About Me
My Life with Music…
In 1994, alongside my high school education, I began studying Western music. Under the guidance of Adnan Mesci, I learned to play the clarinet and saxophone. Over time, I performed on stage in various shows and programs, both as a soloist and with orchestras. The ney, which had held a deep passion in my heart for years, finally took a tangible place in my life when I moved to Kayseri.
My Journey with the Ney…
At the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Art Academy, I received Turkish music and ney training from my esteemed teacher, Ney Performer Mehmet Tiryaki. I used neys procured from various ney makers. However, the following words from Ney Performer İsmail Yavuzinspired me: " A good neyzen tunes his own ney. " Motivated by this thought, I took lessons from ney and mey maker Mr. Seyfi Günayin order to be able to tune my own neys.
Upon requests from the surrounding community, I began crafting ney instruments for those interested, independently of any brand. During this process, I had the opportunity to receive one-on-one training in Turkish Classical Music and rhythmic patterns through Bartın University’s Lecturer of Islamic Arts and Religious Music, Muhammed Türe, whom I met outside the university setting. Benefiting from his academic and neyzen identity, I submitted the instruments I crafted for his review, and with his valuable feedback, I eliminated flaws and began producing neys in perfect tuning. As the demand continued to grow, I applied to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office and registered the ŞahaNey brand to offer services under brand assurance.
Since June 2020, I have been professionally producing neys under my registered trademark. I have always taken great care to ensure that the neys I produce are of high quality and perfectly tuned.
In 2021, following an official evaluation by the Republic of Türkiye’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, I was awarded the title of Ney Craft Artist. This recognition formally certified my mastery in ney making and my contributions to the art.
This honorable title I have received continues to motivate me to advance my art further and to share the ney culture with a wider audience.
Still...
- I continue to receive training in Turkish Classical Music and ney performance from my esteemed teacher, Ney Performer Erkan Sezer, at the Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality Art Academy.
- I perform ney in the Turkish Classical Music choir of the Kayseri Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, which consists of volunteers.
- In order to offer high-quality neys to you, dear ney enthusiasts, I continue working in my small workshop located in my home in Kayseri/Türkiye.
