Daily Inspiration: Meet Sarpay Ozcagatay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarpay Ozcagatay.

Hi Emily, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
From the time I was 6-7 years old, my family and friends noticed that I had a talent for music. Despite the fact that no one in my family is a professional musician, everyone in my family has an interest in music. During my time in Turkey, my father and I enjoyed attending concerts of the Presidential Symphony Orchestra, international jazz festivals, and musical events.

As I approached the completion of primary school, my father asked me if I would like to attend a conservatory and focus on this profession professionally. “Yes” was my enthusiastic response. For me, music was not a profession (although it was a profession) but rather a way of life.

As soon as I made my decision, I began preparing for the conservatory entrance exam. As a result of the examination, I received the first place and was able to begin my music education at the conservatory.

It was my desire to play the flute.

Actually, I didn’t know much about instruments, but since I played the recorder in primary school, I felt close to the flute. My request came true and I was accepted to the flute department. I completed my secondary school, high school and university education in classical music.

My hard work, success, and the support of my teachers at school enabled me to complete the university in three years. In my second year of university education, I took the exams of the 3rd year extra and advanced to the 4th year.

In addition, I was extremely interested in jazz music, improvisation, and music in which improvisation played a significant role. Besides studying classical music, I was also interested in these types of music and played with local music groups on a regular basis.

Comparatively to classical music, improvising gave me a feeling of freedom and joy.

During my youth, I was able to watch videotapes of concerts featuring famous jazz musicians. (Chick Corea, Dave Weckl, Dave Valentine, Herbie Mann, Sam Most, Arturo Sandoval, Paquito Drivera, Michael Brecker and more)

Having performed at international jazz festivals in Ankara and Istanbul with the jazz fusion group I founded in 2008, I decided to devote myself to jazz music.

I decided in 2017 to take the exams at the Berklee College of Music in order to perform this music, in which I felt more free and happy, more professionally and internationally. As a result of this exam, I was accepted with a 70% scholarship and had the opportunity to work side by side with the artists whose videos I had watched in this school, which is everyone’s dream. For those living on the other side of the globe, it was a dream come true…

I came to the United States in 2009 and started pursuing my education, majoring in jazz performance. With the school awards I received, I was able to increase my education scholarship, which was 70%, to the level of a full scholarship by the end of the first semester, and I completed my education period in three years within six semesters.

During my third year at Berklee, I began working on my album, and I recorded it shortly after graduating. In 2013, I released my first album, “unexpectable,” with a launch concert in New York City.

There was a great deal of positive feedback regarding my album from international music magazines, newspapers, and critics, as well as inclusion in the jazz flute world.

For six years, I lived in New York City and performed with Grammy-winning and local musicians at famous jazz clubs (Blue Note, Smalls, Zinc, Smoke, and more).

In addition to teaching at schools, I was also teaching private lessons in-person and remotely in improvisation and flute.

During the summer of 2016, I published the “UNLOCK” series (5 volumes) of books on jazz flute and improvisation, which have now been sold in more than 80 countries across every continent. The first book in the UNLOCK series was selected by “Book Authority” as the best flute method book of 2019.

Bill Pierce, tenor saxophonist and member of the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers, offered me a position to teach flute and improvisation classes. During that time, he was department chair of the Woodwinds at Berklee College of Music in 2017, and since then, I have been continuing my teaching career at Berklee.

In the past months, I played on the album “Rhythm & Soul” by Grammy Award-winning trumpet player Arturo Sandoval. This album was nominated for the Grammy Award.

I am also one of the members of the Grammy-winning band “The 8big BigBand”, led by Charlie Rosen.

From 2014 until 2016, I served as a jazz committee chair at the National Flute Association. I also won 1st prize of their competition in “Jazz soloist” category in 2014. I hosted a few “Jazz Workshops” at their conventions.

I am an artist of one of the top-notch flute companies, Miyazawa Flutes. I am also an artist of Applied Microphone Technology and TonKooiman thumb rest company.

I have been pursuing my music career in Boston since 2018 and actively performing, teaching, and recording as my dream continues.

This is a brief overview of my musical career, but I have extended it a bit. Thank you to your readers for taking the time and reading my journey.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am sure most of the musicians & artists are going to agree with me. This path, being a musician, a creator, a performer, an artist, whatever you want to call it, has lots of struggle. Every musician experiences different ways of obstacles to achieve and carry themselves to the next step. It is an endless journey. I wish musicians and artists were taken much more seriously and they are rewarded, just like doctors, engineers and so on…

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I think every single musician wants to be unique and remembered in the history of music. I believe that this is something that can not be achieved, but only it can establish itself naturally by listeners. Once you stop chasing that, and focus on your own voice and follow your own path without mirroring some others (who are possibly more established) is the key to success. Basically, doing what you love and what makes you happy…

I am following this way since I was born naturally… for instance, I never read a user’s manual to learn something but just try to explore and find things by myself. Then look for insights to get better at it.

This way makes me more established and something I could get myself feeling proud.

How do you define success?
Success is something that comes naturally in my opinion. First of all, if you are working on anything just to succeed, it will frustrate you so badly if you can not achieve your goal.

I carry lots of love for my instrument, flute. Playing flute not only completes me as a whole, but it makes to achieve freedom while playing it. It is like an extension to me rather than an instrument.

Anything after that comes just naturally…

Success should not be your arrival point. It should be something that you walk through and experience it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.SharpEyeMusic.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/sarpay_ozcagatay
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarpayoz/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarpay/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/sarpays
• Youtube: www.YouTube.com/@jazzflutetv
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Sarpay-Ozcagatay/author/B072PQSWX9?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

Image Credits
Sarpay Ozcagatay or with the Turkish letters Sarpay Özçağatay Thank you!