Ted Monnich is Turku's saz player and driving force. He grew up in the Pittsburgh PA area with a yearly ritual of attending that city's wonderful international folk festival, which has helped preserve the traditions of the many cultures represented there. He played balalaika as a youngster. Then, on a trip to Istanbul, he became fascinated with the saz and traditional Turkish music. He brought a saz home and found teachers in this country. He then began gathering musicians and managing the new band; even researching and building Turku's sound system, tailored to Turku's unique flavor and unusual instrumentation. Ted can be heard featured most prominently on that most Turkish of Turkish songs, Fidayda ; which is best played on saz. He periodically travels to Turkey to gather music and instruments. He plays the baglama saz (the most commonly heard saz) and the divan, a larger version of the same instrument that gives a very deep, rich sound. He is also heard playing the davul on Gushe Cheman on the Nomads CD. When he is not working with Turku, he is restoring sculpture, monuments, and other decorative arts objects, or playing hockey.

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