For years I’ve been deeply interested in the music from the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. I’ve traveled to Bulgaria, Greece, Macedonia, Romania and other countries  primarily to listen to the folk music there. Early on I discovered the music of the Roma, or as they are more commonly known, the Gypsies. They are ubiquitous in this part of the world, and are well-known for their very distinctive musical stylings and stunning virtuosity.

It is commonly held that the Roma originally came from the Rajastan region of India and migrated towards Europe. I’ve had the privilege of witnessing many astonishing performances in the Balkan countries by the local Roma population. I’m always struck by how absolutely easy it looks for them to play music.There is literally no barrier between expression and execution. No nerves, no self-consciousness, no judging, no excess tension. Just joyful, fiery music.

They are also known for their incredible endurance playing music. It’s no problem for them to play all day and all night (as many weddings in Balkan villages require), seeming never to tire.

If you were to ask one of these musicians if playing music was difficult, you would probably be met with an incredulous, bemused look. It would be as if you asked them if it was difficult to taste food. It’s something that comes so naturally to them, that I doubt whether these musicians even ponder the question.

Some years back I saw a marvelous film called Latcho Drom. I guess you could call it a staged documentary about how the Roma have migrated from India, as told through their music. In the film, one particular group stood out to me. They’re called Taraf de Haidouks, and they are from a small village  called Clejani, which is situated in the Wallachia region of Romania. I was floored by their passionate, soulful, technically dazzling playing. I immediately became a big fan. About a year after seeing the film I got a chance to see them perform here in Los Angeles at Royce Hall.

It was at that performance that I witnessed a simple, almost unnoticeable thing that completely changed my belief about playing technically challenging music (about playing music in general, really). For the first time in my life I began to notice a sort of reciprocal relationship between technique and tension. With these musicians, specifically, the more technically challenging the music became, the more free and relaxed they seemed to be in body and mind.

At that point in my career I believed the exact opposite. Speed equals tension and contraction.Intensity equals tension and contraction. A big sound equals tension and contraction. (This was before I began to study the Alexander Technique. In fact, it was my experience at this concert that ended up being a stepping stone to my discovery of the Alexander Technique.)

The moment that most sticks out in my mind from this concert was when the leader of the group, Caliu Gheorghe (a virtuoso violinist!), was playing a piece from their repertoire that I was quite familiar with. It was a suite of dances from different regions in Romania. At one point in the piece, there is a break where the band stops playing and Caliu Gheorghe plays a lightning fast unaccompanied solo at a ridiculously fast tempo to introduce the new tempo of the next dance in the suite.

As I anticipated this solo break, I could feel myself beginning to “prepare” (as if I had to play such a solo). I started holding my breath, clenching my neck and jaw, bracing my arms and locking my knees…all as I sat in the audience watching. Essentially I was contracting into myself. That was my reaction to playing fast tempos.

But then I saw this remarkable thing: The  split second before the solo break I saw Caliu Gheorghe react in a different way. I witnessed him softening his knees as he sort of let his head float up off the top of his spine. I could also see him releasing his arms away from his body and I think I even saw how easily he was breathing. He was expanding and releasing as he prepared to play instead of contracting. A much different reaction than mine. (Again, this happened in one split second.)

Then he launched into his solo with such joy, presence and utter technical control that I found myself laughing out loud . Besides sounding so good, it looked so easy to do. I was inspired! From that day forward I began thinking about a different way to react as I played music. I’ve been on this path for some years now and the rewards have been huge.

Here is a video clip of Taraf de Haidouks performing Rustem si suite. Notice how free all the musicians are as they play this very intricate and rapid piece. (Caliu Gheorghe is the first violinist to appear at beginning of the performance). Notice the joy, ease and deep emotional expression these musicians bring to the performance. Hope you enjoy!