We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ceren Türkmenoğlu a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ceren, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
When I look back on the path of finding my purpose, I see that my feelings showed me the way and led me to where I am today.
I am a multi-instrumentalist and a composer. The violin has been my passion since I first saw it as a child. I always felt fortunate to pursue my dream and receive an education in violin. Upon completing my education in Turkey and Germany, I secured a tenured position as a violinist in an orchestra in Turkey.
Years went by, and although I always loved the violin and playing music, I began to feel unhappy and unsatisfied as a musician. I kept questioning myself as to why and what was missing in my life. I kept telling myself that I needed to be grateful for the job I had, the concerts I was doing, the students I was teaching, and so on; however, the uneasiness persisted.
One day, the answer came to me as I was painting a simple pine cone at home and feeling unusually joyful. I asked myself why painting this little pine cone brought me so much joy while playing in the orchestra no longer did. I scarcely found motivation to open the violin case after coming home from rehearsals. The answer was quite simple: “Creativity.”
It was being creative that was giving me joy in painting the pine cone, something I was scarcely experiencing in my work lately.
As musicians, we choose the path of music because deep inside, we have things to express, feelings to convey, and tunes to create. However, the strict classical music education and the rigid structure in the work environment can sometimes take away our individuality, creativity, and expression, forcing us into a fixed mold. When a creative musician doesn’t have another outlet to freely make music and express themselves through music, those uneasy feelings step in and disturb, in order to be seen.
The classical music education I received was quite strict. Playing another instrument, playing another style of music, or attempting to compose as an instrumentalist without a formal degree in composition was completely out of the discussion. The same strictness was present in my work environment, and gradually, I began to feel restricted and unhappy.
One day, with all these thoughts in my mind and all those feelings in my heart, I decided that I needed a break from my orchestra job. In fact, I needed a big change in my life. I wanted to see the world, get away, and experience a different music scene.
So, I took a leave and moved to the USA. I got accepted into a Master’s program in Boston. I auditioned for some orchestras and found some violin students to teach to earn some money and make a living. I gradually branched out of classical music. I got into Turkish traditional music, which was at times looked down upon among Western classical musicians in Turkey. I picked up playing traditional instruments like the Turkish Rebab, and the Bendir, which became my companions. Without completely cutting ties with classical music, I began to play a variety of music, participating in various music scenes with musicians from around the world and diverse backgrounds. I met amazing musicians and artists who gave me immense inspiration. Developing my own projects, I received grant awards and got invited to perform in significant venues and institutions.
Gradually, I became interested in ethnomusicology, in the music of different cultures, and particularly their string instruments. This interest led me to conduct research in Tuva. This research trip significantly influenced my perception of music. I began to compose, and I realized that composing has always been an urge inside me, one I had never given a chance before. In the meantime, I got into recording and sound engineering. Building a home studio, I began to record my own music.
In short, I found myself in a position where I could nurture myself through various channels and share my creations through outlets for self-expression. The feelings of joy and excitement this freedom gave me propelled me to create more, compose more, and dive deeper into music as a whole. It felt like finding my purpose in life.
Of course, I change, my feelings change, and what I embrace as a purpose in life goes through changes as well. Though, each time I am reminded of how much I love making music, creating, and sharing it with people.
Whenever I doubt what my purpose is, I remember the wise words of the magnificent poet Rumi:
“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.”
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a musician who wears different hats during the week, all related to music. Currently, I hold a full-time position in the Ankara State Opera and Ballet Orchestra in Turkey as a violinist. What I appreciate about working in an opera and ballet house is witnessing how various components come together to create such an intricate and sophisticated art form . Working alongside instrumentalists, singers, dancers, designers, and technicians and experiencing the creation process of a production is quite interesting.
Meanwhile, I am an instructor at the Music and Fine Arts University in Ankara, mentoring composition students. I guide them, especially on how to translate their musical ideas onto the violin. With the ensemble we formed with my colleagues, we also perform and record the works of the students, providing significant encouragement for their paths as young composers.
Though my primary instrument is the violin, I am also a multi-instrumentalist, performing on the viola, rebab, and bendir. There are many other instruments in my home, but I wouldn’t dare to say I am a performer on them. I’d merely like to say I play them with joy and often use them in my recordings or as I compose. Performing on different instruments and in various music styles helps me approach music holistically and gain a wider perspective. The idea of embracing music as a whole and getting away from discriminations is crucial to me as an artist. With that kind of approach, it is actually possible to form bridges through music and bring people and cultures together.
Last but not least, I am a composer. In the last few years, I’ve worked on various projects. In 2021, I produced my debut album “Mai,” featuring my compositions and arrangements, available on all major music platforms. I’ve also composed for the screen, including a couple of short movies and a documentary. Recently, I composed my first ballet, “Köroğlu,” which premiered a few weeks ago in Istanbul. It is a Turkish ballet, based on a folk tale, and the music brings traditional and western instruments together.
It has been a challenging process for me as it was my first long work. However I’ve gained so much along the way and I’m grateful for the opportunity to compose the music for this special production. Turkey is such an interesting country with its rich history and traditions. Being a land that is the convergence zone of many cultures, it carries influences from both the east and the west. While composing the music for the Köroğlu Ballet, I aimed for the music to portray these convergences.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If I need to choose three qualities that were impactful in my journey, I’d start with ‘curiosity.’ I think an inexhaustible wish to understand things around us and to keep on learning is a powerful quality for anyone, regardless of their life stage—whether a young student or a professional at the peak of their career. In my opinion, learning should never stop, especially for an artist whose mission is to create. This requires the ability to reinvent oneself.
I’d say the second important quality is ‘perseverance.’ It is necessary to have the strength to keep trying after failing many times and not lose belief in ourselves. Life has a strange timeline; we might not know when we will see the fruit of the seeds we plant, but hard work does pay off. Those who make their dreams come true are the ones who cultivate perseverance.
As the third quality, I’d like to mention ‘inspiration.’ To create good work, it is crucial to nurture ourselves with inspiration that opens our eyes, widens our perspectives, and gives us new ideas. We can find inspiration in many places, primarily in nature—the biggest resource of inspiration. Additionally, in people whom we might see as role models and in their works that move us.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
I’d like to list two books that played an important role in my development as an artist in recent years: ‘Art and Fear’ by D. Bayles and T. Orland, and ‘The Creative Habit’ by Twyla Tharp.
My biggest takeaway from the book ‘Art and Fear’ was that I shouldn’t judge my work, at least not until it is complete. I tend to be quite critical of myself, as I’m sure almost every artist is of themselves. However, when that judgmental voice becomes too dominant during the creative process, it begins to paralyze the artist, making it impossible to finish the work. Instead of being a guide, that voice weakens self-esteem and can lead one to abandon the work halfway.
On the other hand, if we learn to suppress that critical and judgmental voice until the work takes its primary shape and establish a more constructive inner voice, we can always make adjustments and refinements to our work to improve it once it is complete. This insight has helped me compose many of my pieces.
My takeaway from the book ‘The Creative Habit’ was that creativity is truly a habit that can be enhanced by incorporating it into one’s way of living. I found each method introduced in the book very helpful in cultivating this habit, and reading about the creative processes of different artists has provided me with tremendous inspiration for my own process. I especially liked the holistic approach of the writer to creativity and art. If we aspire to be a good musician, painter, or dancer, we can’t just improve ourselves in music, art, or dance; we should also learn about and from other branches of art and artists.
These books have significantly influenced my perspective on the creative process and have become valuable companions in my artistic journey.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cerenturkmenoglu.com
- Instagram: @cerenissimo
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceren.turkmenoglu
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerent/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/cerenturkmenogl
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CerenTurkmenoglu
- Other: Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/tr/artist/ceren-t%C3%BCrkmeno%C4%9Flu/1382820060
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/46MMTh3SkaHyXCQIQe8lX8?si=t1vYIp0TQgyGctLHCtZHPQ
Image Credits
Evran Ozturk Noyan Ozatik Ceren Turkmenoglu