DavidJE - 1-16-2019 at 08:17 PM
I've posted here in the past regarding my very positive experiences with Skype lessons for the oud (primarily Turkish), and would like to mention my
recent experiences taking Skype lessons with Brian Prunka, too.
All of my practice for the last 5 years or so has been in the Turkish style...Turkish classical compositions and songs, and more or less the Turkish
style of taksim and improvisation. My improvisation and taksim practice has been exclusively non-rhythmic. Recently I decided I'd like to start
working on rhythmic improvisation, and being from New Orleans I also wanted to be able to use rhythmic phrasing that has a "jazz feel" on occasion.
I've communicated with Brian Prunka here on the forums and via email over the years, and I knew that before he started playing and teaching the oud
professionally he had played jazz guitar. Listening to his Nashaz album, I also really liked his playing and improvisations and decided to try taking
Skype lessons with him, focusing on rhythmic improvisation.
The lessons have been terrific, and I highly recommend him as a teacher. In just a couple of hours thus far, Brian has opened up an entirely new
world of possibilities for me. He is very detail oriented, and has deep knowledge that he's easily able to effectively communicate. I'm sure he's
able to teach just about anything oud related, but I can say for sure that if you are interested in improving your improvisation skills he is an
outstanding teacher. You can find his contact info on his website: http://brianprunka.com/
Brian Prunka - 6-5-2019 at 09:07 AM
I'd like to thank David for his kind words about our lessons, and to announce something new I'm trying.
Any new student wishing to take lessons online (Skpe/Facetime) can get a free introductory lesson. I can give 3-4 of these lessons
per month, depending on my availability.
While in-person lessons are always preferable, for some people there isn't a local teacher that is a good fit for a student's interests or learning
style (or there simply isn't any qualified teacher). In that case, online lessons can work out well. Since it can be hard to tell if it will work
for any individual student, I've decided to offer a chance to try it out for those interested.
You can read more about my teaching philosophy, approach and background on my website:
https://brianprunka.com/teacher
Short version: I've been playing oud for over 20 years, and have two music degrees. I studied extensively with some of the best players and teachers
of Arabic oud: Simon Shaheen, Bassam Saba, Najib Shaheen, Charbel Rouhana, and others. I'm an active performer in NY's Arabic Music Community,
performing with artists including Zikrayat, Wajde Ayub, Nano Raies, the NY Arabic Orchestra, as well as my groups the Bil Afrah Project, Nashaz, and
Sharq Attack, and am co-founder of Brooklyn Maqam.
As someone who was originally an outsider to this music, I've found myself particularly well-suited to helping musicians from other backgrounds
develop an understanding of the oud and maqam music, since I had to go through that process myself. For what it's worth, to my knowledge I'm the only
non-Arab ever invited to teach oud at Simon Shaheen's Arabic Music Retreat, and I really connecting with fellow oud enthusiasts and sharing my passion
for the oud and Arabic music.
Please email me at brianprunka (at) gmail (dot) com to set up a lesson or if you have any questions. Please don't use the forums u2u
feature, as my mailbox there is overflowing and it makes it difficult to respond.