Andrew sits down and interviews Oud master John Berberian about his life, 50-year career in music, balancing work and the arts and performing throughout the country.
Topics Include:
- Working with record labels making albums with Mainstream Records, Verve Forecast, RCA and MGM starting in the early 1960s
- The thriving Middle Eastern music scene of Berberian's early years, and the mixing and collaboration of different cultures
- Berberian's father's role as an oud player in his musical development, and the initial design to start with the violin
- Using western classical approaches to play Middle Eastern music
- The comparison of Ravi Shankar and the Sitar to the industry effort to promote the oud
- The landmark oud rock album
- Berberian's love of Arab music
- Discussion of different types of oud playing
- The symbiotic relationship of the oud and the guitar and making music with these instruments together
- Advice to those learning the oud
