A few years ago, we sat down with Marina Hovhannisyan to discuss Armenian folk music and specifically, her role in presenting it to diverse audiences via her jazz-infused band. Since then, Marina has immersed herself even further into the world of folk music, and she is currently a student at USC’s Thornton School of Music, where she primarily focuses on Armenian sacred and traditional repertoires, as well as works from the European Renaissance and Baroque periods. In addition to her graduate program studies and her personal musical work, Marina also has created spaces on her blog and Twitter account where she delves into the analysis, research, and transcriptions of traditional and sacred music.

These academic pursuits in the realm of Armenian folk melodies have beautifully transpired in the evolution of her musical career, and she recently released an EP, entitled A Living Story, in early 2022. The EP features five Armenian folk songs, including Sayat-Nova’s <<Յիս Մե Ղարիբ Բուլբուլի Պես>> (“Foreign Nightingale”) and Komitas’ <<Ալագյազ Աչերդ>> (“Your Prominent Eyes”). Although Marina’s impressive soprano voice shines through, just as in her previous work, the songs on the EP feel more refined, reflecting the songstress’ growing contributions to the study and conservation of Armenian folk music. This is especially apparent in renditions of <<Սարի Աղջիկ>> (“Girl of the Mountain”) and <<Սիրուն Աղջիկ>> (“Beautiful Girl”), traditional folk songs that I had heard her perform prior. These songs were presented by Marina in a different light on the new EP, perhaps with a stronger commitment to their historical elements, culminating in an elevated, almost restorative, listening experience.

We continued the conversation with Marina in discussing her new release, and were fortunate to have her share with us some of the key points that helped shape A Living Story.

Tell us about A Living Story. What was the process of putting this composition together, and what does it mean to you as an Armenian singer and songwriter?

A Living Story is a collection of five Armenian songs that are either medleys between pieces of particular composers or anonymous folk songs which we all know and love. They are a collection of pieces which I found compelling and interesting to work with. This EP features the folk songs in the light of modern arrangement, in choral and jazz styles. I put them together due to my love for vocal polyphony and handed them off to my bandmates for further interpretation, which included solos and improvisations around the old melodies.

Because of the diverse character of the pieces, this EP is a good representation of the different styles of Armenian folk music (although of course, there are infinitely more genres to be explored). I feel personally connected to them through my childhood, my musical and academic work, as well as the friendships which I've built by delving more deeply into my own history and culture.

It has been wonderful to work with a talented team of people who understand the music in its true light. I thank the wonderful Aaron Kruziki (Winds), Greg Miles (Percussion), Karl McComas Reichl (Bass) and Lion Mitchell (Mixing & Mastering). Although we recorded this EP from our home studios individually, there has still been a great amount of musical communication which allowed each piece to come together in its own unique way.

Since we last spoke, you started an MA Program at USC’s Thornton School of Music, where you study Armenian sacred and folk music. To my ear, A Living Story sounds even more academic and historically refined than your previous work. Can you talk about how your experience with the program has directly changed how you perceive, perform, and produce your own music?

My experience at USC has opened to me a vast amount of early music in which I have found many patterns and similarities to Armenian music. This has allowed me to explore Armenian music in a more global light and understand a lot about the origins and musical tendencies. However, I always try to return to the music itself and think of it as just that, folk music. You can't study it too hard, you can't talk about it too much, and you can't understand it too deeply. Otherwise, it will lose its magic.

Something which I have been exploring more academically, however, is Armenian liturgical music. There’s a lot to be said and done about this particular study, which I hope to cover in my future recordings and publications.

““I always try to return to the music itself and think of it as just that, folk music. You can’t study it too hard, you can’t talk about it too much, and you can’t understand it too deeply. Otherwise, it will lose its magic.””

— Marina Hovhannisyan

Very true, particularly regarding folk music. At Thornton, you also specifically study early music, including ancient Armenian melodies and the European Renaissance and Baroque traditions. How do you work to present these old styles of music to the modern ear? How can the music of yesterday enrich the music of today?

I think a big part of music and entertainment is accessibility. A lot of these melodies have been lost or buried in dusty academic books. This breaks my heart because there are so many hauntingly beautiful songs and melodies which we neglect today due to lack of access. A big part of my goal is to change the approach to early music by presenting it in a fun and palatable manner. This EP is a good example of it, however, there are many other artistic endeavors I have in mind to bring the art to the listener.

Not many of us have the time to dig through archives and transcribe old manuscript notation into modern musical notation, but most of us do have access to streaming services and this is where I intend to bring my knowledge and research.

Some of the tracks on this record, like <<Սարի Աղջիկ>> (“Girl of the Mountain”) and <<Սիրուն Աղջիկ>> (“Beautiful Girl”), were new iterations of very familiar folk songs, but others, like your rendition of Sayat-Nova’s <<Յիս Մե Ղարիբ Բուլբուլի Պես>> (“Foreign Nightingale”) and Komitas’ <<Ալագյազ Աչերդ>> (“Your Prominent Eyes”), were really unique versions of lesser-known melodies from these incredibly influential composers. How did you choose which songs to particularly include? What do these particular songs represent to you?

My approach to this EP was to present few but diverse pieces. Of course, Sayat-Nova and Komitas had to be featured not only because they're some of my favorite composers, but also because it is part of my initiative to bring the lesser-known pieces of these great composers to light. This is why I chose to explore these songs, so that the listener could start having more associations to these titles rather than just the traditional tunes that we're all used to.

I chose the Komitas piece because of my love for polyphony and recorded several voices just so I could hear the harmony because I've never heard the choral version of that song be performed. The Sayat-Nova piece was a selection both randomly and intentionally because I wanted to experiment with new pieces from both composers and add my own flavor. That's a lot harder to do when the piece is famous and too familiar to the listener.

““Not many of us have the time to dig through archives and transcribe old manuscript notation into modern musical notation, but most of us do have access to streaming services, and this is where I intend to bring my knowledge and research.””

— Marina Hovhannisyan

That’s a very interesting approach, and it’s fascinating how you harmonized the Komitas piece. Your rendition of <<Թամզարա Պար>> (“Tamzara Dance”) was also a pleasant surprise. I’ve heard several different versions, and even performed one or two of them during my time with an Armenian dance ensemble, but the version on your EP is significantly different. Can you walk us through the living story of this folk tune, and how so many different versions of the same song can come to exist?

As a folk song, <<Թամզարա Պար>> (“Tamzara Dance”) is both fun to sing and to dance to. It is no wonder that there are infinite renditions of this piece. What I tried to do was to add a flavor of what I thought this song would sound like if it were sung in its original setting, that is, in a more mountainous rugged environment. Therefore, I added voices that were resembling a group, men and women, all singing and dancing together in a circle. My goal was to create a feeling of community and unity in people. Although I did this completely alone in an isolated room, my heart was with the zurna and dhol players. I hope to instill a certain sense of solidarity and Armenian community. Hopefully, in the future, I can have more help in producing different voices with more individuals partaking in the music.

How do you feel about your musical capabilities and productions expanding and evolving, and where do you see it going next?

I think I will continue to record Armenian folk songs throughout my musical career. This is both a passion and a sense of responsibility. I feel like a lot of songs are being neglected and lost in the archives, so I really want to bring them to life. As for my career, a lot of my focus is on Armenian sacred music which involves academic research and performance. For the next few years, I think it will be a balance of both of these things.

Courtesy of Marina Hovhannisyan

Do you have any resources for anyone who would like to learn more about Armenian folk music, or folk music in general from different cultures?

It depends on which type of sources people would like to use. If you are a musician who is interested in old scores, a lot of libraries in Los Angeles house great books from the most prominent composers and contain vast amounts of information, including texts and scores. If you are interested in academic scrutiny of Armenian music, then there are many great musicologists who have explored this field, some of whom include Robert Atayan, Elijah Tntesean, Haigh Utidjian, and so on. Also, I am always available to answer people's questions and guide them in the direction of more concrete resources via my website.

Thank you! Any exciting things we should keep an eye out for?

I hope to have some performances scheduled during the 2022 year, and I will update my social media as they come.

Also, this EP has a few cool features people should be on the lookout for. For one, the CD contains a bonus to the second track. In addition, I will be releasing some singles during this year in the same style and with the same band members, so keep an eye out for that too!

Thank you so much to Marina Hovhannisyan for taking the time to discuss her new EP with us. Be sure to follow along with her on her website, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. CDs of A Living Story can directly be purchased from her site. To stay updated on her academic and research-based findings, you can visit Marina’s blog or Twitter account. Her previous recordings are also available via her website.