http://www.globaladjustments.com/?q=node/1228
sorry if it has been posted before. Special Feature *A MUSICAL VOYAGE* Photos *T Selvakumar* by *Ariel Howard* They are incredibly talented individuals, but what I find most exciting is the passion they inspire. They have changed the way that I experience music ** * MUSIC *has always been a part of my life, be it the jazz and zydeco of my native New Orleans or the bolel blues that permeated my first diplomatic assignment to Ethiopia. An ardent appreciator of many types of music, my own ability to create is limited to one year of middle school recording and guitar lessons and belting out (all the wrong) tunes in the shower. But when you live in India, you come to believe, and then to know, that anything is possible. So when I received a request to assist the musicians of A.R. Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory in preparing for their performance in the U.S. Consulate General’s tribute to Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, I seized the opportunity. When Rahman envisaged KM Music Conservatory, his aim was to “expand the horizons of musicians in India by creating an awareness of Western music and music technology, while continuing to respect and strengthen the art of Indian music.” To help make that vision a reality, he had assembled a gifted faculty, “engaged nationally and internationally in creative and scholarly endeavors.” Like me, these artists have travelled from their homes in the United States, Canada and Europe to embrace the masterpiece that is India. They are Rahman’s musical diplomats, building bridges between India and the West in ways that no one else can. On a warm Chennai evening at the Global Adjustments’ India Immersion Centre, this U.S. Vice Consul and amateur shower vocalist sat down over coffee and samosas for a tête-à-tête with KM’s Robert Koolstra, Alison Maggart, Kavita Baliga, Michael Lindsey, Joshua Pollock and Eilidh Martin. *AH*: Mark Twain wrote, “In religion, India is the only millionaire – the One land that all men desire to see…” As musicians, what attracted you to India? *EM: *India was always this exotic, foreign place in my mind. I came here just by chance. I hadn’t even heard of Rahman! It was a chain of events. I played in Holland with Robert, who was going to KM, and he told me they needed a cellist. *JP: *For me, I visited India in 2005 for the first time. It was the ideal atmosphere for me, but I never thought I would be able to stay as a Western musician. I thought that if I moved to India, I might miss out on other opportunities in the West. One fine day, while living in London, my friend and I were standing next to a world map, waiting for someone we were supposed to meet. The person never showed up. My friend was looking for a change, so we decided to close our eyes and choose a spot on the map. I pointed to Chennai. I went home, searched online for opportunities and found the press release for KM. *AH: *And the rest is history! Michael, you had also travelled to India before moving here with KM. How did your relationship with India begin? *ML: *I first came to India in 2006 to learn tabla. It was my first time leaving the country and I was a sophomore in college. After the ride home from the airport I knew that this place was for me. The sights, the sounds, even the smells, registered to me as something completely foreign, and I immediately fell in love. As a musician, and specifically a percussionist, India is a place of never ending challenges. The complex rhythmic cycles, as well as the numerous challenging percussion instruments I’ve been trying to learn, seemed like a musical buffet for me. I was thrilled when I got the job at KM and have realised that India is the place where I belong. *AH: *Drawing on your experience, what can Western musicians learn from Indian music and how can Indian music be strengthened by Western music traditions? *RK: *Western music has its basis in harmony whereas Indian music has its basis in rhythm. In the Western world, the keyboard has developed as a leading instrument. In India, we see instruments like tabla, etc. In Western music before 1900, a beat basically is in 2, 3 or 4 while Indian (baroque) music already uses advanced polyrhythms. So if we give some harmony and take some rhythm, and the Indians give some rhythm and take some harmony, interesting things might happen! *ML: *This is a tricky question. I don’t think that Indian music should be ‘strengthened’ by Western music traditions. The technique, theory and tradition of Indian music make it what it is and I feel that it should stay that way. * AH: *The KM Music Conservatory considers itself an instrument to “achieve ‘good’ social ends.” How have you sought to impact the local community either through KMMC or as individuals? *ML*: One fun thing about being a foreigner in India is that everybody knows who you are after a while and also know what you do. My neighborhood children play cricket on my street and always ask me to bowl a few balls when I walk by. Needless to say, I’m still pretty bad. It’s really quite comforting to be absorbed into the neighborhood like us faculty have. *JP: *We’re planting a seed that will develop. When it does develop, it will have broader effects—not just in Kodambakkam. The students are from all over India and can teach others around them. It doesn’t matter if they perform professionally. What is important is that they have an interest in music. AH: Why do you think music has been so successful in forging deeper connections between culturally diverse groups? *KB: *Music maps out basic human experience. Regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, everyone can relate. *AH: *What do you hope to convey to your students and what will you take away from this experience? *JP: *Music should have sincerity, heart—a human element. There should be feeling behind it, and that feeling will translate. *AM: *I want to give my students the tools to form a new understanding of fusion. I don’t want to take away from classical Indian music or convey that Western music is best. I ultimately want to give them a broader range to pick and choose from. *EM: *I think India teaches you to be less selfish and perfectionist. Little things are appreciated here. *ML: *For me, this experience has been one of the best of my life. I’ve become so wrapped up in this culture it’ll be really hard for me to ever leave. I’m learning Tamil, driving a motorbike around town, learning tabla and other Carnatic percussion instruments; my students sometimes joke with me about being a white Tamilian. This place really has changed me over the past eight months and I’m sure that I’ll continue to fall more in love with this country the longer I stay here. -- ----------------------------------- http://ramblingsoul.com http://2ic.in
