Gregory P. ’25 Wins Honorable Mention For Performance of Armenian Duduk

“I began playing the Armenian duduk two years ago. After hearing my dad listening to it, I thought it had a soulful sound and reminded me of the human voice. After researching the instrument, I learned that it is an ancient Armenian instrument which I thought would be an excellent way to connect to my heritage while also doing something I enjoyed. I researched instructors who may be available in Los Angeles. There were not many; however, I found one who was trained at a very high level and had studied at the Yerevan State Conservatory. Receiving the honorable mention was very meaningful because I was the only honoree who did not play a classical instrument. I feel that the honor is as much due to the uniqueness of the duduk as it was for my performance of this particular song. The duduk is able to bridge the language barrier and connect in an emotional way to people who might not speak Armenian but can feel the emotion of the music. I will continue practicing with my instructor and plan to go to Armenia in the summer to learn from other instructors and play with groups there. In the Music Makers Class, Ms. Foley has supported my interest in the duduk and has encouraged me to combine the old world sound of the duduk with modern music-making methodologies. I feel fortunate to be given the opportunity to mix the old with the new at Poly.”
–Gregory P. ’25