Bozeman musician plays offbeat instruments at MSU-B

Todd Green does a little bit of everything.

A little bit of oud.

A little bit of saz.

A little bit of yali tambur.

Green, a Bozeman musician, plays the above-mentioned weird musical instruments and a few dozen others. He gave a one man free concert Wednesday at the MSU-B Student Union Ballroom for the university’s Winterfest 2000.

And he really wailed on the sarangi.

"I came because I wanted to see him play all those instruments," said Nicole Lawler, a fresmhan in elementary education.

Surrounded by a menagerie of his odd instruments, Green played what he called "kind of a modern one-man band." He’d start out by explaining instruments that he was going to play, tell a little bit about where they originated and how they’re played.

The oud, for example (pronounced OOD) is the predecessor of the modern guitar. It looks kind of like a guitar, too. Like a guitar crossed with a pumpkin. Crusaders brought the instrument back to Europe where it evolved into the lute.

The oud is still one of the most popular instruments in the Middle East and North Africa.

After his brief rundown on the instruments, Green started out playing each one individually. The audience couldn’t see it, but he was also digitally recording himself with pedals on the floor. Then he’d play back the recording and move onto another instrument, which he also recorded. The result was several recordings playing simultaneously as Green jammed on different instruments.

He sounded like a whole group of people.

Green started playing the guitar at 10. He went on to study at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Green’s interest in the unusual blossomed, as he added more and increasingly obscure instruments to his musical quiver. A few years ago, Green went pro and moved to Bozeman.

"I heard the he was really good," said Kami Eastman, another freshman in elementary education who attended Wednesday’s show.

Green’s Billings foray was co-sponsored by the Montana Arts Council. He played at Friendship House and Growth Thru Art, as well as the university.

"It kind of makes you want to dance," said Amy Holmes, a freshman in general studies. "I’m surprised how he can play all those instruments."

Article by Jennifer McKee
Of the Gazette staff
Jennifer McKee can be reached at
(406)-657-1251 and jmckee@billingsgazette.com

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