Some alumni give back to school through the typical channels, saying yes to a phoned-in request for donations or contributing independently.
Payam Larijani, on the other hand, has figured out a different sort of postgraduation contribution for his alma mater ““ live, free music. This Tuesday, Larijani and friends will return for their seventh classical guitar performance in the Powell Library rotunda, doing their part to improve the moods of students anxiously cramming for tests and to surprise the usual denizens of the library with an unlikely performance.
While the library concerts have been a way for Larijani to contribute to UCLA after graduating, the germ of the idea came about when he was still a student in the music department. Studying classical guitar performance under Professor Peter Yates, the young guitarist stumbled upon the rotunda as a prospective venue while carrying out some of his teacher’s advice and searching campus for the desiderata of all classical guitarists ““ good acoustics.
“As a music student, you need to perform in a recital to get your degree. Peter Yates always said to play in five places before the recital to make sure we were prepared ““ Powell was the fourth place around campus that I performed, and I decided to do my recital there,” Larijani said.
The recital was about degree requirements and impressing professors, but subsequent performances at Powell have focused on reaching a larger audience rather than attaining personal performance goals. Due to the open, free nature of the space, Larijani said that he consciously programs shows that will appeal to the public at large.
“We try to pick things that everyone can enjoy, rather than just guitar specialists. It’s really just about sharing the music that we play,” Larijani said.
As a classical guitarist ““ especially one playing in a library ““ Larijani tends to rely on an established repertoire, including works by Vivaldi and Haydn. In the interest of increasing wide appeal, however, Larijani’s co-performers will contribute to some varied programming, incorporating jazz standards and bossa nova tunes into what otherwise could a have been purely classical performance. But even when the music remains classical, Larijani is conscious of ways to broaden its appeal, a goal he believes is aided by the accessibility of guitar.
“The Vivaldi and Haydn works were originally trios for basso continuo, harpsichord and flute ““ with the original instruments the sound can get a bit stuffy. But we transcribed the pieces for guitar, which makes them a lot more palatable ““ people can pick out licks, and some of it hints at rock,” Larijani said.
Many music students at UCLA ““ current and former ““ keep their music-making centralized around Schoenberg Hall, the location of lessons and most recitals. Larijani, however, considers not only how to program music with broad appeal but also how to appeal to a broad range of people.
“There’s a wide variety of people in Powell, so we get different exposure than we would in Schoenberg Hall. People tend to walk by and spontaneously discover something, or just read along to what we’re playing,” Larijani said.
And as for the library sticklers?
“Sometimes people think it’s annoying at first, but then they seem to realize it’s fitting,” Larijani said.
Returning to UCLA to share music is important, but in the end Larijani hopes to return to UCLA in a different context. Looking forward to a life of performing and teaching, Larijani’s goals are high.
“I’m finishing up my (doctorate in musical arts) at Claremont graduate school. I want to teach and work on my own projects, like performances and recordings. Teaching at somewhere like UCLA would be a dream come true,” Larijani said.