Xylopholks come to India!

I know I don't have a huge following here - but could any of you guys help spread the word??? -- Here's my email about what's happening:

Hi Everyone,

I'm writing you from Chennai, India - where I've been settling in for the last month.

I've come here on a Fulbright - where my objective was to study South Indian classical music. 

Part of my proposal was to not just look at tradition here, but to bring my own musicianship to the table as a performer and educator in New York.  Only since being here have I truly understood the need for this. 

As you probably know from many previous emails - I am bringing my group, the Xylopholks, to India in January.  We'll be documenting the tour with filmmaker Martha Shane.  I just booked the flights, so it's really happening - and I'm really in debt!!  I NEED YOUR HELP!

We're not trying to get rich here.  I think the band would agree, at this point, it might be awesome to break even. 

When I first sent out emails about this, I didn't know the magnitude of this tour.  Now I'm beginning to see the potential and importance.  Each organization I get involved with here on the educational and arts front is starving for music.  Not simply performance, but programs - education.  Children are getting a competitive education in math, science, and in many cases English.  Music is almost always an extra-curricular endeavor.  

My dream is that we might be able to establish educational programs in music.  I know so many American musicians who want the experience of traveling to India to learn music, such as myself.  Are they aware there are opportunities to come teach in schools, and learn simultaneously?  How great a contribution to be the one to bring music to the lives of so many here?  Not just a concert or a workshop, but a long term program.  By bringing the Xylopholks to India I have an angle to approach the extremely large task of moving programs into place.  

The amount of attention and importance placed on an ensemble coming from abroad to play for audiences in India is great.  I wish to use this attention to draw more attention to the need to contribute to education and awareness in music. 

I've put dates down to work with children in Eureka Schools around Tamil Nadu.  We're also planning to play for children as part of similar programs in Kolkata, Mumbai, and Delhi.  This is in addition to concert hall programs we'll do for audiences that will be baffled by our furry costumes.  I can't wait!!

I ask that you please consider a donation on our brand new KICKSTARTER webpage for raising funds.  If you're unable to do so at this time - I thank you - please consider forwarding this to your friends or posting the site to your facebook or twitter.  It would be a great help.  I know there are programs of varying degrees of importance - and so many great causes out there, however, I do believe from the bottom of my heart that this is going to be something great.  Bigger than just a concert tour.  Your support will go a long way to contributing to my life's work to make folks smile.    

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/470788703/xylopholks-india-outreach-tour-2010

Here's the link to site.  We're looking at raising $1,500.  If this goal is met, we'll get the funds.  If it is not, your donations don't get processed and it is as if nothing happened.  As I write this we're already at $80.00 from my day's posting on facebook and twitter.  I think, with your help, the $1,500 is possible.  That will be enough for us to break even on our flights to and from India.  The domestic travel in country and other expenses will rely on your generosity in hoping that we exceed our goal.  Some of you have donated in the past and are donating again - for this I can just say:  after a long day running all over Chennai, full exhausted, you make it all worth it.

Yours-

Jonathan Singer

Can anyone tell me my internet usage? I promise not to complain about anything else!

I think I'm finally getting into the swing of things here.  

I only have one complaint for that day - and I started out vomiting - but that's not a complaint, just something to get adjusted to.  Pizza Hut should be a thing experienced in the U.S. - I knew that.

I'll talk about mrudangam for a moment...as these things are supposed to be "mostly musical" and I'm not sure if I have written anything of music here to date.  

It's Navaratri - which for me means that my teacher has been playing concerts ever night for the last week.  The highlight has been Gayathri Venkatraghavan - a singer who gives herself to the music in a way that inspires the other artists performing with her.  The concert was a venue for the musicians to open their ears, react to one another, and push for everyone to do their best.  I look forward to the next time I see her sing. 

My teacher here is Erode Nagaraj.

http://ramsabode.wordpress.com/2006/10/07/erode-nagaraj/

I call him "Sir" or "Nagaraj Sir."  For me it's a sign of respect.  There's also a presence of hierarchy here that's unique to India.  Although I've taken to interpreting the norm here for something that works for me so that I might be genuine in my intentions.  

In the U.S. I call any guy I do not know "Sir."  Here I do the same by default.  This is usually followed up by: "Ah!  Why did I just give undue respect to that auto driver, he is not senior to me."  The big realization is that if I DO treat everyone I come in to contact with the respect I would give them in the U.S. - well, I'll be a lot happier here.

Nagaraj Sir is quite amazing.  His teaching of mrudangam is central to everything I do here.  

It's hard to find words to describe people who are this way.  I should be writing an article on Nagaraj Sir so that musicians who have interest should know that there is such a sincere person in Chennai!  I do feel blessed to be learning from him, and although sometimes I feel lost in all this, I can count on Sir to patiently bring me back to a comfortable and logical place for me to be.  This is probably at the core of my survival here.  I say that with some drama, but it's important for me to feel like I am doing something productive here.  It's important for anyone, anywhere, right?    

It seems to me that the guys at Reliance Netconnect do not share this sentiment.  It took me weeks to get internet.  Now it is taking weeks to be able to "check usage" - which is to say I don't have unlimited internet.  Fine.  I don't need unlimited internet - but these guys are infuriating.  "Let me call you back."  Even though it's a phrase that's rendered in English, it actually means "why are you bothering me calling me for customer support?"  That much translation is very clear to me.

Tonight Margot arrives from New York.  She'll stay for 5 months and will be looking to do some meaningful volunteer work in her chosen field of Social Work.  More on that soon - needless to say, having a partner here to share such experiences with...well - it's what makes this possible for me!  I am not here to lose myself in Carnatic music or Indian customs or any of it.  I need to maintain an identity and I know Margot's presence completes that task for me anywhere I am.

 

Paranoia and Blogging

I got a couple of notes bout my lack of blogging. The thing is, I'm slightly paranoid about what I write. Generally I've been going to internet "cafes" which usually don't have A/C and may or may not be running a fan. The internet speed might be fairly slow - and the man ("boy") working at the counter will ask me for all sorts of I.D. He'll take the I.D. and look at it for a while. I don't know if his brain is actually processing anything or if it's similar to looking into a void. I sit there waiting, then a few minutes goes by and he hands me back by card. At that point I'm mildly frustrated knowing I won't get used to this fairly useless formality. These guys know about internet-security being an issue, but they don't know anything beyond that.
I don't want to open up a blog and vent frustrations. Generally speaking - people have been as helpful as possible to me here. Hospitality has been amazing. It's just an adjustment about the idea of scheduling a life, having some sort of regularity.

Now there are fireworks going off. Explosions. A marching band is going by the internet cafe. The fireworks sound like gunshots and bombs. These guy don't seem to mind. I'm hearing out of tune trumpet being blasted, some drumming, bells. Internet-security: problem. Explosions in the street: something to smile about. They even turn up the Michael Jackson.

Great.

Musically speaking I can't comment too much about my learning here. It will happen - then it will probably take on a different meaning back in New York. New York doesn't support Indian arts as India does. That's why I'm in India - I suppose (reason #53098). Or least that's why I'm finding that in a 5 star hotel here, there is a flute, mrudangam, and flute - live music. In New York you can't find more than 2 mrudangam players - ghatam...anyone? I think 1- maybe.

That same 5 star hotel asked me to leave their lobby last night as I attempted to get free wireless. I paid way too much for a buffet dinner to somehow justify sitting in the lobby and using my laptop. They called me over to the desk: "sir, you should have used the internet in the restaurant itself, the lobby is for paying guests." -- OK. I leave.
A friend suggested going "5-star-hotel-hopping" for wireless. They only catch on after repeat offenses.

Hopefully soon I'll have internet at home.