Pt. Ravi Shankar
This great legend of world music needs no introduction. Panditji's recordings fascinated me at the early age of 12. At this age I began craving to play sitar, a desire which was not fulfilled until the age of 15 when I went to India. It is to Raviji's music that most influenced the direction of my musical life and to this day his music is an ocean of creative inspiration. Since Amiyaji passed on, (himself Ravi's disciple), Raviji has taught me generously and has taken me on a number of US concert dates with him.
Dr. Rajeev Taranath
Rajeev is one of the most rigorous and intense sarod players living today. The depth of his music is stunning in it's expressive quality and breadth. He has just won the prestigious Sangeet Natak Academy award from the government of India for his music. I have been fortunate to learn from him from 1995 to the present. Rajeev's playing and teaching have had a great impact on the quality and depth of my music. In addition Rajeevji is an eloquent intellectual, scholar and linguist who never ceases to amaze me with his depth of knowledge.
Amiya Dasgupta
Amiya was an incredible influence on my life, he was a wonderful sitarist, innovative composer and teacher who had an indelible impact on who I am. Being his student was a great inspiration not only musically but as also as a person from his generous soul and quiet, humble spirit. I was lucky enough to learn from Amiyaji for 7 years till his passing in 1994. We dedicated the Sangeet School to Amiyaji at it's opening in 1998.
Additional Teachers
John Bergamo
John's unique and incredible percussion playing and compositions have been a continued inspiration to me ever since I heard his group Bracha (with Miroslav Tadic and David Philipson) during my 1st years at Cal Arts. The generosity, humility and down to earth spirit of this great artist have been a light and a role model to me in life. We've played many concerts and recorded together in a wide variety of situations including Indian, Macedonian, Gamelan, free improv, and commercial and film music. John has also been an incredible supporter and teacher at the Sangeet School in Los Angeles. John is a featured artist on the upcoming Arohi record.
Poovalur Sriji (Srinivasan)
Sriji has taught me a lot in the area of South Indian music including both the rhythmic side, solkattu (reciting), theory and concepts of rhythm and tala (cycle), and also many of the ragas of Karnatic (South Indian classical music) in their basic forms. Sriji (also known by many as Srini) is a powerful performer on the mridangam, the traditional barrel drum. He is also an innovative composer and we have performed together now for over 5 years playing duets, with other artists and our own Thanjávur, Tumbafé and Arohi Ensembles. Sriji is a featured artist on the upcoming Arohi record.
Miroslav Tadic
Miroslav's music has been a great influence on me since I began studying with him in 1989 and listening to his acoustic trio Bracha (with John Bergamo and David Philipson).
An expressive and innovative guitarist, Miro taught me a lot of Macedonian music and the stylistic and rhythmic elements that pertain to that and other Balkan music. Miroslav is a featured artist on the upcoming Arohi record.
Leonice Shinneman
Leonice has taught me an enormous amount about the nature and use of rhythm, especially as applied practical theory for Indian music and improvisation. Besides being a wonderful tabla player and performer on South Indian percussion, he plays an incredible African/world drum set of his own design. Leonice is a featured artist on the upcoming Arohi record.
Ajit Singh
Ajit Singh, my first teacher in India was a wonderful and humourous giving soul. Ajit performs on the rare and ancient instrument called Vichitra Veena, which is a slide veena in the North Indian style. He taught me for 2 semesters of my junior year while I studied at the Woodstock School in beautiful Mussorie, Uttar Pradesh.
Hossein Alizadeh
For an intensive period of 6 months I studied Persian classical music on setar, vocal, theory, with master Hossein Alizadeh which was an incredible eye opening experience in to the world of Dasgah. The relationship was followed by a summer performance of Awaz Esfahan incorporating sitar, tar and tombak playing together.
