Workshop

The citizens of ancient Greece, mentioning the term music, meant that complex art, which included the melody, the movement, dance and the lyrics (poetry). Her role was important in every social event such as religious ceremonies, weddings, funerals, athletic competitions, dramatic games, gyms, as well as in the war and in most other daily activities.

But beyond the effect on body and spirit, the ancient Greeks thought it was very important to the soul. Plato and Aristotle, in their quest for a theoretical approach to the psychosomatic effect of music, highlighted the “power of music”. The educational and therapeutic value of music is indisputable. As an element of culture, it was not just a form of art and self-expression, but also a structural element in education, inextricably linked with virtue and philosophy.

So, based on the philosophy of Ancient Greeks on music, we began an effort to reconstruct some instruments used by our ancestors in their musical education. “Palmos” workshop is active since 2011, trying to reconstruct instruments that are exact replica of ancient Greek. The sources from which we draw information are mainly philosophical and historical texts as well as images on vases.

The constructions of our instruments are made in the way and materials that were probably used at that time. No modern intervention has been made to improve the sound or the appearance of the instruments. The materials are provided by nature, so it also defines their shape and size. What we use is tortoiseshells, goat horns, goatskin, cowhide straps and woods sprouting on Greek soil. At this point, we must clarify and emphasize that no animals were killed for the construction of the insteuments.

Respecting all living creatures and with absolute ecological consciousness following the principle of re-use, we use tortoiseshells which we find and collect them in wooded areas, which most of the times we find them broken into pieces. Then we reassemble them and restore their original appearance. In this way we also limit the excessive use of wood.