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Paul N.
Dorosh
Paul
is a composer/oudist/guitarist/drummer from the northeastern state of
Connecticut in the United States. He got his first guitar as a teenager and
quickly taught himself the music of his youth, particularly guitar-driven rock
music. Later, his musical
tastes veered towards the American indi-rock world populated by bands such as,
Slint, the Rachael's, June of 44, and Shellac. Growing
up in the southeast corner of Connecticut
it
was pretty much nothing but oaks, maples and rolling hills. Paul left home to
study chemistry in Boston, Massachusetts and after graduating, worked in
research laboratories around the Boston area.
The rules of chemistry and science took up his day but his nights were
spent performing in rock bands as a songwriter/guitarist. Eventually the pull of
the music world took root and Paul left his science career to study classical
music composition at the University of Louisville.
His musical vocabulary and composition skills greatly expanded under the
tutelage of composer Steve
Rouse, as well as performing with the classical guitar ensemble and
the early music ensemble. After 3
years at the University of Louisville, his musical journey took him to
the master's program at the University of Massachusetts. There he studied with
composers Salvatore
Macchia, Bruce Macombie, and Charles Bestor while performing in the
early music ensemble and the Indonesian gamelan orchestra.
Paul’s
parents, an English mother and American father, met and married in Turkey.
Paul
felt an immediate connection to the one record they brought back from their
travels of Turkish music in their record collection. This music had an
immeasurable effect on him. The melodic lines and scales used, as well as the
timbre of the instruments, changed his ear, heart and interest.
During his enrollment at the University of Louisville, Paul utilized
their huge library of music—first for more Turkish music and then for anything
with unexpected elements or less well know ethnic elements. Eventually these
elements found their way into Paul’s compositions, especially on pieces like
“Blood, Synapse, Sands” (for violin, sax, and percussion) and Mahogany
Eyelid (for string orchestra).
In
2004 Paul traveled to Japan to work as an English teacher. He has traded the
oaks and maples for subways and temples. Just as he has traded coastlines, Paul
approaches composition and performance from a western standpoint looking east.
Though he primarily plays a Middle Eastern instrument (oud) he does not
attempt to copy a traditional style normally associated with the oud.
Instead, he approaches it with western sensibilities including elements
of jazz, classical, rock, electronic, as well as eastern music, thereby succeeding
in forging a unique sound world.
“My musical philosophy has always been one of expansion and
inclusiveness. Music is music.
Genre doesn’t matter so much, there is good and bad music in every
genre.” -- Paul
Perhaps that is why his music draws upon and blends so many different styles,
yet creates a well-defined and unified sound.
Paul
primarily performs and composes for his group “Mokyo Octet” which appears
frequently in the Tokyo area. Since
the release of the first Mokyo
Octet CD, “Filamentary Dreams of the Cedars,” the group has
expanded to a four-piece, combining the sounds of oud, guitar, Indian tabla,
violin, flute, along with electronic sounds.
Paul looks forward to the expansion of sound and new direction this group
will take.
Mokyo Octet
... sounds like an Indian ocean tuna and a spool of silver wire
playing chess in a rainstorm...
Paul
N. Dorosh - oud, guitar, electronics
 Shigeji
- tabla
Shigeji was born in Tokyo in 1971,
and in 1995 went to India to study tabla for the first time Shigeji studied
Indian philosophy at Toyo University and after graduating in 1996 went to stay
in the northern Indian holy city of Banaras. Shigeji currently studies
tabla under Pt. Lacchu Maharaj (the Banaras school tabla master). In 1999
Shigeji went to the southern Indian city of Pondicherry to study the mridangam
(a south Indian classical music percussion instrument) under S. Arun.
After graduating from the Banaras Hindu university in 2002, Shigeji returned to
Japan. Currently, Shigeji performs Indian classical music throughout
Japan, as well as doing session work.
Hickory
- violin
Hickory graduated from the music
department of Kobe Women's College majoring in violin performance. Hickory
worked for Yamaha Music as a violin demonstrator, popular music instructor, and
as a junior violin teacher. After that, Hickory went to the Berklee
College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship to study blues and jazz music
theory, funk, rock, and folk music (mainly Middle East and India), as well as
yoga for musicians. After returning home to Japan, she obtained her
certification as a Hatha yoga instructor. Hickory continued her yoga study
in the northern Indian city of Banaras where she also studied North Indian
classical music with Sukhdev Prasad Mishra and Sohan Lal.
 Teddy Kumagai
- flute
Teddy, originally from Osaka, began
his musical career in the 1990's as a club musician as well as performing and
recording in several other major bands which appeared all over Japan. Teddy made
his debut as a composer in the groups "Paradise Yamamoto" and "Tokyo Latin
Mood Deluxe" at the same time providing live and in studio support for
various other artists. Teddy has performed in a multitude of settings
including fashion shows, events, games, commercials, TV music shows and regular
programs, and FM radio shows. Presently, Teddy can be seen and heard in
various types of bands including acoustic, electric, flamenco, and Arabic music,
in addition to impromptu performances with performers and dancers from across
genres.
Below is a little more about my instrument, the oud...
The
Oud
The oud
belongs to the plucked lute family of musical instruments. It is an
ancient instrument from the middle east. The modern oud usually has eleven
strings with five courses of two strings and one single string.
The
two-strings of the five courses are played together. Some common
instruments which descended from the oud are the European lute, guitar, Chinese
pipa, and Japanese biwa. The neck of the oud does not have frets like the
guitar, pipa, or biwa, but is fretless, like a violin or cello, in order
to facilitate playing the microtones which are prevalent in middle eastern
music.
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