Staff Articles

2021 Virtual Olympics

Fallon O'Malley

This year the Russian department held the annual Russian Olympics in an online format, like the previous Spring semester in 2020. Students from both the Russian language and culture classes were able to participate in a series of virtual games, and activities. The RPSS Olympics Organizing Committee did a fantastic job of creating an interactive experience for the students in the department while we all could not be in person.

For the language aspect of the games, the committee created a Jeopardy board for each level and split us into our respective groups. In the intermediate group, our teams created GroupMe pages to be able to collaborate on answers. This proved to be the best way for everyone to quickly get their thoughts on the table, discuss opposing team tactics, and keep tabs on everyone in the main chat. Every round was a speed round because we were here to win and possibly brag about it later. For our language level, team one was consistent in their game and ended up garnering the most points in the end. However, team two always kept them on their toes and definitely had the most spirit for the topics (not biased at all). After the games, students watched several videos, like informational talks from alumni and a performance by the Russian music ensemble. Later on, we could also join online games that were not language based so both Russian language and culture students could participate. Overall, the Olympics this year were a hit and it's in big thanks to the amazing work of the organizing committee!

Egor Kreed's Cry for Help

Rodrigo Arias

This is a topic that has been on my mind for the past two years. What was Egor Kreed going through in 2019? I am speaking of course about the times he posted photoshopped pictures of himself with Selena Gomez on his official instagram. It went so far that on Valentines Day 2019 he showed the world a doctored video of him riding in a car with the American singer(1). Of course, people knew that it was fake because Selena Gomez, who had recently broken up with Justin Bieber, said she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with anyone. This begs the question--why would the Russian singer post such things?

The straight-forward theory would be that Egor Kreed simply has a big crush on Selena Gomez and he thought that posting these things would have gotten her attention. Of course, everyone made fun of the singer, even his own fans who said that Selena Gomez was way out of his league. To add insult to injury, Selena Gomez was probably not even aware of the controversy.

Another possible explanation for this weird event could be that Egor was going through a really bad break up. In 2018, he was on the Russian version of the Bachelor--Holostyak-- he ended up giving his final rose to one Daria Klyukina. However, the relationship did not last(2). Egor said she was more interested in the fame of dating Egor rather than Egor himself. The photoshopped pictures, while very creepy, may have actually been a cry for help. Perhaps Egor sought a partner who did not care about his status and who better than another celebrity.

As of early 2021, it appears that the #HeartBreakKid has found new love--this time with a 19 year old Tik Tok star named Valya Karnaval(3). Will this relationship last? Probably not but hopefully Egor has learned his lesson about posting pictures with girls in which he inserts himself via photoshop.

Sources:

https://teleprogramma.pro/stars/star-hist/517549/

https://www.vokrug.tv/article/show/15590584381/

https://www.vokrug.tv/article/show/16096493421/

Melodic Spring Concert

Undra Tsend

The Annual Spring Russian Music Ensemble concert convened in front of the Wren Building this April for the whole campus community to enjoy as the weather cooperated, reminding a nice welcome that spring has arrived. With many donning colorful sarafans and kosovorotka shirts, students presented a well-prepared and outstanding cultural performance on the Wren steps. The iconic national instrument balalaika made appearances in various sizes with its notable triangular wooden body, emanating the open space with its unique sound. It may appear easy to play when the students make it look that way, but it is not one that is easy to master at all. Moreover, Domra, a folk instrument with a noticeably round shape, along with Bayan or the accordion, complemented the overall musical score. Students and professor alike sang, showcasing their language skills and vocal range in the process. Surprisingly, the strums of violin strings also echoed through the area, bringing in a lovely addition to the stringed family. Headed by Professor Ina Yakubeika, the talented ensemble meets every Tuesday evening to practice their respective instruments and voices, immerse in its unique culture, and have fun along the way. For students interested in joining the ensemble group, they can definitely sign up for the fall 2021 class RPSS 290. Boy-I-Like-A good musical ensemble!

Interview with Yasha Barth and Benny Netzer

Pavel Parkhimovich

1. Can you tell us about how you got involved with the Russian Music Ensemble and what are some of your responsibilities?

My name is Benny Netzer and I am the president of RME. I started getting involved in the RME after being encouraged by Finley Roles. As president, it is my duty to set up meetings on zoom and delegate tasks to people while also transcribing music among other responsibilities.

My name is Yasha Barth and I am the instrument director at RME. I found interest in joining the RME because I wanted to continue to learn more about the Eastern European culture and play songs that I grew up listening to. As the instrument director, I am in charge of making sure that the rented instruments are assigned to the correct people and that those people are taking care of them. Additionally, I also make sure that people are practicing and are keeping up with their work outside of class.

2. What do the two of you enjoy the most about the Russian Music Ensemble? Who else is involved?

Yasha: One of my favorite things about RME is seeing people join that may have not known much about Eastern European culture and have a desire to learn or attempt new activities such as singing in a new style, learning new words, as well as be exposed to the traditional culture of Eastern Europe, including clothing that is worn by Russian music performers.

Benny: There are several other staff positions, including the Vice President, Vocal director, Social chairs, and Treasurer. The Vice President helps the President with daily tasks in leading the ensemble as well as ensuring fundraisers are successful and that other tasks are completed on time. The Vocal director is in charge of all the singers, making sure that the singers have correct pronunciation, and also transposes some of the songs in the right key for singers to listen to so that they sing correctly. The Social chairs involved in RME are in charge of making advertisements for fundraisers and our concerts. Lastly, our Treasurer helps with finances and helps oversee the purchases made by the ensemble.

3. Would you say that you are content with the Russian Music Ensemble overall? Is there anything that you would change/improve?

Benny: Currently, the RME runs very well however, there is always room for improvement. Undoubtedly, each member of RME has proven to be capable of showcasing their talents. One way to explore new ways of helping each member improve could include having a one-on-one session between the instructors and the students. Currently, without being able to communicate effectively with all of the students, largely due to Covid, creates an environment where it is uncertain who has practiced and who needs further assistance.

Yasha: RME could also improve by having the instruments show off their skillset more and improve the entire ensemble as a whole. With a little more confidence (which can be achieved by the one-on-one instructions Benny mentioned), there may be a possibility in the future of having more instrumental songs (without any singers) in order to give them an opportunity to show what they are truly capable of.

4. How does the Russian Music Ensemble run considering that we have a pandemic among us?

Benny: Since the pandemic began, people had to adjust to the new norm, however we [RME] still desired to maintain concerts in person while taking safety measures to ensure that no one was put at risk. RME typically holds two concerts per semester and creates a list of culturally relevant songs to choose from. Every member of RME gets to voice their opinion about which songs they feel like will be most fitting and comfortable to perform before finalizing their decision. Traditionally, our concerts are a mix of ensemble and solo performances. Soloists typically perform in between ensemble songs to add a little variation to the concert performance.

Yasha: Adding on to what Benny said, the list of Eastern European songs is created by the instructor and staff members with insight from other RME members if they have any song suggestions. Due to the pandemic, we hold in-person rehearsals every other week (2 per month). When we aren’t in person, we hold zoom rehearsals. We typically start the rehearsals together with everyone to answer any questions before splitting into sectional groups (instruments in one room, singers in another). In these sections, each group works through any specific spots they find difficult for an hour or so before regrouping into the complete ensemble to run through the songs in the final 30-45 minutes of rehearsal.

Pavel Parkhimovich

Interview with Christine Gao (Past RME Member):

Nice to meet you Christine, can you tell me about yourself?

Sure, I was a student at William & Mary and I graduated in 2017. I participated in the Russian Music Ensemble during my college experience and played in the ensemble. I didn’t have an official position such as president or vice president at the time. I played mostly flute in the beginning and played domra after that. I tried playing balalaika but decided to mainly play flute and domra. Since RME was founded during my sophomore year, I decided to join RME during my junior year of college and remained in it until the end of my senior year.

What interested you in joining Russian Music Ensemble?

One reason why I was interested in joining was because my parents are Chinese and, they listened to a lot of songs that were translated from Russian into Chinese and my parents learned those songs growing up in China. I actually thought that they were Chinese songs and then realized that they were in fact Russian songs. It was also beneficial because of the social aspect as well. But mainly, I think it was my personal curiosity about Russian music and hearing a lot of these songs as I grew up.

How were songs chosen for concerts during your time at Russian Music Ensemble?

Given that the Russian Music Ensemble was fairly new at the time, we mostly played well-known popular songs. A lot of the songs that were in the Red Army choir repertoire. In general, the arrangements came from the Washington Balalaika Society, which is the largest Balalaika orchestra outside of Russia I believe. We had several connections with people who were in this society who were William & Mary alumni. Sometimes they passed along sheet music that they used. We also did some research and found songs from the internet to play as well that ranged from Russian origin, Ukrainian or other Slavic. I also decided to return to play in Ensemble once or twice after I graduated and I remember that we had a few concerts where we focused on Armenian and Hungarian music as well. In general, most of the songs that were chosen were Eastern European.

What were some of the activities that you did while in Russian Music Ensemble?

I sang a little bit in the beginning with someone else, we would sing together but neither one of us were actual singers. It was an interesting experience, considering that I had not started taking Russian at the time. There was a William & Mary women’s chorus that had a lot of people in it during my senior year and they took over the singing part later and I didn’t sing anymore after that. During my experience this was an extracurricular activity and not an actual course until my senior year so we did not have individual rehearsals during class time. People practiced on their own and got together once a week to practice collectively. Most people had music experience prior to coming to Russian Music Ensemble. For example, people were able to figure out how to play domra on their own and we also had an instructor that would teach us more specifics like how domra picking techniques were done properly.

What was your favorite part of being in the Russian Music Ensemble?

I would say being in a group and socializing with people that have similar interests. Everyone was very passionate about Russian music and the history of it. I would say overall that I was pretty content with the program at the time given that it was so new at the time it was nice that there was a number of instruments that members were able to borrow.

Did you continue practicing playing your instruments after graduation or decide to join a new ensemble?

Yes, I did actually. There’s an organization called Balalaika Domra Association of America and it includes members of Washington Balalaika Society as well as other orchestras like Russian folk orchestra around the United States. The BDAA gathers around for a week-long convention every summer. Everyone beforehand has their parts distributed ahead of time and it comes together as a full orchestra. We all rehearse in the course of that one week and put on a concert at the end. The scale of that is a lot larger than the ensemble at William and Mary. I would say there are at least 50 members in it or more and they have actual instructors that come from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and so on. This was a really cool experience to meet people that come from different parts of the world. The sectional leaders in those orchestras are actual professional players that have been trained at music conservatories, so having the ability to put on a larger performance in a full arrangement is really great. I attended two of these conventions. The first one that I went to was the summer after graduating was in Washington D.C which was hosted by Washington Balalaika Society. The year after that there was one in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. I did not attend the one after Valley Forge and the previous one was canceled because of the pandemic. I would say that I’m still participating in The Balalaika Domra Association of America, they are a really friendly community and people that have been involved in it, have been involved for a really long time, decades even.

Interview with Joshua Greenfield (Past RME Member):

Can you tell us about how you got involved in Russian Music Ensemble and what are some of your responsibilities?

I was a part of the Russian Music Ensemble starting from my first semester when I heard about the Ensemble all the way up until I graduated. During my time there, I had a range of different positions ranging between just a normal member, the Treasurer, and the Vice-President. I was honestly so excited about joining when I first saw their table set up among all the other clubs my first semester, and immediately joined. Music has always been a part of my life, and I was already exploring my interest in Russian culture around that time, so it was just a perfect opportunity that presented itself to me.

During my time as Treasurer, I was responsible for opening the bank account that we later used to hold on to club funds, but I very seldom deposited money on behalf of the Ensemble, as both Jonathan and Gabri (President at that time) had access to it as well. As Vice-President, I worked together with the President to make decisions about performances, such as repertoire, events, recruitment, etc. I also sort of operated as the lead rhythm player, so I started a lot of the songs, but I don’t think that counts as official responsibilities haha.

What did you enjoy the most about Russian Music Ensemble? Who else was involved?

I just really enjoyed that we could play music together that we enjoyed. I think it was very much due to the incredible talent of our relatively few members at the time, but things came together really well. We also worked well together (most of the time), probably because most of us were friends outside of the Ensemble, as well. There were a lot of members that had come and gone, but the core for two years were many of my friends from the Russian department, who I may or may not have pressured to join to introduce vocals/bass to the Ensemble, and they stayed because it worked out well and they enjoyed it. I’m not sure if names really mean much, since they’ve all graduated, but we had Christine, Roc, Maggie, Bailey, John, Jack, Abner, Gabri, and myself, and then that changed somewhat over time. We lost a few seniors and got some more people, like Kary, Calloway, Celia, and quite a few others (I forgot so many names, I’m sorry). We also had some absolutely incredible guest performers from all over, which is due in large part to Jonathan. He knew many musicians in the Washington Balalaika Society, and many other famous and talented musicians within the genre of Russian or Eastern-European music.

How were songs typically chosen for concerts in Russian Music Ensemble from your experience? Were they mostly Eastern European songs?

During my time in RME, we had somewhat of a confusing time in that there was somewhat of a shift in power, since you could earn credit for it, and so Jonathan became our professor part-way through, but when we started, it was always the President and Vice-President that had the final say, and Jonathan was operating mostly in the position of an advisor, so would make a lot of suggestions about what he thought would be nice or interesting. As far as our criteria for what we thought was worthy of performing, I remember thinking a lot about what was fun or interesting for us to play, but we would also think about what the audience may want. For example, we played for Rosh Hashanah one time, and we played all of the Yiddish and Hebrew songs, as well as the other songs we had in our repertoire that were relevant. There were a couple of times when the picks weren’t particularly appropriate, like we, for whatever reason, played the anthems for the US and Russia when we had just invited a famous Ukrainian Balalaika player to play with us for a few performances, but my impression of that time was that we played them at Jonathan’s request, but I think that was not a wise choice. I remember that for some performances we also chose a few too songs, some of which we didn’t practice nearly enough, so there were some very awkward moments because of that, but that only happened once or twice.

We started out with Russian songs, almost exclusively, and then we started to branch out to other, related, genres of music. Some were a bit out there, but it was still a really fun time. Honestly, I think we got a little bit over-ambitious towards the end of my time there, since Jonathan had chosen some songs that required a fair amount of study on the part of the vocalists. I remember that we did a few Ukrainian pieces, which were mostly okay (it also helped that one of our members at the time was somewhat of an enthusiast), but some of the others that branched into different languages, like a few Polish songs or some others were really hard for the vocalists to get down.

Would you say that you were content with Russian Music Ensemble overall? Is there anything that you would change/improve?

My time in the Russian Music Ensemble was incredible. I had so much fun playing music that I liked with people that I liked, and I really do miss a lot of that now. I definitely had some complaints, but I’m not sure what’s been fixed in the time since I’ve graduated, and I don’t even know who’s leading it now or who’s a part of it. In my time as part of RME, we shifted the Ensemble so that you could get credit for it, but I think that may not have been the best decision. It was largely to incentivize members to stay and be able to use their time in the Ensemble to get something more out of it than entertainment, especially since we had higher expectations in that time. One of the largest downsides to that shift was that the power structure was unclear. We had a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and some other positions, but then we also had a professor who just told us what to do and who had access to the bank account, which was difficult to get adjusted to. I think it was largely because of that that we had some issues arise, like communication issues, people being unclear about expectations or the reasoning for some of the decisions that were made. Jonathan was also very ambitious and gave us a lot of songs, some of which were pretty difficult, and it was sometimes difficult to understand some of his expectations. He is an incredibly talented musician, but, at least at that time, lacked some of the experience in a leadership position to allow for things to move very smoothly. I hope that’s improved, and that some of those problems generally aren’t there anymore, but I’m out of the loop, so I’m not sure. In general, I thought having a system in place to allow for everyone to be able to give more input and have more autonomy would be best. Having everyone, or at least most people, being a part of the decision-making process would remove some of the issues with people getting upset or confused about any of the decisions made. Better participation, I think, would just create a system that is generally more fun for everyone, and that energy could very easily bleed into the music.

How many concerts were typically performed for each semester? Did you perform in any other places/events?

I can’t remember the specific number off the top of my head now, but I remember each semester had quite a few performances. At least 2 or 3 bigger performances per semester, and then a few more smaller ones. Some of the more classic ones were performed in Ewell, but we played in some churches/temples in Williamsburg, Kimbell theater, and some other venues in Williamsburg and on campus. At least that those few years I was there, Gabri and Jonathan were very good at getting us places to play at, which I was very thankful for.

Do you still play any instruments or have you continued playing any instruments elsewhere after graduating from William & Mary?

Like I said, music has been and still is a pretty important part of my life. The role that it’s played here is somewhat different, but I still keep up with it when I can. I’m no longer in any musical groups, but I still sing a lot of those songs from that time, I still play guitar, and have even expanded to the harmonica when I can. I never got the balalaika or the domra down, unfortunately. But I still play with my family or my friends when I get the chance, although we don’t play nearly as much Russian/Eastern-European music haha.

Interview with Bobby LaRose (Past RME member)

Can you tell us about how you got involved in Russian Music Ensemble and what

are some of your responsibilities/official positions?

In March 2015, Matt Noah Baker (the RA of the Russian House at the time) was contacted by a local ethnomusicologist named Jonathan Johnston about creating a group dedicated to performing Russian folk music on campus at W&M. Since Noah was going to be graduating in a couple months, and since he knew of my deep interest in Russian culture and experience as a musician, he asked me to take the lead on organizing the ensemble. With the invaluable help of fellow Russian House residents, RPSS students and faculty, and Music department faculty, I began recruiting members and working to establish the group as an official student organization on campus. I served as the first president of the Russian Music Ensemble, from its inception in the spring of 2015 until I graduated the following year. My main responsibilities were to organize and lead rehearsals, schedule performances, raise money to purchase new instruments, and serve as a liaison to both RPSS and Music faculty. During that time, I also advocated for the RME to become an official Music department ensemble that students could participate in for course credit.

What did you enjoy the most about Russian Music Ensemble? Who else was

involved?

My favorite thing about RME was the joy of bringing people together and forming friendships that might otherwise not have happened. Even though the group was brand new and experienced considerable difficulties in the first year, we were all eager to learn about Russian and eastern European music and to share it with the Williamsburg community. The ensemble brought together students from all classes and multiple majors, and we bonded through a shared love of music and the excitement of being a part of something new.

How were songs typically chosen for concerts in Russian Music Ensemble from your

experience? Were they mostly Eastern European songs?

In the beginning, most of our music was introduced to us by Jonathan Johnston, who possessed a considerable knowledge of folk music from eastern Europe. We played tunes and songs from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Macedonia, and other former members of the Soviet Union. We also played a few songs and dances from eastern European Jewish culture.

Would you say that you were content with Russian Music Ensemble overall? Is

there anything that you would change/improve?

Considering how much we were able to accomplish in that first year, I would say that I was mostly content with the RME by the time I graduated. There were certainly some things that I had worked very hard to change, but overall, I was proud of our group and glad that we had made a positive impact on many of our audiences. The fact that the ensemble is now an official course that students can take for credit (in both the Music and RPSS departments) brings me great joy, and it justifies all our hard work from the ensemble’s early days. I very much look forward to seeing RME grow and develop in the years to come!

How many concerts were typically performed for each semester? Did you perform

in any other places/events?

From fall 2015 to spring 2016, the RME performed approximately seven or eight times (I can’t remember exactly). Some of our more notable performances included the W&M Global Film Festival, the Williamsburg Regional Library concert, our first concert in Ewell Recital Hall, and a concert at the Ascension of Our Lord Byzantine Catholic Church just off Bypass Road in Williamsburg. For some of our performances, we invited members from the Washington Balalaika Society orchestra to join us, including W&M alumna and balalaika player Jan Bohm.

Do you still play any instruments or have you continued playing any instruments

elsewhere after graduating from William & Mary?

Music has been a focal point and my main passion for most of my life. I started playing piano when I was five and picked up a variety of stringed and percussion instruments in high school. When I participated in the RPSS department’s study abroad program in St. Petersburg in summer 2014, I purchased a 3-string domra in a local music shop not far from the university. This was the main instrument I played in RME. After graduating from W&M, I continued to play the domra with the Washington Balalaika Society orchestra, of which I am still a member. I also play mandolin, piano, and percussion with a few other groups around the Washington, DC area.