BOKI’S OPEN CLARINET LESSONS / No. 7

BOŽIDAR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ
OPEN CLARINET LESSONS

YOU ASK – MR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ ANSWERS / No. 7 Many clarinetists, readers and visitors to this site of the clarinet and clarinetists, contact us and ask all kinds of questions about our famous artist Božidar Boki Milošević. Boki Milošević is now with us for your sake and is happy to answer to all your questions.

Stana from Zurich asks Boki:

– Since I have been playing the clarinet for 3 years, I would like to know what is more advisable to begin learning music – a song or the national dance?
Rad

Boki Milošević answers:

– Dear Stano, we get to know and learn folk music from the very beginning. So, you should first learn folk song, its spirit, and only then move on to the dance because of its different ornaments.

Unfortunately, many young people do not do it that way. They immediately begin with the national dance, and never learn folk song and its spirit.

That’s why we have a situation that many great instrumentalists play the round dance perfectly, but they cannot compile the song. They think it’s just like that. No, it isn’t!

It is even more difficult to play a nice song than one round dance! The song must have its own character, its own atmosphere and mood. If the player does not present it, does not conjure it up – he has not done anything!

The songs, unlike the national dances, have a completely different treatment. You have to be familiar with the text and content, in order to be able to play adequately. The way of pronouncing the song is very important too.

The singer, when singing the word ” love “, cannot tell the syllable “lo”, take the air, and then say “ve”. You must also be familiar with accentuation. The melody often has to be changed so that the text can be spoken correctly.

NOTE:

If you want to ask maestro Boki Milošević, a question, feel free to do so via e-mail of the author and owner of this site, a professor Radivoj Lazić:

radivojlazic@yahoo.com

Boki is ready and glad to answer to any question!

Best regards to all!

Love,
yours sincerely
BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ

BOKI’S OPEN CLARINET LESSONS / No. 6

BOŽIDAR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ
OPEN CLARINET LESSONS

YOU ASK – MR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ ANSWERS / No. 6 Many clarinetists, readers and visitors to this site of the clarinet and clarinetists, contact us and ask all kinds of questions about our famous artist Božidar Boki Milošević. Boki Milošević is now with us for your sake and is happy to answer to all your questions.

Mitar from Paris asks Boki:

– Could you tell us something about the styles and ornaments that are present in our folk music?
Rad

Boki Milošević answers:

– I’ve always wanted to be native, original and  to get closer to my roots. To be honest, I’m proud because I have  succeeded to imprint all of it in our (Balkan) folk music.

Since I had played with Carevac for a long time at Radio Belgrade and in the Sextet of Dusko Radetic, who was at that time responsible for the folk music of Southern and Western Serbia, I tried to move ornaments that are characteristic in these regions into all appropriate compositions which I performed in my artistic career.

Style of music firstly determines area where the composition comes from, ie. which region.

Depending on this, the appropriate music and ornaments are used.

For example, Šumadija round dance generally has whole-tone thrillers, while southern Serbia uses semi-tones.

Bosnia has its ornaments, the northern part of Serbia – Vojvodina – its own. Mordents are also used a lot.

NOTE:

If you want to ask maestro Boki Milošević, a question, feel free to do so via e-mail of the author and owner of this site, a professor Radivoj Lazić:

radivojlazic@yahoo.com

Boki is ready and glad to answer to any question!

Best regards to all!

Love,
yours sincerely
BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ

BOKI’S OPEN CLARINET LESSONS / No. 5

BOŽIDAR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ
OPEN CLARINET LESSONS

YOU ASK – MR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ ANSWERS / No. 5 Many clarinetists, readers and visitors to this site of the clarinet and clarinetists, contact us and ask all kinds of questions about our famous artist Božidar Boki Milošević. Boki Milošević is now with us for your sake and is happy to answer to all your questions.

Radivoj Lazić, clarinet professor and composer from Belgrade and the author of this site asks Boki:

– Maestro Boki, please, tell the visitors of this clarinet site how do you practice folk music?
Rad

Boki Milošević answers:

– Folk music should above all be much loved, listened and learned. A person should devote himself to it and put his whole being into it. Folk music, like any music, requires to be practiced studiously.

A round dance or any folk dance, which means a virtuous piece, cannot just be played straightaway. It must be practiced in the same way as we practice etudes, sonatas and pieces.

1. It is first played slightly, then you gradually increase the tempo until you reach the desired one. (Look: Practicing With Metronome)
2. After that, the character is pushed into the composition. Without stylistic approach it has no value.

NOTE:

If you want to ask maestro Boki Milošević, a question, feel free to do so via e-mail of the author and owner of this site, a professor Radivoj Lazić:

radivojlazic@yahoo.com

Boki is ready and glad to answer to any question!

Best regards to all!

Love,
yours sincerely
BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ

BOKI’S OPEN CLARINET LESSONS / No. 4

BOŽIDAR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ
OPEN CLARINET LESSONS

YOU ASK – MR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ ANSWERS / No. 4 Many clarinetists, readers and visitors to this site of the clarinet and clarinetists, contact us and ask all kinds of questions about our famous artist Božidar Boki Milošević. Boki Milošević is now with us for your sake and is happy to answer to all your questions.

Branko from Belgrade asks Boki:

– What should a clarinetist master and do to become an accomplished performer of folk music like you?
Rad

Boki Milošević answers:

– First and foremost, the clarinetist should have cultivated tone, and this can only be done with hard work. All the clarinetists up to me, who played folk music, were mostly uneducated and had uncultivated tone. I did not accept this way of interpretation of folk music, but I was the first one to introduce educated, academic tone in Yugoslav folk music.

I interpreted folk music with that tone and manner of expression with which I played Mozart and other works of classical music.

Here’s what one clarinetist should do on a daily basis, if one wants to become accomplished:

1. Sustain tones with crescendo and decrescendo, because it forms muscles around mouth (embouchure), which are able to endure long playing and create the most subtle dynamic nuances. Here’s how I do it:

2. Exercising staccato, because not everything can be played legato.

3. Practicing scales, from which a good technique and correct intonation is obtained .

4. Practicing the thirds, fourths and fifths:

The intonation of the clarinet needs to be good, because the listener can not help but enjoy in pleasant tones. If the clarinetist plays off-key, it’s better that he does not play!

NOTE:

If you want to ask maestro Boki Milošević, a question, feel free to do so via e-mail of the author and owner of this site, a professor Radivoj Lazić:

radivojlazic@yahoo.com

Boki is ready and glad to answer to any question!

Best regards to all!

Love,
yours sincerely
BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ

BOKI’S OPEN CLARINET LESSONS / No. 3

BOŽIDAR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ
OPEN CLARINET LESSONS

YOU ASK – MR BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ ANSWERS / No. 3 Many clarinetists, readers and visitors to this site of the clarinet and clarinetists, contact us and ask all kinds of questions about our famous artist Božidar Boki Milošević. Boki Milošević is now with us for your sake and is happy to answer to all your questions.

Branko from Belgrade asks Boki:

– Is the clarinet a suitable instrument for folk music?
Rad

Boki Milošević answers:

– It certainly is, Branko! From my experience, I can say that the audience likes to hear the clarinet in folk music.

Many parts of Serbia are greatly influenced by their neighbours. For example, folk music from around Zaječar is influenced by the Romanians, and  from around Pirot by the Bulgarians.

Vojvodina is influenced by the Hungarians and Romanians. In Vojvodina, the tambouritza is most prevalent, but the clarinet is popular in romances.

Hungary romance: Why Am I Not Allowed to Love You?
Božidar Boki Milošević – clarinet

Serbian music is a great treasure. The clarinet is especially prevalent and lofty in the South of Serbia. Niš and Vranje are very influenced by the Macedonian folk music.

Famous Macedonian folk song: Macedonian Girl
Božidar Boki Milošević – clarinet

NOTE:

If you want to ask maestro Boki Milošević, a question, feel free to do so via e-mail of the author and owner of this site, a professor Radivoj Lazić:

radivojlazic@yahoo.com

Boki is ready and glad to answer to any question!

Best regards to all!

Love,
yours sincerely
BOKI MILOŠEVIĆ