On September 8 the First Public Television of Armenia has launched the Armenian version of the international musical project “Name that Tune”.
On September 8 the First Public Television of Armenia has launched the Armenian version of the international musical project “Name that Tune”. After several-month-long preparatory works we interviewed the host of the program Avet Barseghyan, listened to his impressions and learned new details about the musical project.
How did you make your mind to accept the suggestion of the First Public Television of Armenia to host the program?
There is a false belief among people that “Name that Tune” is a Russian program and we are copying it. In fact, the format of the program is international and it is shown in many countries. I like taking challenges and breaking stereotypes. Of course, we do not have the 20-year experience of the Russian version, but I am convinced that we are able to produce a quality show.
Participants of which field surprised you most with their musical knowledge?
We do not have certain statistics yet, but even experienced musicians sometimes make mistakes and do not guess the melody. Arsen Grigoryan, for example, could not recognize his song. Instead, his song was guessed by his competitor Nazeni Hovhannisyan. I was really amazed by Sona Rubenyanyan’s game; she played brilliantly using her knowledge and the ability to react quickly. Anush Arshakyan also performed very well. Hearing the melody, she started analyzing it thoroughly and presenting the whole story of the song.
What’s the driving force of the program? How does it differ from other projects?
“Name that Tune” is a familiar project. For decades, people have been watching the program on the Russian channel and for sure, they would love to watch the Armenian version as well. On the other hand, the program is very dynamic and easy to grasp. If other musical projects need deep analysis of the participant’s performances or answers, in our case it is on the contrary. During 25-30 minutes, the viewers listen to dozens of songs full of humor, quality music design and sometimes persistent struggle.
A band conducted by Yervand Yerznkyan also takes part in the program shootings. Does it help the participants or not?
The band adds flavor to the program and makes the half an hour of the program more colorful. And maestro Yervand Yerznkyan’s participation is very flamboyant, I can hardly imagine the shootings without him. He is, so-to-say, the fourth participant of the show and the second host. He helps both me and the participants. Maestro equally rejoices with the participants when they guess the melody and feels sad when they can’t recognize the obvious ones.
Will you define the formula of the successful media product? Which TV format does the society need today?
The most important prerequisite is frankness. In that respect, we have done our best for the viewers to feel as if they are the participants. The second prerequisite is speed and tempo. People aren’t used to sitting in front of the TVs for hours, especially in our age, when there are hundreds of TV channels. Everything should be natural, quick, dynamic, and direct. In my opinion, “Name that Tune” program will become the indispensable part of the TV channel and will be loved by the viewers.
