Update on the Internet ASBMH Music School

Nikolaos Giannoukakis

Παλαιό Μέλος
To all those interested in the Multimodal School of Byzantine Chant, Practice and Theory of the ASBMH and to answer some questions that were posed to us and to update everyone:

First, the program is entirely free for all. The Society does not seek financial reward through this medium.

Second, currently, the broadcasts are geared to those with some elementary knowledge of Byzantine notation and some understanding of the tonal system. In the next couple of weeks, another broadcast will be offered for the real novice/beginner, in the English language, using English translations with Byzantine notation. That is being made possible with the generous permission of Fr. Ephraim of the St-Anthony Monastery in Arizona (www.stanthonysmonastery.org) to use his material as study references.

Third, an intensive month-long summer session is being planned to be held in Pittsburgh to cover issues for beginners and more advanced individuals.

Fourth, we do not recommend any personal teacher other than those who are faithful to the Chrysanthine system as approved by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who have multi-year in-depth training alongside a reputable chanter in Greece and/or who at least possess a genuine diploma/certificate from one of Greece's major ecclesiastic formative centers and/or music schools (not to be confused with general music conservatories where Byzantine Chant is one of many programs).

Fifth, unless someone specifically requests us not to do so, we will include your contact in our general mailing database to notify you of future events, improvements to the system and other relevant topics to Byzantine Music and Chant (meetings, congresses etc).

Currently, the accessible recorded video material previously-broadcast can be found at:

(Anastasimatarion): http://www.ustream.tv/discovery/reco...tine+music+101

(Holy Week):
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/instru...y-of-holy-week


We are in the process of fine-tuning the settings and we will have a video library with better and detailed description soon. Bear with us as we correct our imperfections.

The live broadcast of the Anastasimatarion is every Tuesday at about 6:30 PM EDT/EST through http://www.asbmh.pitt.edu/Educationa...Live/Live.html

The live broadcast of Holy Week material is also every Tuesday at about 6:30 PM EDT/EST
at: http://www.asbmh.pitt.edu/Educationa...ve/ACLive.html

Whatever material is not currently in the video library will be repeated in the future. Beginner's Byzantine Chant (i.e. basics of notation, rhythm, modes, genera etc) will be rebroadcast in the English language in the near future given that it was already offered a couple of month's ago prior to our setup with the broadcast system.

We will open up the video collection by George Hatzichronoglou before month's end.

Regarding the material:

We are currently using the Anastasimatarion as published by Apostoliki Diakonia tis Ekklisias tis Ellados (ZOI). Essentially, this is very little different from the Anastasimatarion of Ioannis Protopsaltis and that will be available for download starting the 5th of March 2010 as a pdf from:
http://www.asbmh.pitt.edu/Educationa...simatarion.pdf

We will soon start using the Anastasimatarion in the pdf file and we will notify you
in the broadcasts and in the videos. In fact, the pdf file will be displayed in
the live broadcast with a large pointer indicating the neumes as we perform
parallagi (solfege) and melos (melody).


For the Holy Week text, we are using α classic text that can be downloaded directly from the live view webpage http://www.asbmh.pitt.edu/educationa...ve/ACLive.html

Last, in North America, the Society collaborates with the following individuals and
endorses them as individuals with the in-depth knowledge, experience and credibility to teach one-on-one where possible. With time, we hope to include others who will be willing to collaborate and offer their time and knowledge.

Nicholas Georgafentis (Chicago)
Iraklis Panagiotidis (Portland/Seattle)
Grammenos (Menios) Karanos (Boston)
Archon Protopsaltis Konstantinos Lagouros (Montreal, Canada)
Rev. Fr. Ilias Drossos (London, Ontario, Canada)
Rev. Fr. Odysseas Drossos (Markham, Ontario, Canada and Toronto, Canada)
Apostolos Combitsis (Toms River, NJ and Philadelphia, PA)
Dr. Nick Giannoukakis (Pittsburgh, PA, Western PA, Eastern OH and WV)
Dr. Elie Azar (Altoona, PA and Central PA)
Fr. Ephraim (St-Anthony Monastery, Florence, AZ)

Thank you for your interest

Shawn Ward
ASBMH Officer
 
...Essentially, this is very little different from the Anastasimatarion of Ioannis Protopsaltis and that will be available for download starting the 5th of March 2010 as a pdf from:
www.asbmh.pitt.edu/Educational/Texts/Anastasimatarion.pdf

I noticed that this PDF file has some missing pages (1, 46, 47, 50, 51, 54, 55, 82, 83, and about twenty others), so I decided to re-scan the entire book, but it might be another two or three weeks before I get around to it.
 
Indeed!

We will copy those missing pages from other sources of Ioannis' Anastastimatarion for the purposes of live broadcast, awaiting your generous support to have a complete version, Fr. Ephraim :)
 
...the broadcasts are geared to those with some elementary knowledge of Byzantine notation and some understanding of the tonal system. In the next couple of weeks, another broadcast will be offered for the real novice/beginner, in the English language, using English translations with Byzantine notation. That is being made possible with the generous permission of Fr. Ephraim of the St-Anthony Monastery in Arizona (www.stanthonysmonastery.org) to use his material as study references.

...

Beginner's Byzantine Chant (i.e. basics of notation, rhythm, modes, genera etc) will be rebroadcast in the English language in the near future given that it was already offered a couple of month's ago prior to our setup with the broadcast system.

Dr. Giannoukakis, when these "real novice/beginner" classes start, will you be using any specific book from Papa Ephraim, or simply utilizing parts of all the different books?

I'm wondering because I already have some of them downloaded (and am eagerly waiting for this class to begin!) and I'm just wondering if I should download all of them so that they are ready and waiting (and I don't have to wait 20 minutes while a lesson is progressing, and I don't have the exercise), or if we will only be utilizing one specific book; i.e. the Vespers book.
 
Dear Tim,

I will strive to offer a series of lessons revolving around the more practical aspects first and I will give the Society a heads up a couple of days prior to the actual broadcast to post the details for download. All material will come from SA Monastery, with the input of Fr. Ephraim. Right now, I am not quite ready as I have not decided what to offer first. Obviously, it will begin with the very basics along with exercises (in English) and then will move into the eirmologic melodies.

NG
 
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