joined on 10/26/04
last updated 05/11/08
about me
Single minded to a fault, I LOVE playing my clarinet. I am truly a one trick pony and damn proud of it.
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.
!! Gypsy Musicians,
!Turkish Style!,
AAA Belly Dance Music, Inc.,
anadolu pop and turkish psychedelia,
Arabic Musicians,
Armenian Music,
Baba Zula,
Bacon Tribe,
Balkan Brothers,
Balkan Byways,
Baltimore Artists Social Club,
Baltimore Belly Dancers,
Belly Dance America,
belly dance and related events,
Belly Dancing - the Shira.net Tribe,
Bellydance,
Bellydance Events,
Bellydance Nation,
BellyWiki,
Byzantium Near East Music & Dance,
...
Clarinet
(in SCA Middle Eastern Musicians)
The Gaiananda version of Rompi sounds very nice. The arrangement is very good. The dancers look good and dance well.
However, the clarinet is way too far back in the mix. The first time I heard it I didn't even hear the clarinet at all.
Her...
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discussion post on Mon, May 12, 2008 - 10:39 AM
Keeping the tradition alive
(in Radio Bastet - Vintage Belly Dance Music)
Hi everyone
The fans of Radio Bastet are invitied to listen to my band Ishtar.
www.ishtar-music.com/html/so...deo.htmlwww.myspace.com/ishtarmiddleeast
Ishtar plays the traditional bellydance songs of the Middle East with clar...
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discussion post on Mon, May 12, 2008 - 10:09 AM
No chords in Middle Eastern music, sorry.
(in SCA Middle Eastern Musicians)
Sorry...Middle Eastern music does not use chords. The theory of Middle Eastern music is unison based, which makes a clarinet player like me sooooo happy!
Chords make Middle Eastern music sound, well....not Middle Eastern.
Accordions are st...
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discussion post on Thu, May 8, 2008 - 10:04 AM
Ishtar shirts.
(in Pittsburgh Bellydance)
Well, I am pretty broke this month. Ishtar spent a small fortune going to the recording studio to lay down tracks for our Cd coming out in June.
So it will be a few weeks until the shirts are back in circulation.
I'll keep you posted.
discussion post on Mon, May 5, 2008 - 8:58 AM
Jalsah Pittsburgh VIII June 7!
(in Jalsah Worldwide)
8PM @ Your Inner Vagabond. 4130 Butler St, Pittsburgh 15201.
Come jam with Melissa, Mark, Beth, Rob and Jeff of Ishtar.
Bring any instrument you play. Bring your drum. Bring a hipscarf and dance all night! EVERYONE participates!
Jalsah...
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discussion post on Mon, May 5, 2008 - 8:43 AM
September 20, 2006
Melissa has inspired me to grow as a musician. Her boundless enthusiasm for music and out going personality make not only for a marvelous teacher, but also a very good person.
Melissa's unending excitment to include others in her fun is a character trait that has long impressed me.
Melissa's talent continues to grow with each time I see her. She has diligently applied herself to the playing of Turkish music and transcription.
To know her is to love her and to love her is to know her- and just about any other schmarmy cliche that you can think of. Frankly she is one hell of a great musician and has more talent in her little clarinet playing finger than most people have in their whole bodies.
so Raq on Melissa, Raq on!
April 14, 2006
Every time I hear Melissa play clarinet, she's even better than the last time I heard her. She inspires me to keep improving my own musical skills in a desperate attempt to catch up with her. Fortunately, she makes this easier by generously sharing her musical knowlege. She makes me proud to be a Melissa.
March 11, 2006
Melissa is groovy!
I've known Melissa for..gee how long has it been now..a few years at least. I met her...hmm.... I think it was her second Pennsic when she was just getting into this Middle Eastern music stuff, and now heehee, she's been assimilated. She's a M.E. music junkie too and then some. She's one of most enthushed of the lot of us, always coming up with new music to play, scouring the net for nifty stuff, going to music camps, etc, even tackling the dreaded quarter tones (no small feat on clarinet) and very into it all. And oh yeah, she plays one meaaaan horn too! But you probably knew that part already.
She's also become a pretty good friend over the years. She's fun, funky and good to talk too. She's got interesting things in her head. Did I mention her keen fashion sense? I mean, how many people do you know that even own a metal spiked bra, let alone wear it with such style! And oh yeah...she taught me how to goth dance at Turkish music camp. LOL.
March 8, 2006
Impeccable fashion sense...Multi-talented...Rock star of the SCA M.E. music scene...Melissa might be THE coolest person I know.
August 31, 2005
I want to grow up to be Melissa. A rockin' musician with a rockin' bod, she has a phenominal sense of humor, and a way of breaking life down to what really matters-- then making you laugh your tail off about it. Why couldn't I have found this amazing lady sooner-- we could've listened to WXXP and geeked together... 'cos Melissa makes me feel like I'm not so alone. I thank The Gods of Band and Eighties Radio that she's my friend!
"Belly-dancing music rules." -- Aaron Jentzen - Pittsburgh City Paper
"Live each day like you are already dead"
"I wonder if being sane means disregarding the chaos that is life, pretending only an infinitesimal segment of it is reality."
"...it's no good pretending that any relationship has a future if your record collections disagree violently, or if your favorite films wouldn't even speak to each other if they met at a party." --Hi Fidelity movie
"You never get over it. But you get to where it doesn't bother you so much." ---Virgin Suicides
"Say something surreal."
"In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that you won't get the job and will spend the rest of your life foraging for food in the wilderness and seeking shelter underneath a tree or the awning of a bowling alley that has gone out of business,..." - Lemony Snicket
"Life is an illusion, might as well make it a good one." - The Jody Grind
"Love is hard to believe, just ask any lover." -- Yann Martel 'Life of Pi'
"I love you has 8 letters, so does bullshit." -- unknown
"D hijaz does not equal D minor." -- me
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You can rock out with Ishtar, too. Just email me at melissa@clarinetchick.com. I really am in the pic!!!
Thank you Jeff...I did not have the patience for this, only the idea which I stole from Chad in Agnes Wired For Sound.
Beth, Mark, Jeff, and Melissa. Ishtar at the Backstage Bar June 2007. Photo by Kevin Ross.
This is my setlist. Sheet music for almost all of these songs can be found on www.dorku.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
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)
Ishte Hendek-- G Bayati (w/microtone sharper) --saidi-ish
Istanbuld'an Goruntuler-- D hijaz -- half speed malfuf
Istemem Babacim-- G Bayati/Ussak -- malfuf
Lamma Bada -- G Nahawand -- semai
Leyla-- D hijaz -- maqsum with breaks
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
Uskudara -- G Nihavent --ayoob and masqum
Yeshilem -- D hijaz -- ayoob and maqsum
Zeina -- D Hijaz -- baladi and ayoob
Just a quick reminder that Carmine (no last name needed) and Melissa (that would be me) will be teaching and rocking out with you in Providence, RI for a Jalsah event!
www.jalsah.org/sites/Jals...Providence/
Visit the website for all the details! Hope to see you there!
If you want a Jalsah in your area, contact me. They are great fun!
Tue, May 13, 2008 - 8:54 AM
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The continuing love/hate relationship with Myspace....
I uploaded 6 all new tunes from our Radio Babylon - Live at WRCT disc.
www.myspace.com/ishtarmiddleeast
Even more tunes can be listened to on our website:
www.ishtar-music.com/html/so...deo.html
Keep in mind that this is recorded from live radio feed and not substantially sound engineered. J1 did the best he could in getting things levelled out. (Thanks J1...) Our real CD is getting mixed. Real. CD. Wow......I ca...
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Sun, May 11, 2008 - 7:04 PM
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