The last august 2004 I stayed in Istanbul, during a holiday trip. There I met Mr. Nurdogan, who kindly explained and showed me what he works on in his establishment “Les Arts Turcs”. While he was showing us his web page, I saw on it that he offered music lessons, and I asked him if I could recieve a ney lesson and… I had already for the next day, an appointment to have a lesson with Hüseyin Ozkiliç, a distinguished teacher of this instrument in Istanbul! Mr. Nurdogan let us a room in his local. I was a little bit nervous… I couldn’t imagine how would be a lesson of a so exotic -for me-, difficult and mystical instrument like the ney, but the calmness and the experience of Hüseyin, made me live the lesson with serenity, attention and a great curiosity. We did a little bit of teory (the names of the different neys depending on their size and tune, the name of the different notes, a brushstroke of history…) for all that I had to write notes, and then we alterned also with the practice (posture, hand position, how to blow, the fingering…) and I made it sound differents notes!! It was two nice hours of learning and meeting, where Hüseyin was opened to answer all my questions, and to give all the explanations that were necessary… but also, making me realize and experience the perseverance and concentration that are necessary to play this great simple instrument.

Carles Bartolomé