The path to yourself is not easy. Other people’s signposts, indifferent companions, daily hustle and bustle take away earthly time and make you forget about important things. When you hear the sounds of the hang, be sure to remember something secret, and we have collected for you the thoughts of a musician-dreamer and traveler about people and the world
«I don’t know what notes I play. I just pick by ear which of them coincide with each other, from which you can create combinations. Then I combine, create a melody. You can choose rhythms, different system, then the music is different. If the mood is major, the music turns out to be a kind of rainbow. On the hang there are different notes in different octaves: different «re», different «la». We make very various frets of these tools. We experiment with both sound and visual elements. In fact, every tool is exclusive. And the master works on each note for a long time – «taps», adjusts the sound with a tuner. There are many nuances, the smallest of which have weight. This requires experience and skill. And then music becomes a reality»
«I’m not a musician by education. Probably music lives in each of us. If there are desires and opportunities, we develop it in ourselves. You can make mistakes – it’s not scary. It’s not a helicopter to fly. You can always go back or start again. Playing on the hang, you just need to relax and have fun»
«I didn’t understand serious music as a child, but I didn’t perceive pop music at all. I liked some things, but in general, pop music seemed ugly to me immediately. For some reason then there was a feeling that music is blasphemy. But when I grew up, I started listening to other music, and everything changed – music began to educate. However, not pop, but rock music, electronic»
«I don’t remember the first time I visited Zhytomyr. My grandmother is from the Zhytomyr region, so I probably used to be here as a child. Zhytomyr is not alien to me. At some point came the realization that I was in the land of my ancestors, my relatives. I lived with my mother in the city of Belgorod-Dniester in the Odessa region, studied at the Maritime Academy. I am a forensic electrician by education»
«In my youth I did not know what I needed in life – a normal situation. I entered a prestigious technical specialty. Mom advised, said: «You are a man, you need technical education». I then thought, «Well, fine. Wherever they take me, there I will go»ю. I applied to several universities and passed everywhere. I chose the Maritime Academy, although even then I had the prerequisites and desire to do something creative»
«I had thoughts about the lost years, but in general I do not regret that I received just such an education. Studying at the academy was not very interesting, but life then was the opposite. Strict, unusual, but interesting. We lived in semi-barracks conditions, we had combat training, we were on duty in uniforms, every morning the management came to us. And it united us all. I still communicate with some friends from those years. They are not surprised by who I became, because even then they knew that this specialty was not mine. Although a stranger may indeed be surprised by such a «reincarnation»
«One day a hang appeared in my life, and I started traveling with it in Europe, seeing many countries. I have always been impressed by people and architecture. Italian cities, especially Venice, fascinate with their atmosphere. There’s just a «wow» effect and thoughts of «well, how can that be?». I like Holland, its small fairy-tale towns. Everything is impressive there»
«I was led to the hang by another instrument. One day I saw a guy who played a petal drum. It is also called a glucophone. I remember my feelings – there was a very attractive depth. I wasn`t the only one to stop and listened in fascination, this music impressed many people. The guy played, stopped and without a word gave the instrument to me. This was my first experience of extracting sounds. At the same time, the idea of having such or a similar tool arose»
«My instrument is young, so wherever I am, people react extremely warmly, regardless of culture and traditions. There is a lot of information about hang. The tool, very similar to the hang, was first invented in the Caribbean, somewhere in Trinidad and Tobago in the 1950s. Later it was discontinued – probably considered a failed branch of development. A pair from Switzerland – Felix Roner and Sabina Scherer – made two thousand hangs. Everything worked out, and since then development has begun. Now we make such tools ourselves here in Zhytomyr»
«Street music is universal. Different artists, different instruments, but in general people everywhere like it when they play outside. In Portugal, for example, I met a man who played sawdust and who was also from Ukraine. He has such a big saw and a bow. We talked a lot with him about life. The man underwent some drastic changes and he decided to come to Lisbon – a big city with many tourists. Musicians are also supported on the streets of our country, especially when they play well and the instrument itself is interesting. When you look at a city with beautiful architecture, it seems as if there is not enough music. And street music enlivens the picture, and then a miracle happens. You start playing – and even the birds sing differently. Can we perceive the world like that at this moment?»
«There was a time when I studied religious issues, but did not choose any «organization» for myself. As for spirituality… Music for me is the process that unites me with the spiritual flow»
«As a child, I was involved in drawing. I always managed it, and when it inspired, it gave a lot of energy. I felt like a reactor. And it was definitely not energy from food or exercise. It was the energy of impressions, a combination of sensations from the awareness of «here and now». This happens in the process of music, especially when several musicians are playing. We negotiate, play and there is a sense of flow»
«The constant desire to look for something in oneself, creative, makes people better. We tend to do something beautiful, we are fascinated by harmony, perfection. Apparently, sometimes this is simply forgotten because of daily responsibilities or impressions. Even if a person is far from creative processes, he can enjoy the work of others – just walk around the city and feel the aesthetic pleasure. Probably, the architecture of the old cities is fascinating, because people once wanted to make it beautiful… It even occurred to me that we were once the only civilization. Otherwise, why would there be similar buildings in completely different countries? Of course, this can be explained by the exchange of knowledge or common ideas, but I like the version of a single civilization more. And if we are all really one civilization? I want people to unite»
«We take a lot of information in nature, transfer it to our lives. I love comfort, but not dependent on it. I once heard an interesting idea that people should strive to travel to discover different parts of the world simply because we have the potential to do so. I found out about it later, and at first I just wanted to see the world, to visit different cities, to touch something extraordinary. For me, travel is self-knowledge. For a while they quenched the thirst for knowledge, but not for long. I hope that after a while everything will fall into place and it will be possible to go somewhere again»
«At one time we visited many music festivals – played, performed, gained experience. At one of the festivals in Moldova, I met my wife. Now we all live together in Zhytomyr»
«Zhytomyr is a much calmer city for me than Kyiv or Odessa. In Odessa, I lived in different areas, for example, near Privoz, where there is constant noise, a lot of people, traffic jams. In Zhytomyr, nature is somehow easy. Of course, in Odessa the sea, but in Zhytomyr everything is balanced. We are lucky to have a river, a forest»
«I’m a fan of the science fiction genre. The films we watch to some extent program our future. Who knows what scenario is being implemented. Maybe the worst, or maybe not – let’s see. Nobody knows what these trials are for us now, the troubles that are really lessons. They change us, make us better. We are different: now we will always wash our hands, we know about social distance. But a person desperately needs touch, so the social distance is observed more formally, and unofficially – all the same»
«New Year’s holidays are a separate topic. From year to year I have a premonition of a holiday, I see the external scenery, I feel the atmosphere. However, for several years in a row, the new year is a simple formality for me. Now somehow everything has leveled off in this regard, and any day can be a holiday for me if I want to. It’s really great to feel and understand that you can do something or just watch the world»
«Yes, I love to dream! And yes, my dreams come true, although I do not have a specific goal-setting technique. Just a dream. For example, I once dreamed of meeting the ocean. To do this, I flew to Portugal. It first attracted architecture and many towns where you could play in the streets. This is where my meeting with the ocean took place. At the moment, my dream is to visit Asia, which attracts with its warmth and culture, there is something to look at. There is something cosmic there, as if beyond. Do I even sometimes think that the buildings there were not built by people? I want to see everything with my own eyes, to be satisfied with the feeling of being»
«When I traveled, I carried a tent, a sleeping bag. It was hard, but sometimes I was in such incredibly beautiful places that I would never see if I spent the night in a hostel, hotel or acquaintances»
«Of course, you need to have the means to get even minimal comfort. For me, it’s a hang, for some it’s blogging, which gives you the opportunity to travel and describe your impressions. Everyone has to find these tools, you just need to look. Or he can only do what he likes. On the one hand, we have to adapt to living conditions, but at the same time we should do things that are good for society»
«Sometimes I think that the world has become like a meaningless game: so many conditions that divide us, some boundaries. However, for some this game makes sense, for others its conditions are favorable. But not to me. I want to go to different countries without focusing on crossing borders, because people everywhere are equally cool – nice, with a smile»
«I am far from political or active social life, but I have seen the lives of people in different countries. And it is important to me that those for whom I play on the streets were happy, able to perceive beauty. I want us to live at a higher level. I thought about what needs to be done to make us live like in Germany or the Netherlands. Looking at their standard of living, I was fascinated, but I don’t know how to move it here, it is possible to rebuild factories and create new high-quality productions. It’s as if everything is simple: the same people also go to work…»
«Our people here in Ukraine seem more sincere to me. Foreigners are open, but there adults sometimes seem like children – more infantile. However, when it comes to some serious things, they are ready to take responsibility. I’m interested in different people. It is very informative to communicate with someone from another reality, completely different from the one in which I live. Agree, whether we want it or not, but the image of a person we still form. Sometimes it seems that we are too different, but sometimes we make mistakes and it turns out that we have a lot in common. However, you also need to communicate with other people: to exchange, to gain experience, to show that you can live differently. Touching other, different worlds is interesting»
«It’s an interesting thing: I’m always surrounded by good people. There were very rare situations when someone betrayed me. Sure, they were, but very rarely. When I traveled, I met completely different people of different ages and some invited me to their home. Although I don’t speak English well, the interlocutors didn’t always know the language well either, but the contact was so strong that we said important things in simple words. And sometimes people, communicating in one language and do not understand each other»
«I have not found myself completely yet. Somewhere in the process – fifty percent. Although I can’t say that I diligently search for my «I». I’m more interested in «we». Where? How? Why? Where does the human race come from? Interestingly, it’s all on a planetary scale. The answers to these questions in our history, politics, creativity – in all spheres of our activity. The development of mankind has been influenced by certain conditions, but in fact we have not changed, we have simply adapted to certain conditions. In general, we have a very cool quality – the ability to adapt. Who knows, maybe once people knew much more. For example, communicate without words, as birds and animals do now. I believe in rebirth, and probably that’s why everything around me seems very familiar to me, as if I’ve seen it all. That’s why I want to understand more than myself, but us»
