The Beat Goes On—with B-sides and Bonus Material

July may be almost over, but the summer concert season is just hitting its peak. Take a look at some of the music-themed stories, audio, and video you might have missed from our lineup...

A nearly finished ney, bearing Gokhan Ozkok’s signature. Photography by Rollo Romig.

Dear Friends,

Throughout the month of July, we’ve enjoyed profiling some master artisans who are “going beyond tradition” in the world of music.

In addition to our Substack offerings, you’ll find a rich archive of in-depth reported features, audio stories, photo essays, Field Notes, and documentary shorts on our free website. And our longer stories are often packed with bonus material and “b-sides” related to the main topic. As just one example, if you enjoyed “The Reed Artist,“ make sure to check out the adjacent, short photo essay on the making of a ney—we’ve included a few of the images here just to give you an idea:

Gokhan Ozkok selects a reed from his storeroom. Depending on the size of the reed, the ney could be any of 22 different varieties.

(1) In its raw form, the reed is blocked by nodes at each junction of the reed segments. Most ney makers open these nodes by jamming a long steel rod tipped with a rat-tail file through the shaft. (2) Each ney maker has his own technique for figuring out where to drill the seven finger holes. Each reed is unique, so such measurements can only serve as starting approximations. After that a ney maker must go by instinct and experience.

And, to get a sense of what it takes to play this ancient instrument, check out this performance of master ney player Kudsi Ergoner:

Coming up in August, we’ll have two more music-themed stories for you from our Archives, while most of our team is out enjoying a well-deserved break. We’ll return with new material later in the month.

Thank you for reading and sharing our stories, for supporting our work with a paid subscription if you can, and for being part of the Craftsmanship community. We couldn’t do this without you.

Sincerely,

The Craftsmanship Team

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ICYMI…

"The Joy of Experimentation," with Andy Graham

The Bay Area musician, instrument maker, and inventor offers us a peek inside his studio—and his unique creative process.

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New on our website…

Hitting All the High Notes: Delbert Anderson Trumpets On

Written by RoseMary Diaz

Uniting Navajo traditional songs with the dynamic currents of contemporary jazz and jazz improvisation, the trumpet master weaves a vibrant tapestry of sound.

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Craftsmanship Magazine focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest: to create a world built to last.