#onecupofcoffee Asena AKAN

The second guest of #birfincankahve chats is Jazz Musician and Psychological Counselor Asena AKAN

We talked about coffee, music, psychology and life. Perceiving everything as a whole,

He has a side that is integrative. He sees science, art, philosophy, religion and the people he follows.

a soul with an open heart and mind to discover the values and the light within. And also to discover all of these and even

summarizes it as a part of nature.

Could coffee have a relationship with happiness?

There is definitely, I wake up every morning with coffee. I love that feeling. Sometimes news

I sip my coffee, reading, sometimes watching the scenery.

So what about music…

Music is a source of happiness for me. I always have music in my ears when I walk on the streets. Oxygen

I say, let me put on my tube and walk around. I don't understand the distance I walk, I can walk around the whole city

That way. The two sound very good together.

You are a psychological counselor and a musician, and it seems like you are focusing on music these days…

Studies on psychology also continue, based on the synthesis of the two disciplines.

There are also studies. I am writing an article on the Effect of Music on Child and Adolescent Development .

The effects of music on human life are many, both in developmental and therapeutic terms.

They are easy professions to work part-time, and they complement each other very well.

While there was psychology in your life, was there also music?

Music has actually existed from the very beginning, it is actually a process that begins with the rhythm of our hearts from the moment we are born.

process. I also continued by imitating sounds. At the age of 5, with conservatory education

I started music. It may be wrong to say that it was before psychology, because it is always inside us.

a process that happened. Music started earlier in terms of education. Later on, in the career process, the two

continued together. Part-time conservatory and education process. I also studied psychology with pleasure,

My education was mainly in child psychology. Then I worked in that field. While doing these,

The combination of music and psychology was also important for the experience. For example, the guidance of schools

While working in the services, I was also running school orchestras. Therefore, with guidance

I had the opportunity to follow a process I had started with music. In this way, the two sides fed each other.

It was a functional work.

Can we say that you brought a multidisciplinary approach to the education system long ago?

There is a concept of differentiated education that exists in the world and is developing in our country.

Howard Gardner's "Multiple Intelligences Theory" supports this approach. Gardner divides intelligence into single and dominant

Rather than seeing it as a single ability, it proposes a model consisting of various and specific dimensions, each

suggests that individuals have different mental potentials. For example, some have musical intelligence, some have

The other may have a stronger logical-mathematical intelligence. By basing education on this foundation, everyone

It is possible to reach more and take their existing potential further. This system is applied in a

I worked in an environment like this. There is no student loss at this point, it is always based on "win-win"

An approach. How can you take the child, the individual, further from where he is?

You focus on. For example, a student who has a problem with mathematics has a more auditory intelligence.

If it is later on, you can support its development by giving it stimulation and homework, and it will progress faster.

You can see. Every individual moves forward from where they are with appropriate goals and methods. I am all

I use this approach in my work. Especially in my work with disadvantaged groups.

It works very well. I can say, “I use music as a tool for education and therapy.”

How can we cross paths with Asena Akan?

As a professional musician, I have compositions, concerts and musical projects that I work on.

I am announcing these on my website and social media. My first album Traces of Istanbul 2013

It was released in 2000, now I'm working on the second album. I continue to get inspired by Istanbul.

I do. More universal themes and emotions are more prevalent, more different connotations

It's going somewhere that will create something. I don't know exactly what will come out, it's a surprise to me too.

Every work is happening. For 5 years, the motto of Creating Your Own Music with young people at IstanbulModern

We are doing it in a workshop that we adapted for Istanbul. Young people can participate in the workshop free of charge.

IstanbulEcho comes to the workshop, we talk about the city and make music together,

In the end, a composition emerges. It is also possible to participate in these workshops.

When you say "I don't know what's coming" regarding your album work, is it out of surrender?

are you talking about?

Of course, planning and setting goals are very important when you start a job. You need to start somewhere and go in a direction. However, during the process, you may encounter so many different things that it is important to be able to look at them all openly. These may create an opportunity that will take you to a point you never expected or thought about. I acquired this understanding over time, of course I was not born this way. I have had many experiences that may seem like failures in the worldly sense, but in the long run I realized that they actually served other things and I did not call them failures. This brought me closer to the concept of "surrender". I work hard to improve in this regard. I hope. I attach great importance to discipline. When it does not happen or when it gets stuck, I do not push too hard. I wait for the time to come or I continue in another direction. I try not to end up with disappointment. I continue on my way with new dreams...

And you are also a mother…

I use the word "thank you" a lot. One of the main things I say is "thank you" is; Sofia. She added a lot to my life.

I am someone who has a maternal approach to life; I have a personality based on embracing, love and compassion.

It is not that difficult for me to express these feelings, but what it has given me is much more.

It is very inspiring at first, and it also triggers your creativity. Being a role model for someone, being able to guide them; in fact

It also creates a situation that guides us in finding our own way. Mutual; egg

It's like a chicken relationship. It's a value that disciplines my life. My daughter is a part of my success.