Tests

I had mentioned to Aka that I was a (Western) conservatory graduate. Early in our relationship, Aka asked me to arrange some Western music for ney. The request seemed slightly odd, but I transcribed for him ney parts from the two solo recorder parts of Bach's Fourth Brandenburg Concerto.

Not long after that, he asked me to harmonize a melody; I thought nothing of it and quickly dashed off an improvised harmonization. He came back a few days later to say that a friend at Istanbul Conservatory found a couple of parallel fifths in my voice leading, and it dawned on me that Aka or someone might be checking out my story that I was a musician hoping to learn Turkish music rather than a CIA agent.

It wasn't the last time that I was suspected of being a spy in Turkey but after the harmonization test, Aka accepted me as his disciple despite the faulty voice leading. Or maybe because of it.

last revised 21 September 2008