group then change uniforms and march the same parade with another group.

After graduating college I stopped playing for a over a decade because I didn't know with whom I could play music. I was not a professionally trained musician.

In 2001, I discovered bellydance music. And since then, I have been playing music from the Mediterranean exclusively. In 2006, I formed the band Ishtar which is a 4 piece band at this point. Means we all fit in one car. :-)

I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel or fuse 15 ethnic backgrounds together into one song. I believe that all the best stuff has already been written and that until I learn every song out there, I see no need to make any effort to compose anything of my own. I enjoy my improvisational taksims.

I think it is difficult being an outspoken woman who plays this kind of music. The real ethnic musicians are men and the dancers are almost always women. In addition, I am technically playing a band instrument which seems to get me skipped over as well. Around the ethnic people, I am novelty; around Americans, I am a chick band dork who is hanging onto a style of dance music that is from yesterday.

But I find that there are more people out there who actually like what I do than those who don't. Thanks! Your kind words are always appreciated.

My klarnet kharamanler (heroes in Turkish) are Selim Sesler, Husnu Senlendirici, Mustafa Kandirali, Gus Vali, Ferdi Nedaz, Ismail Lumanovski, Sukru Tunar, Souren Baronian, and George Stathos.

--- February 15, 2007 -- AARON JENTZEN -- Pittsburgh City Paper


Live review: Ishtar and Mandrake Project

Belly-dancing music rules.

Mandrake Project has to be the only band in Club Café's history to cram seven members and two full drum kits onto the tiny stage. Which meant last Saturday's show was something I had to see. Mandrake's long, late-night set started with a bang and ended with a final, crushing crescendo as Rick Nelson shredded on a viola and violin simultaneously. The low-key jazzier numbers in the middle of the set seemed to kill some of the momentum (no reflection upon accomplished saxophonist Darnell Anderson), though with another drink or two in me I wouldn't have minded.

The real surprise, though, was opener Ishtar: Belly-dancing music rules. Even though patrons seemed to assume it was just background music, the quartet and the two sinuous belly-dancers created a heady atmosphere that eventually ensnared the chatty crowd. Accompanied by doumbek and other percussion, Melissa Murphey's clarinet and Jeff Chmielarski's fretless bass wove intricate modal patterns from the exotic time signatures and melodies. Catch Ishtar this week at Zenith Café's Sunday brunch, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Feb. 18.

In this golden age of enmity, friends are for suckers. What you need are a pair of well-chosen foes.

by Chuck Klosterman | Apr 01 '04



"It's not what you know," they say. "It's who you know." We have all heard this sentiment, and we all reflexively agree with it. This is because "they" are hard to debate, especially since "they" never seem to be in the room whenever anyone makes reference to them. Yet they have a secret shame, and it's a shame they can't deny: They are losers. They are failures. They don't realize that life is—almost without exception—an absolute meritocracy, and everyone who succeeds completely deserves it.* The only people who disagree with this are people who will never succeed at anything. You see, "they" want you to believe the passageway to power is all about cultivating allies, so they spend all their time trying to make friends and influence people. And this is why they fail. It rarely matters who is on your side; what matters is who is against you. Unlike Gloria Loring, you don't need a friend and you don't need a lover. What you need is a) one quality nemesis, and b) one archenemy. These are the two most important characters in the life of any successful human. We measure ourselves against our nemeses, and we long to destroy our archenemies. Nemeses and archenemies are the catalysts for everything.

Now, I know that you're probably asking yourself, How do I know the difference between my nemesis and my archenemy? Here is the short answer: You kind of like your nemesis, despite the fact that you despise him. If your nemesis invited you out for cocktails, you would accept the offer. If he died, you would attend his funeral and—privately—you might shed a tear over his passing. But you would never have drinks with your archenemy, unless you were attempting to spike his gin with hemlock. If you were to perish, your archenemy would dance on your grave, and then he'd burn down your house and molest your children. You hate your archenemy so much that you try to keep your hatred secret, because you don't want your archenemy to have the satisfaction of being hated.

If this distinction seems confusing, just ask your girlfriend to explain it in detail; women have always intuitively grasped the nemesis/archenemy dichotomy. Every woman I've ever known has had at least one close friend whose only purpose in life is to criticize her actions, compete for the attention of men, and drive her insane; very often, this is a woman's best friend . Every woman also has a former friend (usually someone from high school with large breasts) whom she has loathed for years (and whom she will continue to loath with the intensity of a thousand suns, even if she sees her only once every ten years). This is her archenemy. Women intrinsically understand human dynamics, and this makes them unstoppable. Unfortunately, the average man is less adroit at fostering such rivalries, which is why most men remain average. Males are better at hating things that can't hate them back (e.g., lawn mowers, cats, the 1986 Denver Broncos, et cetera). Most men fail to see a world beyond themselves; if given the choice, they would connect themselves to nothing. But greatness cannot be achieved in a vacuum, and great people know that.

In the 1980s, Larry Bird's nemesis was Magic Johnson, and it was always beautiful when they tangled. But Bird's archenemy wasn't Magic; it was Isiah Thomas. When the Celtics played the Pistons, it was a train wreck, and it went deeper than basketball: In 1987, Isiah supported Dennis "Rush" Rodman when he claimed Bird was famous only because he was white. Larry forgave Isiah in public, but he still iced him in the end; the first thing Bird did after becoming president of the Pacers was fire Zeke as head coach. Steve Jobs is Bill Gates's nemesis, but if Gates had only one bullet in his revolver, he'd shoot David Boies. J. R. Ewing was at war with nemesis/brother Bobby for twelve seasons (thirteen if you count the year Victoria Principal dreamed he was dead), but Cliff Barnes was the true Minotaur of Southfork. Jack White turned Von Bondies singer Jason Stollsteimer's face into a speed bag, but Stollsteimer barely even deserves nemesis stature; White's archenemy is Ryan Adams (although he'd be better off if it were Julian Casablancas of the Strokes). The Joker was Batman's nemesis, but—ironically—his archenemy was Superman, since Superman made Batman seem entirely mortal and generally nonessential. Nobody likes to admit this, but Batman hated Superman; Superman is the reason Batman became an alcoholic. **

This fall, George W. Bush will seek reelection, and whoever the Democrats end up nominating will become Bush's "nemesis by default" (although not his true nemesis; that will always be John McCain). But none of the candidates has a shot at becoming Bush's archenemy; that designation is inflexible. W's archenemy is Bill Clinton (mostly because Bill beat up his dad in '92). George W. Bush will never face the man he hates most; this is why George W. Bush will never achieve greatness. However, when we get to 2008—when Clinton's wife faces the little brother of her husband's archenemy—it will be a bloodbath. When the families of archenemies collide, skulls get pounded into pulp. Jeb–Hillary will be like Frazier–Ali III.

I was sitting in the passenger seat of my nemesis's Buick Skylark when he punched me in 1992; I jacked his jaw at a keg party in '94. These days I mostly just read his blog, although we did have a pressure-packed lunch at the Fargo Olive Garden over Christmas. Meanwhile, I've had the same archenemy since eighth grade: He's a guy named Rick Helling, and he grew up in Lakota, North Dakota. Last year, Helling pitched a few innings for the Marlins in the World Series; in 1998, he won twenty games for the Rangers. I went to basketball camp with Rick Helling in 1985, and he was the single worst person I'd ever met. Every summer, I constantly scan the sports section of USA Today , always hoping that he got shelled. This is what drives me. I cannot live in a world where Helling's career ERA hovers below 5.00, yet all I do for a living is type . As long as Rick Helling walks this earth, I shall never sleep soundly.

I realize there are those who don't think it's necessary (or even wise) to consciously create adversaries; Will Rogers claimed that he never met a man he didn't like. But what is Will Rogers famous for, really? For telling jokes that don't have punch lines? For wearing a bandanna like an ascot? Who wants that for a legacy? There is a reason they say, "Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer." Granted, "they" usually don't know what they're talking about, but sometimes "they" get lucky, you know?


*The exceptions being Dale Peck, MTV on-air personalities who aren't Kurt Loder, Al Franken, and myself.
**This is speculative.


HOW TO MAKE ENEMIES

As the accompanying essay makes clear, you'll need a nemesis and an archenemy if you wish to be successful in this world. The good news is, it's entirely possible that you already have each of these entities in your life; perhaps you just don't realize it (or maybe you can't tell them apart). As a public service, here are a few signs.

RECOGNIZING YOUR NEMESIS
•At some point in the past, this person was (arguably) your best friend.
•You have punched this person in the face.
•If invited, you would go to this person's wedding and give him a spice rack, but you would secretly hope that his marriage ends in a bitter, public divorce.
•People who barely know both of you assume you are close friends; people who know both of you intimately suspect that you profoundly dislike each other.
•If your archenemy tried to kill you, this person would attempt to stop him.

RECOGNIZING YOUR ARCHENEMY
•Every time you talk to this person, you lie.
•If you meet someone who has the same first name as this person, you immediately like him less.
•The satisfaction you feel from your own success pales in comparison to the despair you feel at this person's triumphs, even if those triumphs are completely unrelated to your life.
•If this person slept with your girlfriend, she would never be attractive to you again.
•Even if this person's girlfriend was a hateful bitch, you would sleep with her out of spite.

This is my setlist. Sheet music for almost all of these songs can be found on www.bellydancesheetmusic.com.

A Nadda -- G Hijaz -- Saidi
Ani Vata -- C Nahawand -- saidi
Ah Bir Atas Ver -- D Hicaz-- played in 10 with chiftitelli taksim (and change to C hijaz)
Ay Linda Amiga -- masmoudi
Ayazein --- D hijaz -- ayoob
Aziza --- D Kurd
Bir Demet Yasemin-- G Nihavent -- maqsum
Chaje Shukarije --- D kurd -- malfuf (INCLUDES SHOUTING)
Enta Omri --- D Kurd --- egyptian chiftitelli
Fire Dance --D hicazkar -- maqsum and masmoudi
Garoon Garoon-- G Nihavent/nahawand-- ayoob and maqsum
Hadouni Hadouni-- D Bayati -- saidi
Hicaz Mandira-- D Hijaz -- laz 7 (2-2-3)
Hine Ma Tov -- D -- baladi
Istanbuld'an Goruntuler-- D hijaz -- half speed malfuf
Istemem Babacim-- G Bayati/Ussak -- malfuf
Lamma Bada -- G Nahawand -- semai
Mavi Mavi -- G Ussak --- maqsum
Mevlana -- D Hicazkar -- relaxed chiftitelli
Misirlou-- D Hijaz -- bolero
Nassam Alayna Al Hawa -- A Kurd -- saidi and malfuf
Nihavent Longa -- C Nihavent -- malfuf
Nihavent Oriental-- A Nihavent --valz and bolero
Nihavent Oyun Havasi-- D nihavent -- chiftitelli (140bpm)
Noladati La Shalom -- D Nahawand -- malfuf
Nubar Nubar -- G Nahawand - curcunna
Rompi Rompi-- D hijaz -- karsilama
Rumelaj -- A --maqsum
Rumeli Karsilamasi-- A Kurd -- karsilama
Shashkin -- D Bayati -- saidi variant (tkD tkD Dtk Ttk) and malfuf
Shisheler -- G Bayati -- ayoob and malfuf
Sulukule -- D Hijaz -- karsilama with breaks
Ushti Babo -- D Hijaz -- khaleegi
Uskudara -- G Nihavent --ayoob and masqum
Yeshilem -- D hijaz -- ayoob and maqsum
Zeina -- D Hijaz -- baladi and ayoob