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QUILLS & QUEUES Quills & Queues: Peia Luzzi is an international musician with a local heart Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 7:30 PM By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 7:30 PM » RELATED CONTENT • Quills & Queues: Artist taps into Japanese culture, traditions... • Quills & Queues: Ashland's visual arts tradition in decline... • Ashland author transports readers to Antarctica • Quills & Queues: Oregon Center for the Arts in Ashland a hub for multiple media... » Social News After studying at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music, Peia Luzzi has made Ashland her home. With upcoming concerts in Switzerland and Belgium, and a busy schedule which will include a collaboration with drummer and strings musician Shai at the Britt Festival on July 29, Peia found time to sit down with the Tidings to chat about her music and her process. JG: Part of your focus as an artist has been to gather songs from ancient traditions and keep them alive. Can you talk a bit about that? PL: Growing up in North America as a child of Irish, Scottish, Italian and Dutch ancestry, I have longed to know the songs, rituals and rites of my ancestors. The ways in which they honored the earth, how they celebrated the passage of the seasons, and the cycles of life and death. I believe songs are one of the few intact remnants left that those of us with European ancestry can use to tap into our indigenous roots; to begin to know something of our ancestral culture. Many of the songs I carry come from a time when we still lived in small villages, a time when our very existence depended on our connection to the land and one another. My hope is that through the carrying and singing of these old songs, that we not only keep them alive, but also a piece of the wisdom and understanding that enabled our ancestors to thrive in a harmonious relationship with the rest of the natural world. JG: You attended the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, which is the oldest independent music school in the country. How did you make your way from that musical culture to Ashland, Oregon? PL: I should start by saying that I was studying opera at the conservatory and that by the end of my first semester, I realized that my heart was not in the melodies of Puccini and Mozart. Much to the dismay of my opera studio professors, I found myself enthralled with the alluring beauty and mystery of medieval chant, Bulgarian and Yiddish folk-songs, Indian raga and the delicate art of song crafting. This fascination, along with a bit of that old Irish wanderlust, led me all over Europe, India and South America to seek the songs and stories of the people and the land. I traveled on and off for about five years after finishing my schooling, and by the end of that time I was incredibly weary and needed to find a home. A few close friends had moved to Ashland, and when I came to visit, I felt like I was home. I fell in love with the vast expanse of the land here, as well as the vibrant community, and was especially inspired to work with Rogue World Ensemble, who bring incredible world folk music to the area through concerts, workshops and an amazing community choir. JG: You're going to be performing at the Britt Festival on July 29 as Peia and Shai. Tell us a bit about that collaboration. PL: I met Shai many years ago as he was traveling around the West Coast with his oud and cajon. I still remember the first time I heard him singing around the fire. Over the years we’ve stayed in touch, playing music whenever we are in the same country. I was deeply honored to have him join me on tour in Australia in 2015 and 2016, as well on my forthcoming album, “Beauty Thunders.” Shai was born in Morocco, raised in Israel and is carrying his family’s tradition of Sephardic song and oud playing. He is also an incredible flamenco guitarist and singer and carries many songs from the Roma tradition. We have been having a lot of fun learning songs from one another and I am really delighted to be able to have him join us here at the Britt. JG: Can you speak about your musical mission, and what you'd like to achieve as an artist? Do you have any comment on the role of the artist in the world, especially given so much recent turmoil? PL: I suppose I never fully chose the path of music. It’s just what I do, and slowly with time I am coming to understand why it is needed now. I see not only an opportunity but — given the state of the world — the responsibility that comes with having a voice and having an audience. Much of what drives me is the desire to use my platform to create a positive impact, to give voice to those who do not have one, and to shed light on issues that are being swept under the rug. Hand-in-hand with my work of song-carrying is a fierce passion to protect, preserve and empower the indigenous cultures. Such cultures still live on today in the face of great adversity — their very way of life is under constant threat. We live in a tremendously precarious time and, as a person of lost culture, I see the importance of nourishing and giving voice to the living roots of ancient culture who have been able to live in balance and harmony with the Earth for thousands of years. Ashland resident Jeffrey Gillespie is a Daily Tidings columnist, arts reviewer and freelance writer. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie For the Tidings Posted Jul. 14, 2016 at 7:30 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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