Although my mother’s family comes from a Kurdish-speaking city in Iran, I did not grow up in Kurdistan or have sustained lived experience among Kurdish-speaking communities, their rituals, and their cultural practices. My connection to Kurdish music developed indirectly. My first instrument, the daf, originates in Kurdish musical and religious traditions, where it has long accompanied ritual practices and devotional ceremonies. However, my early training focused mainly on the use of the daf in Iranian and Persian music ensembles rather than on the rhythms, techniques, and performance styles associated with its original Kurdish contexts.
In 2012, I once again fell in love with a Kurdish instrument. Unlike the daf, which entered my life almost unintentionally, the tanbur immediately attracted me through its sound, repertoire, and intimate style of performance. I began studying with Mohammadreza Izadi, who taught tanbur and setar at Delshodegan Music School between 2012 and 2016. Over fourteen months, I learned twelve instrumental tanbur maqams. Although I stopped playing regularly after beginning my MA in ethnomusicology, the tanbur remained the instrument with which I felt the strongest personal connection. It was an instrument I could play for hours—while lying down, early in the morning, or late at night—without the formality of rehearsal or performance.
After nearly ten years away from sustained practice, I returned to the tanbur intensively in late 2025. It has since become one of my principal instruments. My engagement with Kurdish music therefore continues to develop through performance, listening, and study, while remaining attentive to the distinction between personal musical connection and direct cultural experience within Kurdish communities.