In this talk, Atilla Özdek explores folk music as an allegorical tool to reflect on the relationship between tradition and modernity. He invites us to reconsider how cultural narratives evolve through music. Born in 1973 in Ankara, he initially studied Astronomy at Ankara University but later pursued music. In 1997, he entered Selçuk University’s Music Education Department, graduating with honors in 2001. The same year, he ranked first nationwide in the teacher selection exam and became a music teacher. Shortly after, he became a Research Assistant and completed his master’s (2005) and Ph.D. (2012).An expert in Turkish Folk Music and Bağlama, he has published widely and trained award-winning musicians. He earned the title of Associate Professor in 2015 and Professor in 2021. He led major projects like the Mozaik Concert Series and was music director for the Yunus İçin Söyle project (2021) and 5th Islamic Solidarity Games (2022).Currently, he is Head of Fine Arts Education at Necmettin Erbakan University, mentoring students. He is married, has a daughter, and speaks English. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx