Mahshid Iraniparast

Mahshid Iraniparast
Mahshid Iraniparast - Artists 360 Student Grant Recipient 2019

Artist Statement

After one year of graduate school and focusing merely on research and coursework, I felt like something was missing in my life. I started to learn Santour, an Iranian musical instrument, when I was nine. Having been involved with music for more than ten years, it is like music is a part of my nature in terms that being far from it makes my life meaningless. Playing on various stages showed me how Santour can capture the attention of those who have never seen it before. These experiences also changed my viewpoint about art and music in general. Music is a universal language which has the potential to connect societies regardless of any segregation. Playing Santour with western instruments can be symbolic in terms that how combination of various cultures, language, and color can be meaningful. My mission is to break the segregations by a universal language which is tangible for everybody.