The music video for the song “Electronic Flirtation” depicts the erosion of man’s relationship with other humans and nature due to technological developments in mining, war, and tele/web-communications.
And here’s a little promo video I dreamt up – literally – and put together by the brilliant Anahid Yahjian…
Here are some fantastic articles and short films about the reopening of the 120-year-old formerly abandoned mansion of Raffi’s great grandfather Mardiros Baloumian. Painting, scholarship, music, architecture, history, remembrance, reimagination, and cultural fusion were all part of the formula that brought this unforgettable evening to life:
It’s been an absolute thrill working with the visionary director Oksana Mirzoyan to create the debut music video for Pushkin Street! When discussing the project, we decided it was critical to integrate imagery from the cinematic, stunning, struggling motherland of ours. That’s right – the land of pomegranates, endless mountains, and Kim Kardashian (well, sort of). It has ample beauty, and ample struggle. So we travelled north to Alaverdi, Armenia, a mining town under the thumb of mining conglomerate Vallex. Alaverdi – surrounded by streams and mountains – is a microcosm of Armenia’s environmental challenges, a place of paradox, plumes of smoke from a nearby pipe perpetually hovering overhead, plastic bottles clogging rivers, and company logos plastered all over a town you know was once so beautiful.
Preliminary cuts of the music video are looking beautiful. Oh yeah, and the tune? ELECTRONIC FLIRTATION!
Here are some photos from our expedition!
I recently had the privilege of collaborating with the prolific change-makers at CivilnetTV on a story examining the tradition and craft of the oud in Armenia, featuring my awesome teacher Mr. Miran Demerjian. Enjoy!
The Fulbright program’s Prague-based enrichment seminar “Citizens in Public Space” features “Dizzy In Dreams” in their recap video of an amazing four days with some of the most amazing thinkers and creators I have ever met!
Eileen Khatchadourian’s sound check for her recent concert in LA includes tunes from her award-winning album Midan and a snippet of a melody I penned for her (humming at the end) that she has beautifully interpreted…
In early April I had the privilege of spending some time with the wonderful people of Shvanidzor, Armenia. At 391 people in the Syunik Marz, it is one of Armenia’s southernmost villages resplendent with fruit trees, livestock, and Iranian mountains towering overhead. The school has 43 students, and on Wednesday, April 3rd I had the opportunity to perform for them. Here’s a new number, “Coniferous”…enjoy!
An article featured in the Baltimore Sun about my dear, fallen friend, Anne Smedinghoff.
Celebrating in the San Francisco Bay on August 1st, 2009 after bicycling across the United States. Anne was and remains a huge part of our family of 27 riders. The songs “Millard County Jail” and “Gluten Free Blues” from Pushkin Street are directly inspired by this bike ride.
CD RELEASE PARTY! Saturday, March 30th, 9pm at Music Factory in Yerevan, Armenia!
FREE ENTRY, and 100% of CD Sales donated to ONEArmenia’s “Support A Safe House” campaign, an initiative to support the funding of one of Armenia’s only battered women’s shelters.
Press from two beautiful publications!
The Armenian Weekly, founded in 1934 in Watertown, MA, ran an article about Pushkin Street. Enjoy! http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/02/28/armenian-american-artist-debuts-pushkin-street-in-armenia/
Also from Watertown, MA, The Armenian Mirror-Spectator, founded in 1931, ran this article: http://www.mirrorspectator.com/pdf/020913.pdf
Pushkin Street 
