Final Days of ISP

There are 2 days remaining of ISP and only 4 left until my entire project is due. My paper is halfway completed. I've examined the presence of Orientalism in the following albums: Passages by Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, Atlantis Nath by Terry Riley, 10,000 Days by Tool, In Search of the Lost Chord by The Moody Blues, and a select number of George Harrison songs. My own recording project is coming along nicely. I'm going to finish with a three song EP which features me on guitar, sitar, tabla, vocals, and hand percussion. I'll post a link to download the EP for free when it's finished.

These last weeks in Delhi have been difficult. I'm finding myself more and more ready to return home as each day goes by. 19 days and counting until I'm back stateside.

India is funny

This is the button on the dashboard the calls Jesus to get you out of a traffic jam
This is the Bowser toilet paper I had in a hotel

Band pictures!

Apparently this guy was from a local Delhi TV station. Cool!

I joined an Indian classic rock cover band?

Yes. Really nutty. Really weird. I’m playing keyboard with a drummer, bassist, and two guitar players. Everyone is a thirty-something old guy with long hair save the one Indian emo kid. Then there’s me. Token white dude. We just had a show last night at “World of Wonders”. It’s an amusement park that got built halfway then opened for business. Even on a Saturday night it was a pretty sparse crowd. But we had a few moments where some people gathered to listen. With a set list comprised mostly of Dire Straights and CCR, (all delivered by our lead singer/bassist, oldish Japanese guy whose name I don’t know) we played for about two and a half hours. A few of my friends of the program came to the show which ended up making it worthwhile. Although, it was kind of depressing to play bland versions of Men at Work to disinterested looking audience members. Although, on the up-side, there was a man with a video camera moving about the stage and apparently he works for a local TV network. So, I may have unknowingly given my first televised performance. Weird thought.

Pictures and video to follow. For now, I have to get ready for a return trip to Rishikesh. Ganges River bathing and Beatles ashram take two. Action.

ISP

Independent Study Project. It’s here. It’s finally here. This is officially day 2 of ISP time. Every day from here on out is entirely mine. In these two days I have actually been far more productive than I imagined. I’ve begun some archival sonic research for fusion music by Philip Glass and Terry Riley that incorporates Indian influence. I’m studying Passages, a collaboration between Glass and Ravi Shankar, and Atlantis Nath an album by Terry Riley featuring some loops from India and various Indian musical themes. Both albums will be prove to be fruitful for my paper as well as inspiration for my own recording.

Aside from listening to these albums, I’ve begun the process of contacting several fusion, classical, and rock/pop musicians in Delhi for interviews. Hopefully by next week I’ll be able to meet with a few of them and see what I can learn.

On my on creative front, I’ve begun the recording of my fusion album. I have one track “completed”. Especially with this ambient music that has such thick texture, I’ll never really be “done” with a track. I’ll simply have to stop myself from fiddling with it and abandon it onto the album. But, I think I am starting to find the sound that I wanted and this, in itself, is encouraging. The recording equipment that I’ve rented, will sufficient, is unable to effectively capture guitar, sitar, and other instruments with light timbres. So, I’ll either have to find a condenser mic somewhere in New Delhi or, more likely, rent some studio space where I can use their equipment and finish off the album in a few studio dates. Although, I’ll sketch all the tracks out out with my meager equipment before venturing into a studio to re-record parts that I was unable to capture with justice to the instruments.

That’s all for now. More updates to come in the coming days.

Broken Record? Rishikesh Picture.

Longer update is on the way. As soon as my independent study period starts I'll have some more to write about. For now it's just the final grind until classes end. One paper to go between me and a month of bliss...

One More Rishikesh Picture

The Mother of All Updates

It’s been a while since I’ve written and there’s been a whole lot happening.

I’ll start by playing a little catchup. My weekend in Rishikesh was one of the best of my entire life. Two profoundly spiritual experiences happened within 24 hours of each other. The first: I skinny-dipped in the Ganga River. I’ve now taken one more step out of the endless cycle of Samsara. Nirvana, here I come. The second: I visited the Beatles ashram and sat in John Lennon’s meditation room. I’m not particularly religious but sitting in that room is the closest I’ve ever felt to a higher being. I visited the ashram a second time the next day with a few other people. During both visits I recorded songs in Lennon’s room. The first one was just a solo take of “I’m So Tired”, one of my favorite songs off the White Album and one that was likely written at the ashram, perhaps even devised in that very room. The next was a take of “In My Life” with friends joining in on vocals. Although not off the White Album, I felt it was one of the most appropriate ones for the moment as it is truly a place that I’ll remember all of my life.

Beatles experiences aside, Rishikesh was a wonderful town. I happened to be there on one of the busiest weekends of the decade. Hardiwar, a nearby town, hosts a day where millions upon millions of spiritual-seekers take a holy bath in the Ganga. That day was the Monday the 15^th. So, because Hardiwar cannot support the 50 million visitors on that weekend, many of them have to stay in Rishikesh. I saw thousands of Sadhus, people on spiritual journeys, walking about the town in their saffron robes and long beards. Perhaps my view of Rishikesh is a bit skewed as normally it is a much quieter location.

After waterfall hikes, spontaneous jam sessions with Australians (that for some reason became well-attended with about 20 passerbys), I left Rishikesh and headed back to Delhi for a night, only to wake up the next day to travel to Varanasi, also known as Benares, for a week of tabla lessons.

Varanasi itself as a city was, well, undesirable. It was dirty, smelly, and seemed to condense all of the unsavory aspects of Delhi. However, learning tabla day in and day out from a true master was wonderful. I had 4 hours of lessons everyday and practiced in the off time, allowing little time for actual exploration of the city. No matter. There wasn’t much beautiful to see. Although, I did get to see Sarnath, the location where the Buddah gave his first teachings to his five ascetic disciples. It was a very peaceful place and I really felt collected as I walked around the grounds which contain a large stupa and foundational remains of buildings. Funny enough, the location was discovered in 1918. 1918! How do you lose a stupa in the overgrowth of the Indian jungle? Still, a wonderful place.

Now, I am back in Delhi and have just over a week until my Independent Study Period begins. The ISP period is what I’ve been waiting for since I’ve come here. I’m given one month and 36,000 R (a bit more than the average middle-class workers monthly salary) to complete a research project of my choosing. For my project I’ll be comparing Hindustani classical and Western popular music using Edward Said’s “Orientalism” essay as a lens to examine cross-over of influence between these two styles. “Orientalizing” is essentially making an “other” of something or “exoticsizing” it like a circus side-show. So many Western artists have used Indian instruments in their own music but have not given respect to the music where the instruments came from. I’ll examine musicians who “did it right” and used Indian music or instruments without painting it with the shiny veneer of “a taste of the exotic East” and look at those who “did it wrong”. Then, of course, I’ll have to look at who has been using Western music as an influence in Indian classical and popular music.

Finally, after an academic analysis between these two styles, I’m going to try my hand at recording some of my own fusion music. Using Western freak-folk (Devendra Banhart as a primary influence) and ambient music (mainly drawing from Atlas Sound) and Hindustani classical music, I’m going to fuse these two styles into what will hopefully be a new, wonderfully weird sound-scape: “psychadelhi”.

I’ll be purchasing some recording equipment here as well as a plethora of instruments with the stipend money. And depending on how portable I am, I’m toying with the idea of recording the entire album from within the walls of the Beatles ashram in Rishikesh, although this is a pipe dream and may not pan out. But, your pipe dreams should be crazy. Cause dreams, if they’re any good, are always a little crazy.

I'm still alive...

...for those of you who were wondering. Yes, I'm still kicking over here. Haven't had a moment to really sit down and hash out everything thats been happening. Be sure, though, a large and newsy/sizey update is long overdue and is on the way. Hold steady

Pictures from Rishikesh

One of the best weekends of my life. Fuller updates to follow. Just some pictures for now.

Rush Hour in Rishikesh

Me on Holi

Tantric Temple Carvings

Tantric Temple. Musicians then Some Bestiality

Newsy News

We just got back from a week long excursion to Madyah Pradesh, a state in the center of India. First stop was visiting some Tantric temples. Much sexy time. It’s mostly a knee-jerk reaction from the Hindus to the Islam conservatism that was beginning to proliferate India at the time. They certainly don’t skimp on the naughtiness. Some of these temples have some pretty bawdy sculptures. Check out the video below.
After that, we ventured off to a tiger reserve to try our luck out on safari to see the beast in the wild. One jeep didn’t see any but I caught a glimpse of a baby tiger’s head poking out from behind a rock taking a little cat nap. Adorbs. My camera didn’t have a good enough zoom to capture the moment but trust me, it was oozing cuteness. After two days at the tiger reserve, we hopped on a sleeper train to head back to New Delhi. Indian overnight trains are really not the most relaxing environment but I managed to catch a few hours of sleep on the hard mattresses that attached to the walls with chains. Kinda felt like a mobile jail bed.
The rest of the week has been pretty packed. Hindi Midterm on Wednesday? Culture Midterm Thursday? Yup. Not to mention the final proposal for our Independent Study Project. Way to go SIT for organizing workload. Whatever. Doesn’t matter cause this weekend I’m going to Rishikesh to visit the Beatles ashram and soak up the vibes in Lennon’s meditation room. Then we get back on Monday and head out to Varanasi where I have four days of nothing but tablas lessons. Epic. More news to follow once I’m back next week!

Indie Rock (thanks for the pun Alex)

On Saturday night I got to sit in with an Indian rock band. A few friends and I were just grabbing some food on the top floor of a mall when we heard a band playing on the terrace outside. After sitting at a table with our food and listening to the band run through classic rock covers I approached the stage in between songs. I asked if I could play a song the keyboard player if I could play a song with them and he said, “Oh you wanna jam with us man? Yeah okay. What song?” We agreed on “Use Me” by Bill Withers and got down to business. I played keys and sang and the keyboard player switched to his AX-Synth keytar.
It was a sublime moment and defined everything that I love about music. The other members of the band spoke a little English, enough for me to communicate the chord changes (though there are only two ha ha). But as soon as we got into the groove of the song, there were no more words needed. There was complete understanding between the four of us. Nothing gets lost in translation when you’re playing soul music. I was totally losing it on stage with those guys. I hadn’t played live in weeks and it just felt so. Fucking. Good.
We ended the song and I shook hands with the guys and hustled off stage so they could get on with their set. I talked to the guys after they finished up to thank them again for letting some random white dude play with them. So many others in their shoes would’ve just told me to get lost. But, thus far, it stands as the most fun I’ve had jamming with Indian musicians. Video to be posted soon!

Approaching the Month Marker

I’m approaching the one-month mark in India though it seems like I’ve been here much longer. This country is alive with the beautiful kind of chaos that foolish explorer types like me really dig. It’s been the kind of place that doesn’t want to give anything up to me. In my time here, I’ve witnessed people who realize this same fact but refuse to do anything but try to combat it head on. To those people I have only one thing to say: knock it off. India doesn’t owe you a damn thing. It was here first.
The best way to go about gun-slinging with a country like this is to allow yourself to be swept along to wherever the dusty wind might take you.
My music study is going well here. I’ve had several sitar lessons and, in addition to study of classical and basic technique and theory, I’m beginning to understand how the sitar functions beyond just the rudimentary, but how its really meant to speak (sounds like I’m becoming a flower child, I know. I’m not. Promise… mostly). The bend, in particular, is the feature of the sitar’s voice that is intoxicating. Toe-curling glee, really.
In the next few weeks I’ll be heading to Varanasi to study tablas, a set of Indian drums. I’ve already paid for a professional set to be made for me at a really great price. Also, while in Varanasi, I’ll have the opportunity to bathe in the Ganges River. Now, aside from being the holiest river in Indian culture, the Ganges also boasts one of the dirtiest and most polluted bodies of water in the country. Students who bathed in it last semester on this same program contracted typhoid because of their expedition. What to do what to do… I did get a typhoid shot before I left the States but I hear that they are only about 60% effective. It’d be rolling the dice for a chance to partake in a sacred tradition. Obviously, I’m quite tempted and will likely decide in a moment while standing at the river’s banks. We’ll see what happens.
My homestay family continues to be a constant joy in my day. Uncle and Auntie are very kind, and our two host sisters, Ruchita and Ichita, are both sweet and have no problem sitting down with me for over an hour most nights to help me with Hindi homework. Also, having a rooftop terrace to myself and two roommates, well, there could be worse houses to be staying in.
Even in my first weeks here, I can already feel and notice the changes that India has brought me. I’m creatively energized in a way I haven’t ever been before and am excited at the prospect of traveling to Rishakesh to visit the Ashram that the Beatles went for their own spiritual retreat. No doubt some heavy vibes will be floating around.
Also, as part of an independent study project, I will be writing and recording a fusion album during my stay here. Details of it are still coming together so I won’t say more than it will be a combination of Western ambient/freak-folk and classical and folk Hindustani traditions.
That’s all for now. Below are a few of my favorite pictures from the first weeks. Until next time, I’ll be staying on my toes, right where India likes me.

Taj

words fail...

Shiva's Anniversary

Yesterday marked the anniversary between Lord Shiva and Parvarti, his wife. Temples around Delhi filled with worshippers to pay homage to the great god. A few friends and I visited one of the temples and the experience was chaotic and wonderful. Pushed through a sea of Hindus, we made offerings of fruit and marigolds to icons of Shiva. While inside the temple, a man tied red string around our wrists, a symbol of good fortune.
After being pushed and shoved by the crowd we finally made it outside and headed over to the Lotus Temple, a Ba’hai temple that was erected as a place of worship, prayer, and meditation for all religions. Beautifully constructed with large lawns and pools in the surrounding grounds, the Lotus Temple was a welcome change from the madness of the previous temple.

After visiting the temple, we all decided to head downtown to see a concert of Sufi folk music. At this point, the night began to take a quick downward spiral. It took us thirty minutes to flag down a rickshaw that would even go to where we needed to be. After finally being dropped off at the concert, the rickshaw driver asked for a price that was double what he deserved. So, I decided to just pay him what he deserved, crumpling up bills in my hand and giving them to him as I walked away. He followed us all into a temple and demanded more money. We just wanted him to go away so we gave him an extra 10 rupees (which he clearly was disappointed at) but he did eventually leave. Once we finally arrived at the concert venue, which was supposed to have free admission, we discovered that we apparently needed passes to get in (which were themselves free). Lacking a pass, we were able to get in by offering the gate guard 100 rupees a piece (a ridiculous price… comes to about $2.50… but for India it’s a stiff charge). The concert was, unfortunately, very forgettable. Disappointed at its conclusion, we found rickshaws to take us all back home which charged more exorbitant prices for the trip.
Sometime you get India, and sometimes India gets you. I’ll concede the night to India, but she should know that I, like Michael Scott, am not one to be truffled with.

Karma Kid

Turns out that there are some scheduling conflicts with the folk music excursion that was previously scheduled. So, that means that a new music based excursion was created in Varanasi, this time focusing on classical music of sitar, tables, and Indian flute. I’m going. Also, as a plus, I’ll get a chance to bathe in the Ganges River, a very holy and spiritual experience for Indians. Good thing I’ve kept my karma in order before coming to India. It’s coming back around.

Week One

Yesterday marked the end of my first week in India. The only three boys on the program, Darren, Austin, and I, have moved into our home stay where we will be living for the next eight weeks. Our “Uncle” and “Auntie” (as they are having us call them) are very kind and Uncle is quite the funnyman. Our Auntie is an amazing cook and has said she’s going to slowly add more spices into the food we eat over the semester so we can increase our tolerance for Indian spices food (we have such weak American stomachs apparently).
Yesterday, Darren and I went into the very center for Delhi. We visited the Rikhi Ram Music Shop, a very famous sitar dealer. After browsing through the store and trying out a few sitars I noticed some photographs on the wall. In 1966, the Beatles had visited this exact shop and purchased some sitars from these craftsmen. Pictures of Paul and George were on the wall with their arms around the owner and craftsmen. I am excited to purchase a sitar here in the coming weeks and know that the same hands that crafted an instrument for George will be the ones crafting one for me. Definite good vibes.





Now, today we are all meeting at the program center for lunch to share stories of what our home stays are like. After, the program directors will be taking us to a Bollywood film which, despite the fact I’ll be unable to understand the dialogue, will still be an interesting and funny excursion.

Hiccups and the Sublime

Today was our last day staying at the ashram (a spiritual center) and we are off to move in with our home stay families this afternoon. The only two other boys on the program and I are staying in the same house (something that is not usually done) and I’m excited at the prospect. I’ll post up pictures of our abode as soon as I’m able.
I hit a bit of a speed bump yesterday. The program offers several excursions to other cities with a focused subject of study. I was planning on going to on the “folk music, instrument and dance” study in Jailsamar. However, it was essentially a foot race to the bulletin board to sign up for the activities and I happened to not make it to the front in time in order to sign up. So, instead of folk music, I’m signed up for a study of miniature painting.
It is something difficult to think about that I traveled halfway around the world to study Indian music and then didn’t walk across a room fast enough in order to sign up for an opportunity to play music with other Indian musicians. I spoke to the program director about the possibility of increasing the maximum number of students from 6 to 7 for the folk music study. She was uninterested in helping me by making the effort to make an exception and then later, in front of the entire class, was rude and said something to the effect of “Ben is in a state of sorrow because he didn’t get organized fast enough to sign up so someone please take pity on him and switch places.” I stopped her and asked if, instead, I could make the announcement.
At any rate, it seems unlikely that anyone is going to want to switch out of the folk music study and I will be doing miniature painting. However, even more than the disappointment of not getting my first choice of activity, I was disheartened that the academic director was not only uninterested in making an effort for me, but was extremely rude to me in a public forum. The other students in the class have come to talk to me and agree that I did nothing wrong and was not “disorganized” as the director claimed. But, I’m not going to let this stop me. Despite her best efforts, the AD will not thwart my drive and desire to learn from and play with Indian musicians. Eat my shorts, Dr. Storm.
But, thankfully, with every cloud comes some silver lining. Yesterday I witnessed one of the most compelling and moving musical performances of my life. Two world class Indian musicians, playing tabla and sitar, gave a demonstration in our class today. Meeting for the first time that day (which we found out later) they played and improvised a raga. I will not be able to find the words to express the musical fusion I witnessed. It gave me a fever. And, I am elated that the sitar player will be my teacher for the semester. I will be learning at the hands of a true master. I really do feel blessed.
Orientation has ended and my “real” semester begins soon. Even with the rough patches of orientation, my excitement for the semester has not waned nor has my determination to learn from those gurus and masters that have much to teach me.

Shoppin' Spree

A bit of rare downtime in Delhi. Thus far orientation has been very fast paced and busy. The girls in the group have gone out shopping for Indian saris and other clothing. The boys are going out a bit later but elected to hang out a bit and play some ping pong before venturing out to get our own tailored formal wear.
We had our first exam in Hindi today which *ahem* could have gone slightly better. At least shows me I need to spend some more time really memorizing the script before I'll be able to read and write it effectively. However, the instructors are sympathetic to all of us for having a rough start and are confident we'll improve.
The next two days are just filled with anticipation of the homestay. We arrive on Sunday with our families which will begin the usual routine that I'll be getting used to. Quite ready to see my living situation. Still have yet to procure a sitar although I'm sure that once i have a "homebase" and fall into a routine I'll have more time to be able to skip out to the instrument sellers section of Delhi and pick up some new toys.

Very excited for what is to come.

Psychadelhi

I'm sitting in the program center and it's the beginning of the second full day in India. New Delhi is a sensory overload. The traffic is liquid chaos, the people are constantly on the move, and the heat and dust of the city permeates every shop and stall. I'm still getting acquainted with myself in this new, novel part of the world, but I'm pleased with the auspicious start I've had (feeding bananas to an elephant with a soundtrack provided by a live Indian wedding band). I can see why India has become a creative Mecca of sorts for artists of all mediums. I can feel already the grit and vibrance of this place beginning to affect my mind and spirit. More updates (and pictures!) to come within the next few days.

Mailing address

Hey everyone. If, for some reason, you wanted to know my mailing address while in India, here it is. I can't really receive packages (I actually can but it's a complicated/expensive/unreliable process) so the address is really only for letters/postcards. Hooray!

Ben Anshutz
SIT Study Abroad/ World Learning India
F 301 Lado Sarai 2nd Fl
New Delhi 110030
India

My Visa!

Woo! I can now legally enter India. 10 days until I depart....

Less than 2 weeks away...

Departing for India on Jan 30th. I'm back to trying to learn the hindi alphabet (finished with all the vowels and now halfway through the consonants). Just want to be there already...

Testing Testing 1 2 3. Is this thing on?

I'm in my room right now burning incense, studying the hindi alphabet, and listening to sitar music. Gettin' my India on in preparation. woo!