Teaching

I now spend almost every day of my life teaching - Classical repertoire, Choral, Musical Theatre, Academic skills, etc. Most of the time I forget why I do it and what it does for me. But every so often there's a moment of realization and poignant understanding of the effect and purpose of my actions. In my opinion there is a gentle balance in life. I generally strive to give back as much as I take. Yes, since I've been living in India, I have lived quite the extravagant lifestyle: 5-star dinners, tropical vacations, driving around the countryside on my moped and loving every minute of it. Sometimes I take these things for granted and more often than not, the poverty of Chennai and the modest lifestyles people lead here fill me with guilt and despair. But every now and then, I realize that I am giving back; that I do effect people on a daily basis, and that I am cultivating knowledge and talent through a universal language: Music.

There's nothing quite as fulfilling as introducing a new world to another person. The students at KMMC don't quite know what they're getting themselves into when they join KM. They have never heard Western Classical music, and their knowledge of western music in general is Shakira and Lady Gaga. And usually, in the beginning of their Foundation year, their eyes fill with doubt and cynicism when I begin to teach western technique and make them listen to lieder, chanson, and operatic arias. But at some point during the year, there is a moment of realization: the moment when their eyes begin to sparkle when they hear a new piece; the moment when they can make their own connection between Hindustani and Western technique; the moment when they decide to take their own initiative to learn something new based on what I've taught them. That moment is what every educator waits for. It is inspiring.

If you haven't seen it already, below is what I have been working on for the past three years. I am proud of my students for the work they have put in, and proud of myself for sticking it out and giving it my best. Enjoy!

Go to the KMMC youtube page for more!

Huduga Hudugi

It's nice to finally see the fruits of your labor. By fruits, I mean money, and by labor, I mean 15 minutes of singing: for a ridiculous amount of money. Well, not so ridiculous... but ridiculous for 15 minutes of work. In any case, in a former blog post, I think I mentioned that I had done a recording session last year for a Kannada film. Well the film is coming out in a month or so, and I just heard the song that I sing in. Again, it's like 10 seconds of operatic singing in the middle of an upbeat dance number. Random, but funny! I had a really fun time recording for Mr. Joshua and hope that there are many more where that came from!

From the upcoming Kannada film: Huduga Hudugi
I can't upload it onto Blogger until the film comes out. If you want to hear it, email me!

On a totally different note, I learned how to make parathas! (Good ones).

Mother India

I read the most wonderful article the other day about one woman's experience as an expat in India (thanks Arch!). It is one of the most accurate and touching blogs I've read thus far and I relate to it 150%. Check it out:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/mad-for-mumbai/story-e6frg8h6-1225934717682

Middlesex

It's been a few months since I've written. I think it's time to get back in the saddle. A lot of good things have been happening and I am happy and excited to once again be in Chennai.

The biggest news is that KMMC is finally officially affiliated with Middlesex University in London! I returned to Chennai at the end of June and immediately had to attend Middlesex meetings. Presentations were given by the Middlesex staff to try and create structure at KM. Everything that the foreign faculty at KM had been trying to do for the past two years (promote structure, organization, proper protocol, rules and regulations etc.) was summed up very succinctly by Middlesex in one week. It was delightful. One of the biggest aspects of building structure, is obviously building a hierarchy and system so that each person is held accountable for their actions. No one in the administration has ever been held accountable for their actions. Up until this point, whenever someone is questioned, they point at the other guy in response - "she did it, not me." I am thrilled that a system is finally in place - the question now is, who is going to monitor quality control? That brings me to my next little bit of news.

I have been promoted to an administrative position: Programme Leader. In the past month, I have been breaking my back writing writing writing rules and regulations, the student handbook, and protocol which basically puts me in charge of well, everything. It's a lot of work, but totally fulfilling. I like this position. I feel like I can manage people well. I feel like I have a good idea of what works and what doesn't. I think through problems thoroughly and from all angles before coming to a conclusion. But the position was appointed to me by Middlesex, and my sudden authority has left people feeling inadequate, annoyed and rather suspicious. My decisions are constantly questioned. But it is a challenge and I am enjoying it. (The photo is of Rahman's London assistant Anne-Marie and me in KM. She came with the Middlesex people and sat in on all the meetings.)

I spent a month slogging over the student handbook and as a reward to myself, I went and stayed at Fisherman's Cove for two nights with my friend Ayesha. Fisherman's Cove is a 5-star luxury Taj resort located halfway between Chennai and Mahabalipuram. Without traffic it only takes a half an hour to get there. I don't usually take 5-star vacations without the parents, but in this case, I felt like I was entitled (the new raise and all). It was amazing. The pool looked so inviting (especially the bar IN the pool, ha!), I decided to spend most of my time in it. Lounging around in your bathing suit in a city that doesn't allow you to wear shorts is a thrill that I can't even explain. I had a beautiful lobster dinner and even got a massage at the spa. It was wonderful. And the bathroom had a tub! I miss bathtubs...


On another happy note, my student last year, Mugdha Hasabnis is going to be on television on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa! She has been singing one of the pieces that I taught her to the judges and apparently they love it! They call her the "opera singer". Haha. It's an amazing feeling and I'm so proud of her. If you guys watch the show, cross your fingers!

My Crazy Life

You know, just when things are starting to settle down and life begins to have some semblance of normalcy, something comes at me that is totally unexpected and exhilarating. First semester finished with a bang... I had the Delhi gig, the Venice gig, I had gone to Paris for one of my good friend's weddings, I had brought my vocal students up to a level that I was happy with, and for the first time in my life, I had found the courage to stand up in front of hundreds of people and speak at the TEDx Chennai conference.

Second semester began and I picked up where I left off - I had to get 20 new students up to par while planning and executing a staged opera/musical theatre scenes concert (with very little money, very few resources, and no performance space) which consumed my life till February 27. In between all of that, my colleague George and I flew to Delhi to see the opera which we had trained a few of our students for (The Neemrana Foundation puts on fully staged professional level operas every season and this year a few of KM's best vocalists were invited to join them. George and I trained them for 3 months before they left to rehearse with the others. The opera, "Si j'etais roi" was performed by a melange of French professionals, Indian locals, and Sri Lankans.) Then, immediately after the scenes concerts, I left for Delhi where I experienced my first Holi Festival! That experience requires a completely separate entry, it was so crazy. [from the right: Andrew, me, and Ayesha, whose family we stayed with in Delhi]

After that however, life just came to a standstill. Getting completely soaked and having to run around in wet clothes and synthetic color during Holi was fun at the time, but gave me the worst flu I think I've ever had in my life. (Those of you who know me well, know that I always.... ALWAYS get sick either right before a concert or right after a concert. My body doesn't take mental stress well...) I was out for 2 weeks. And I mean OUT. I eventually picked myself up and returned to work to continue the semester and finish off the year with a bang. But nothing... out of the ordinary... or truly exciting had happened... for about a month. And I was starting to get antsy.

Which is when I realized: Achievement is a drug..... and for the first time, I realized it's MY drug of choice. All of this... my work, teaching, recording, training, conducting, the publicity, the recognition, the praise is so addictive, that when it's not there, I feel loss, I feel cravings, I feel like something is missing. It makes me not want to sit still. It makes me go nuts and I fall into a bizarre quasi-depression where I don't know what to do with myself anymore.

Just when I had given up and thought to myself "That's it.. life is over... back to reality" (I know I'm being a tad dramatic, but it's more fun that way), I got a call to do two recordings at AM studios that ended up being really fun and challenging.

The first one was for the music director Joshua Sridhar who asked me to sing some background operatic ooos and ahhhhs in one of the songs in his upcoming Kannada film "Thunta Thunti". It was one of those experiences that just leaves you feeling bewildered, but in a good way. I went in... he played me what he wanted me to sing... he wanted lyrics so I called Viviane and came up with French lyrics on the spot....I sang it... we finished within half an hour and I left with cash in hand. Bada bing bada boom.

The second recording was the next day, and it was for the directors Bala and S. David. I had met David during the planning of the Michael Jackson Tribute concert in September. I happened to run into him at a restaurant a couple weeks ago and he asked me if I'd be interested in singing a Tamil song. My response was.. "Uh... I don't sing Tamil, I don't sing Indian music.. but if you're willing to try me out, I want to try!" Turns out that the song was in Tamil, but they wanted me to sing it in a western operatic style anyway. I went in and had a blast trying to pronounce the Tamil. It was hilarious and challenging, but I managed to do it and I walked out of there, again, with cash in hand and feeling like I had truly accomplished something.
Me? Tamil????? Ha!

So long story short, life is back to normal and full of excitement. In addition to the recordings, I have just agreed to write an article for the magazine "The Brew" which is a new mag centered around cinema, music, art and fashion. The editor of the mag is Sameer Ram who I met a while back. He approached me and asked if I'd write a piece about classical music in India. He also wants to do an interview.

Yay!

Interview published in 'Espresso'

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while since my last post. Life has been crazy as usual here in Madras, but I also got the flu from hell and was out for about 2 weeks hugging my blanket and coughing up a lung. Anyhow, this is the second interview that was published about me after the TEDx event. ON A HIGH NOTE

Bel Canto - Kavita Baliga may not be a native of the city, but with her magical voice, she is currently a part of A.R. Rahman's musical conservatory.  A survivor by all means, the immensely talented opera singer opens up to Divya Nair on her journey over the years.

On her interest in opera singing

My Hindustani teacher suggested that I join my high school choir to get an idea of both styles of music; East and West.  I absolutely adored my choir teacher, and after starting private voice lessons, I eventually applied to university for vocal performance.  My inspiration when I was really young was probably Julie Andrews (which sounds totally cheesy) but The Sound of Music was my favourite film till I was in my teens.  Then when I saw Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyed Webber in San Francisco, I was totally hooked.

On battling cancer at an early age

The experience of going through cancer treatment was ironically the most inspiring and motivating factor in my life.  It made me realize the true incredible capacity of human beings.  Treatment really motivated me to live each day as if it were my last and it really encouraged me to LIVE.  I tried to do things that were outside the box - things that would have made me feel uncomfortable before treatment, like acting in UCI's production of The Vagina Monologues which ended up being an unforgettable experience.

The experience of working in Rahman's Music Conservatory

It's been the most fulfilling and exciting experience of my life.  My favourite experience working with AR thus far was on Shekhar Kapur's short film Passage.  I sung the aria from that film at the premiere in Venice, Italy, during the Venice Film Festival.  The whole experience was overwhelming and to be honest, completely terrifying.  I loved every minute of it!  Since I've been in Chennai, I've done a lot of background work for AR's film scores and if you ever hear an ethereal operatic voice in the background of any of his Hindi or Tamil songs, that's probably me.

On opera singing in Chennai

Although for the most part it's quite a foreign genre for people in India, the audience for western classical music is definitely developing as we speak.  Also, I was shocked at how quickly some of my students have picked up the operatic style of singing.  Students have such a fantastic ear to pick up new styles and genres.  Once people are more exposed to western classical music, fantastic things are going to happen not only in the western classical world, but also with the possibility of fusion music and collaborations.

Future Plans

I definitely believe in taking one day at a time.  I will stay in the same place as long as my criteria are being fulfilled which are:  

A. Am I benefiting others?  

B.  Am I learning from the experience and benefiting from it myself? 

C.  Is my career progressing?  

If the answer is yes to all of the above, I'll stay.  If at some point it starts to shift, I'll leave. Right now, it's a happy and firm YES.

TEDx CHENNAI

A couple of weeks after the TEDIndia conference in Mysore, a man named Kiruba called me and asked if I would like to speak at the TEDx Chennai event. I immediately refused. I'm not good at speaking, I thought. I've never done anything like that before, and more importantly, what would I speak about?? I had no idea. But Kiruba kept pressing, kept calling, and kept motivating me to speak. And finally, after a LOT of persuasion, I agreed. I agreed to speak for five minutes followed by a short performance.

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I’m not here to talk about social programs, or women’s rights, or anything I’ve invented. I’m not going to try and promote anything or sell anything. All I can offer you is a story about my journey.

Almost 5 years ago, I got “The Call.” I feel like everyone, at some point or another, gets a call that changes their life. For me, that call came at two o’clock in the afternoon on June 9, 2004. My doctor told me that the cells they had removed from my neck were indicative of Lymphoma. Now, you have to understand that I was a typical 21 year old college student – the world revolved around me, I was a self-proclaimed hippy; making my own clothes, cutting my own hair, eating organic food, (I’m from California, if you haven’t already guessed)… I had no idea what Lymphoma meant. I had never known anyone who had had cancer. He told me I would have to move home and go through treatment. My response was “Can I do it here? Because like, I’m enrolled in summer classes and like, I really want to hang out with my friends this summer.” He said… “You probably won’t be taking classes this summer.”

So I looked it up immediately. I didn’t know what to think or how to react. I just remember holding my breath for a really long time. I didn’t know how to tell my parents, and I couldn’t do it for a couple of weeks. I figured hey, the doctor’s could be WRONG, right? I only told my mother after the results came in from my second biopsy at which point it was confirmed that I had Stage 2A Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

The following six months of chemotherapy and radiation involved a whirlwind of infusions, injections, medications, steroids, transfusions and a lot of other fun stuff that probably doesn’t need mentioning. During the long hours that I spent in bed, on my back, staring at the ceiling, and with the aid of some really strong medication, I started to feel panic. This can’t be it, I would think. There’s so much that I want to do. There’s so much I haven’t done. I haven’t left my mark.

What began as an incredibly dire situation, actually ended up doing me a whole lot of good. All of a sudden I felt motivated to do things I had never done before. It’s amazing how we react when we realize we’re running out of time.
I started painting – and the paintings that I created during this time are my absolute favorite. I started experimenting with photography. I taught myself how to play the guitar. I started composing classical music as well as popular music. I remember at one point I ran up to my mother and said “Mom! I’m going to write a THESIS.” And she said “that’s nice, but about what?” And I said “I have no idea, but I’M GONNA WRITE ONE!” I was sick during the 2004 presidential elections and instead of reacting in a surface level, hippy-esque, peace rally type of way, I actually tried to understand the ideas, the concepts, the motivations behind the candidates. I learned how to cook well and make food look beautiful.

I returned to university in 2005 to finish my music degree. Because the radiation treatment I had was directly on my neck and lungs, I really had no idea whether I would be able to sing again. The doctors didn’t know either. But I had to try.

In 2005 I auditioned and was admitted to L’academie de Musique Tibor Varga for a summer program commemorating the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth. The same year I joined the Intimate Opera Company in Los Angeles and was a chorus member in the comic opera Trial By Jury. In 2006 I mixed and produced my first cd which is now available on iTunes and Rhapsody online. The same year I was admitted to The Boston Conservatory to earn my graduate degree in Vocal Performance. In 2007 I co-founded a non-profit organization called Uplifted: Art Perpetuating Hope. We put on our first event that year which involved art galleries, dramatic monologues, photography galleries, and classical as well as popular music – the prerequisite being that all of the art involved had to represent or promote an aspect of social change or hope for a better future. In 2008 I met a man named “Guitar Prasanna” – those of you who are into Carnatic music probably know of him. He’s this crazy eclectic man who plays Carnatic music and jazz on electric guitar. He had worked with A.R. Rahman on the score for the film Lagaan a few years prior. After doing a concert with Prasanna, he recommended me for a position at AR’s music conservatory here in Chennai. I am currently a vocal teacher, choir conductor and recording artist at KM Conservatory in Kodambakkam, Chennai. Since being here I’ve had the opportunity of working with AR on multiple projects, including singing an aria for Shekhar Kapur’s short film Passage. I sang the aria at the premiere of the film at the Venice Film Festival in September.
In 2009, I also became, a TEDFellow.

So why am I telling you all this? I’m telling you this because going through cancer treatment was ironically the most inspiring, and motivating factor in my life. It made me realize the true incredible capacity of human beings. We as people are capable of doing amazing things. We are capable of changing ourselves in the course of 6 months – and because of that, I know that we are capable of changing others, and ultimately, changing the world. Going to TED in Mysore was proof of the staggering talent and strength of the people we share the world with. The more I live, the more beauty I see in people, the more good I see in people, and the more I realize that all we want is to be happy – and a big part of happiness is fulfillment. So I urge you in whichever field you’re in, to use it in a way that affects people.

Because the kind of fulfillment you get from affecting others, is limitless.

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And then, I sang. It was probably one of the WORST (and I mean WORST) performances of my life. Why? Well as you know, I'm not good at public speaking, so what I did would probably count more as public "reading." But because the topic at hand was so private, and so emotional, I felt a vulnerability so intense that I completely broke down during my speech. Not only was I a nervous wreck about speaking, but the topic itself made me quiver. Immediately after opening the flood gates, I had to sing, what is now becoming my signature aria, the "Laughing Aria" from the opera Die Fledermaus. I had asked for a piano for Andrew (my colleague and friend) to play, but the organizers could only come up with an electric keyboard - not even a full sized electric keyboard. To top it off, before I went up to speak, both Andrew and I had to go in for hair and makeup and they randomly gave him a mohawk. Yes. A mohawk. Why? No idea. But there was no time to complain.

Then to REALLY top it off... get ready for this... the electric keyboard's "piano" function wasn't working, so I sang the laughing aria to... drum roll please... weird carnival bell sounds. The whole performance was so ridiculous that I ended up having a whole lot of fun while simultaneously praying that no one would ever see that footage. So far, so good.

The response was very positive and I have Kiruba to thank for forcing me to step out of my comfort zone and take on a new challenge.

Interviews

After the TEDIndia Fellows were announced, and it came out that I work for A.R. Rahman, and especially after I gave my TEDx Chennai speech, I was approached by quite a few people asking if they could do interviews.  The following is the first interview that appeared in the "What's HOT" section of the Chennai Times on Jan. 8 2010.

SINGING A DIFFERENT TUNE

What's Hot talks to western classical singer Kavita Baliga, who is currently a faculty at AR Rahman’s music conservatory.

M SUGANTH
Times News Network

How did you come to be involved with KM Music Conservatory?
I speak Konkani. Every couple of years, the Konkani Association of California organise cultural conventions where Konkanis from all over North America come together and participate in discussions, seminars and programmes designed to promote Konkani/Indian culture for second generation Konkanis. During one such convention, they had invited “Guitar” Prasanna to perform. Since he lives in Boston and I was in Boston at the time, we came together to collaborate and perform for this event. Prasanna had worked on the film Lagaan with AR Rahman a couple of years earlier. After the convention, Prasanna went to Chennai where AR had mentioned to him that they were looking for a western voice teacher for his conservatory. Prasanna recommended me for the position and a week and a half later, I was in India!

Was teaching always a passion and what does teaching music mean to you?
At first, I thought teaching would be an interim activity and that my real focus would be on performing. Now that I’m teaching full-time, I’m realising how much I love it and how incredibly fulfilling it is to give a part of yourself to others and see them take it and flourish with it. I learned very quickly that teaching music is not like teaching math or science. It is much more abstract and requires a lot of self-awareness, a good voice, and a good ear. I love the fact that we are bringing something to India that hasn’t really existed here before. That, in itself, is daily motivation for me.

How would you rate the awareness level of Indian youngsters with respect to western classical music?
Oh, there’s absolutely zero awareness. Almost 99 per cent of my students had no prior exposure to western classical music; not only that, most of them had never even heard of the genres involved within that title. For example, if I mentioned the words ‘Opera’ or ‘Lieder’, I would be met with a blank. The only western music these students had heard before is what we call American bubblegum pop.

How did you become a part of 'Passage'? Could you share your experiences working with Shekhar Kapur?
I worked directly with AR on the aria for Passage. I met Shekhar much later, at one of the rehearsals for my performance at the premiere of the film in Venice.  I don’t know him well, but what I saw of him, I absolutely loved. He seemed totally and utterly incapable of small talk and was constantly speaking in the abstract. I’m uncomfortable and awkward with small talk myself; so, it was a welcome surprise. It’s so refreshing to have real conversations with people.

How is it working with AR Rahman and what do you think is so unique about him as a composer?
His style of working is not nearly as rigid as most western composers. First of all, he doesn’t put anything down on paper. Most of the time, he plays me something or sings me something and asks me to repeat it, or says something like ‘Can it be more flowy?’, and just directs me as we go along. When I worked with him on the aria, I found myself suggesting things and then thinking to myself, ‘Wait, should I be doing that? Am I way out of line right now?’ But he never makes you feel like that. He truly makes you feel as if you’re both collaborating on the project, not as if you’re working for him. And that was the case before as well as after he won the Oscar. I think that is truly unique for someone in his position.

You are involved in other creative arts as well. How do you manage to be a multi-tasker?
I absolutely love working like hell. I love being busy and seeing the fruits of my labor. The arts are like a form of meditation for me. They keep me sane. I feel calm as I go into a zone when I’m singing, taking pictures, painting, or even cooking for that matter. I love that when I’m doing these things my mind can just go blank.

  

My Biggest Complaint

Chennai:  I love this place.  When I say this the most common reaction I get is a look of sheer bewilderment.  People are usually absolutely baffled.  And the response is usually something like, "it's too bad you're not in Bombay or Bangalore" or "They must be taking really good care of you over there."  Well the first response in my opinion is based on false preconceived notions of what Chennai ISN'T. And the second is just plain false - but that's another blog altogether so I'll let that go for now.  

Chennai is actually everything I want in a big city:  a small town feel in a big bustling city of 7 million (documented).  It is the hub of music in south India and a center for the arts and dance.  The people are for the most part friendly and won't hesitate to assist you if necessary.  Most of the food I consume here is naturally organic which leaves me feeling refreshed, energetic and light whereas in the states i constantly feel bloated and heavy.  It has a huge underground bar and club scene that, because no one acknowledges that it exists, can stay open till all hours of the night.  I am doing something that I love, working for a man I admire, and bringing a different kind of art to India that has never really existed here before.  But the most attractive part for me - life is affordable.  I just moved into my own flat where for the first time in my life, I own every single piece of furniture that is in it.  When I get sick, I can go to the doctor and not worry about insurance cards or copays - I recently saw a doctor, got a chest x-ray, and even got my prescription medication for under 200 rupees. 200 rupees!

My biggest complaint though, which effects me constantly, is how conservative people are in regards to alcohol.  This might seem like a frivolous complaint because of all the things, who cares about booze?  But the way people think about drinking here is ultra ultra conservative - and there isn't room for the slightest bit of compromise.  Here if you drink - you ARE a drunk.  Period.  And these beliefs come with a hell of a lot of baggage containing racial discrimination and gender bias.  

Let me start at the beginning.  If you've been reading my blog you know that my house recently caught on fire due to a firecracker that was lit by a kid from a neighboring slum.  Since then a lot has happened: 1. We've been fighting like hell with the owner of the house because he says we're financially responsible which we're absolutely not 2.  Within a week or so I had to find a new flat and move.  I found a nice two bedroom in the Choolemedu part of Chennai.  The owner seemed chill, the flat was nice and Claire, Viviane, some of my students and I had fun painting the place and shifting everything over. All was well until I had my housewarming party with my co-workers.   There were about eight of us total - nothing special, just a small get together with pizza, beer, and good conversation.  At  11pm there was a knock at the door - it was the landlord's daughter.  Standing behind her was a tall man I had never seen before.  They both looked pissed. 

She started screaming, "WHAT IS THIS?  WHO THREW THAT BOTTLE?"  

Stunned, I said "Excuse me?  What are you talking about?" 

Uma: "SOMEONE THREW A BEER BOTTLE FROM THE BALCONY ON THE STREET!  THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IS NOT OK"  

Me: "What?  That's impossible.  It CLEARLYwasn't us..." at which point I turned around for confirmation. My  co-workers were sitting on the couch - wide-eyed with a deer in the headlights expression; a table full of empty beer bottles in front of them.  (Ayayooo).

Uma;  "I SEE THIS SCENE AND NOW I KNOW WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE!"

I went and looked out the balcony to see if I could see the bottle.  No bottle, no glass anywhere.

Me: "I don't see a bottle on the street.  What are you talking about??  There would be glass everywhere if  someone had done that."

Uma: " SOMEONE ALREADY CLEANED IT UP!  THIS IS NOT OK.  THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR!"

Me: "You're saying, that someone threw a bottle and then immediately it was cleaned up?  I don't understand. That obviously didn't happen."

Uma:  "WE WILL NOT TOLERATE THIS! NOW THAT I SEE ALL OF THIS I KNOW WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU ARE!  I BROUGHT MY BROTHER FOR  PROTECTION."  

Me: "What??!!  What are you TALKING about???!"

Frustrated, and realizing I wasn't buying her story, she  turned and stormed downstairs.

The brother just shrugged and gave me a look that said "It's okay. don't worry."

I came back inside, stared at the others and said "That was the most bizarre verbal interaction I think I've ever had!"  Forget about the cultural differences and the possible social stigmas that surround alcohol consumption - but why lie and make up a random story?  What good would that have done and what response was she looking for?  Obviously my response didn't suffice.  

The next morning, when my students came over to help me with some of my furniture, the owner said to them, "Tell Kavita not to bring those people over.  White people have a different culture than us.  We know Kavita is good and she doesn't drink. But they do.  We don't feel comfortable with them coming here.  They might have guns."

GUNS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  I don't even know how to begin arguing with that.  I went and talked to him and said "1. It's my house.  I can do what I want in it and if it doesn't effect anyone else, I'm not doing anything wrong.  2.  There is nothing in the contract that addresses visitors, so therefore legally I'm not at fault. 3. We're all co-workers and we all work for Rahman.  So regardless of race or gender, no one will be..... carrying..... guns." 

On every bottle of alcohol in Tamilnadu, whether it be beer or hard liquor, the label reads in capital letters: LIQUOR RUINS COUNTRY, FAMILY, AND LIFE.  While consumption of alcohol is forbidden under Islamic law (Muslims here generally won't even wear perfumes that contain alcohol), it is not forbidden for Hindus or Christians.  I tend to see more drinking culture among the Christian population, but it seems that there is tremendous social stigma surrounding alcohol for Hindus, even though scripture and religion don't formally forbid it. When I actually try to analyze the culture of drinking, I don't quite understand where the stigma comes from.  Perhaps it is a consequence of colonization; maybe it is seen as immoral because it was a habit of the British.  But in a country that is surprisingly loose about substances, (Bhang Lassi, Tobacco Pan, Opiates etc.), what is it about alcohol consumption that produces so much judgment? 

The street "bars" seem to aptly reflect the general attitude about the act of drinking.  These places are usually slightly hidden from main roads and dark - one solitary  bulb hangs from the ceiling illuminating dirty plastic tables and chairs.  The ground is more often than not covered with empty bottles and urine.  Men will crowd this space till the wee hours of the morning, drinking beers such as "Kingfisher Super Strong" and other brands that promise a higher alcohol content than regular lagers. Next to the sitting area will be the liquor purchasing area.  The vendors will stand behind iron bars and pass through bottles one at a time.  It is an unsaid rule that women aren't allowed at these places.  Upscale bars and clubs however, are usually in international 5 star hotels, therefore are ridiculously expensive.  So I can either pay 65 rupees at the wine shop for a Kingfisher, or 250 rupees at the Park Hotel.  

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When I think of some of the most significant experiences I've had in my life, not to mention the most peaceful/meaningful experiences, most of them involved drink... spending time at home outside on the deck with my parents over a glass of Robert Mondavi at sunset, sitting in the bustling Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy with my roommates over pizza and Chianti, Dirty Martinis and Mojitos with Hassan, Arnold, Alicia, and Michael at The Abbey in West Hollywood, Mimosas with Maya and Michael at brunch, a cold Sam Adams after vocal concerts in Boston with Susannah, Allison, Carolyn and Katherine, and spending time getting to know my fellow Konks over Sake Bombs in the bay....

I wouldn't trade in those experiences for anything!

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Website Update

Hello Everyone!

Just letting you know that I updated my website recently.... Check it out!

Check the Photos page for new pictures from a photo shoot I did with Claire Ronsin in the slums of Jafferkhanpet. I had so much fun doing it and she is an amazing photographer... considering it was a 100 degrees outside and I was sweating like a pig.

If you go to the Music page there's a recording of me singing "Mein Herr Marquis" from the opera Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss. I sang the aria for KM Day in August here in Chennai.

And I finally gave myself a real domain name:
www.kavitabaliga.com

ENJOY!
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I'm currently at the TED INDIA conference in Mysore. Will blog soon!

SO MANY THINGS!

I wish I had the time right now to write write write about everything that's happening, but ALAS! No time. Long story short:

1. School started mid-July and we immediately began preparing for KM Day - a concert that would showcase the hard work of last year's foundation students. The concert included choral pieces, western classical pieces, musical theater scenes, and a performance by faculty. I also helped put the event together, so I was super busy for weeks trying to get this thing running smoothly.

Highlights: The musical theater went well. The choir sang well. And one of my students screwed up so badly on his classical piece that I started hyperventilating and had to be taken outside where I cried hysterically for 5 minutes - and then had to go back inside and sing the laughing aria from the opera Die Fledermaus. Oh the irony.

2. Because KM Day went so well, Mr. Rahman decided to include us in his upcoming concert in Delhi on Aug 11 - "A.R. Rahman: Unplugged". We were ecstatic. We flew to Delhi (30 of us) and had a short but sweet holiday. We shared the stage with Kailash Kher and his band, Sivamani, Hariharan, and Sadhana Sargam in a concert commemorating the 50th anniversary of Doordarshan. It was glorious.




In other news: I will be participating in and performing in not one, but TWO Michael Jackson tribute concerts here in Chennai - and both of them are huge. One of them will be in a stadium which holds like 20,000 people. This should be interesting considering I've never sung for an audience larger than say, 2000, at the KAOCA conventions. And the second one will be smaller, but still important. I can't wait.

More news to come! Stay tuned...

Leaving on a Jet Plane!

And once again, I am heading off to the motherland for many many more crazy adventures! I leave today at 5 pm and am stopping in London for five days. What am I doing there? I have yet to find out. We'll see. Then I leave for Chennai on the 10th.

Cross your fingers.

Passage

Trailer for the short film 'Passage' by Shekhar Kapur
Music by A.R. Rahman
Starring: Julia Stiles, Haley Bennett, Lily Cole

I sing the aria at the end of this film - you can hear the background track on the trailer (not the tango piece) but the one after.
I've already seen the film and it's beautiful, complex, mysterious, tender, and exciting in more ways than one. The short will be an installation at the Swarovsky Kristallwelten museum in Wattens, Austria.
I am so happy and honored to be a part of it!

The trailer:

Passage trailer
by blankytwo

Not sure when the release date is, but when it releases, I will post the aria on my blog and website.

Photo Shoot/Recording/Home

A few weeks ago, the faculty of KM was approached by an organization called Global Adjustments that helps expatriates in India assimilate to the local culture. Founded by Ranjini Manian, the organization helps expats integrate by helping them with basic language skills, offering a range of different classes including cooking and yoga, and helping expats find housing in cities such as Chennai and Bombay. After the Martin Luther King tribute concert in February, Global Adjustments contacted Ariel Howard, a consul for the American Consulate in Chennai, and asked if we might be interested in being their feature story for the month of April. We agreed.

Eilidh, Michael, Josh, Alison and I went to their corporate office in the RA Puram area of Chennai for the interview. Ariel got to conduct the interview and her questions were concise and delightfully thought-provoking. (At this point, we were dreading interviews because for the whole month of February and the beginning of March we were only asked questions like "how do you feel about Rahman's Oscar win?" Well, duh. How do you think we feel? Disappointed?) We came back to the office a couple weeks later for the photo shoot. The article was featured in the ex-pat magazine, At a Glance.
It ended up being quite a fun experience.
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In other news, I had a brief but exciting project to finish for Rahman that was challenging and incredibly fulfilling. He was working on a leitmotiv for a specific character in a Telagu film called 'Puli'. A leitmotiv is just a recurring theme that is associated with one character, or idea. The theme was going to play every time the Hero made an entrance. He wanted it to be dark, intense and include the KM Chamber choir which I conduct. This experience was incredibly challenging because I had to go into the studio and try and figure out what kind of sound he was looking for, take the sound clip, dictate the notes and transcribe it onto manuscript paper and THEN teach the choir the piece, and record it. We had to do this in two days. I have never been good at taking dictation. I don't have perfect pitch and when there are multiple harmonies going on, it can be quite difficult. Alison helped tremendously with the choral part - we worked on it together for a few hours and then she stayed up all night transcribing the harmonies. Then the next morning I transcribed a two part melody and added English and Latin text. The students were ecstatic. I feel like they finally started to understand why I harp at them for the smallest details. Especially when you're recording, the microphone picks up EVERYTHING, and what it picks up, is not necessarily accurate. Some exquisite live singers sound horrible on recordings and most of the time, people who sound great on recordings, suck live. In any case, we all had a good time, the students were thrilled, and Rahman said it was a job well done. Nice.

When Alison and I were in the studio trying to figure everything out, Rahman came in and asked us to step out for a second. He said "I want you to meet someone." Outside was an older, very dignified woman, sitting on a bench wearing a white and red cotton sari. She looked proud and distinguished. Of course, I had no idea who she was and when that was obvious Rahman introduced us. "This is P. Susheela. She is my favorite singer by far."
She was very sweet.
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And finally,
I'm HOME I'm HOME I'm HOME!

As much fun as I've had this year in India, I have to say, it's good to be back. Today is my second day at home and I'm feeling a genuine mixture of emotions that range from total relief to utter confusion. My body first of all, has no idea where it is or what time it is - I know this because I'm writing this at 5:30 in the morning with a splitting headache. It'll take a few days I guess.

I have already begun binge eating my favorite foods - let the weight gain commence. Taco Bell and Konkani food down, Sushi and In n Out to go...

Musical Theater Concert

Musical Theater Concert
3.28.09
Students of Kavita Baliga
Choreography by Kavita, All Students, and YouTube.
Photography and Editing by Claire Ronsin
The slideshow will be posted on the official KM website!




If you want to see close-ups of the actual pics, go to the km voice website: www.kmvoice.weebly.com. Click on Pictures.

Life in Chennai

It's amazing how one can adapt to any situation, environment, climate, or culture if given enough time. We as humans are fascinating and complicated creatures, aren't we? Before I came to India I just kept thinking... "Me... in India. ME? Is this seriously going to happen? Ah, I can probably rough it for a year. But ONLY a year! There's no way I can stand any more than a year. No toilet paper. No showing skin. No social life. Too hot. Too humid. Yes. Sounds like a plan. Only for a year" But now that I'm here, and have been living here for 8 months, I've grown to love this town. I've grown accustomed to the culture, even though I don't necessarily agree with all of it. I have my designated haunts. I have friends - within the conservatory, and Rahman's team, as well as an invigorating and liberal xpat community - vagabond types from all over the world who have in one way or another found themselves for a short period of time, in Chennai. I love the plants and the trees - it's astonishing to me how a city can be as equally polluted as it is green. I love my freedom. I love the fact that I can afford things here - even though I'm making the equivalent of pocket change in America, I'm able to save more money than I ever have before. I have a cat named Edgar A. Poe who adores me. I have a job that challenges me. In essence, this is the first time that I've felt "at home" since actually living at home.

Although I'm appreciative of all the good in my life right now, I can't help but be overcome with anger about the negative aspects of India living. My two examples both have to do with discrimination but in very different ways:

#1 - Misogyny.

I've never in all my life felt discriminated against for being a woman, until I came here. I constantly feel like I have to "prove" myself far more than my male colleagues. The female faculty isn't even considered when it comes to delegating responsibility - especially for administrative/budgeting tasks; or anything that has to do with organization or math. If I'm at a meeting, and come up with a great idea about an upcoming concert or event, I have to say it about two or three times before I'm heard. Or I'll say it once - and then one of the men will repeat it - and proceed to get all the credit. Everyone knows me and how I work. Obviously I can't really stand for that kind of despicable chauvinistic behavior. Group meetings are usually a disaster because I end up standing up and shouting, "HEY. LIPS MOVING. I'M TALKING." I wait for silence and then proceed. ( I realize this probably isn't the best strategy. But in the moment I can't help but snap.) A feverish argument with my superior, with uncontrolled, hysterical name calling ended with him saying "You can't talk to me like that. You're a woman!" Regardless of how inappropriate my conduct was, I was struck by his last words. He wasn't bothered by my behavior as his subordinate. He was bothered by my behavior as a woman.

Being here, there is a constant feeling of nervousness, and claustrophobia, akin to being a caged animal at a zoo where hundreds of people come to leer at you; some with childish excitement, some with curiosity, some with suspicion, and others with resentment, lust and anger. How does one deal with all these mixed emotions?

One of my students told me a story about how there was an older man, a man in is late 40's, early 50's touching a girl not more than 12 years old. They were standing next to the rickshaw stand not twenty feet from the KM school gates and he was reaching, quite conspicuously, under her skirt. The rickshaw drivers were standing in front of them, almost in a protective manner. My student said to her friend, "Oh my god, look what's happening! We need to DO something!" The 12 year old girl turned and looked at my student and shrugged. The older man gave her a menacing look and continued. Her friend said "Why should we do anything? If the little girl doesn't care, why should we?"

#2 The Consequences of being an ABCD

MONEY: I don't know what it is about this place, but I'm under the constant impression that somehow, in some way, I'm being cheated out of money on a daily basis. There could be two reasons for this:
1. I've finally begun to nibble on the candy bar of self-earned wealth and have become a paranoid, greedy shrew.
2. I'm actually being cheated out of money.
I'm leaning toward the latter, although the first could very well be the case.

I have never experienced racial discrimination in the states...myself. Maybe I'm totally oblivious to it. I don't know. But I have never felt that I was being treated differently than others, or that I was unwelcome because of my culture, etc. etc. Maybe I've just been totally ignorant to it, but maybe that's a good thing. Growing up in California, I would have to say that I had a very easy childhood. I had a multi-cultural group of close friends: White, Indian, Filipino, Guamanian, Salvadorian, Chinese; Christian, Catholic, Jewish, Hindu, Agnostic etc. Our cultural backgrounds were never a reason for conflict and we enjoyed experiencing each other's lifestyles. Our differences were an asset to our friendships. I realize in my nostalgia, I'm probably looking back through idealized lenses, but I really appreciate the effect that this group had on my life.

I was shocked to find, after coming here, that I was being racially discriminated against. How is that even possible, you might ask, being that I am Indian and I'm living in India. Well, two reasons. 1. My skin color is an immediate indicator that I'm not Tamilian. If I'm not Tamilian, what am I to them? From the north. What does that mean? It means I have money. 2. The minute I open my mouth, it's obvious that I'm from America. What does that mean? That I have money.

Because of these two factors, I constantly have the nagging feeling that I'm being cheated out of rupees every single day. The first example, is the obvious one:

Auto-Ricksaws: Remember in Chennai, they don't use the meter. If I open my mouth and speak to them in English, the price goes up by 50 rupees during the day and almost 100 rupees at night. If I speak to them in Konkani with a pained, slightly confused expression on my face and insert key English words into the phrase, the price goes down by 50 rupees, and the driver usually ends up treating me like a concerned parent would. If I'm with a Tamilian the price goes down even further by 10 or 20 rupees, I am greeted with a smile, a helping hand, and safe driving. So to go to say, Spencer Plaza, which is about a 25 minute drive, the price could be anywhere from 60 rupees to 150 during the day, and 80 to 200 at night.

The Workplace: Auto-rickshaws cheating you, fine. But I assumed that in the workplace, where there are legally binding documents and contracts, it would be impossible to go back on your word. Wrong. I can't get into specifics, but I will say this: In my original contract, I was supposed to get paid a specific dollar amount, meaning, I was told I would be paid in rupees, based on the INR-USD current exchange rate. That didn't happen. What I am getting paid now is 68% of what my original contract stated because of the exchange rate fluctuations. We have had multiple meetings, discussions, and have filed complaints - yet this issue is deliberately, and casually, overlooked.

Discrimination on our side: It's amazing to me how perfectly sane people can sometimes go crazy when all of a sudden they find themselves in a position of power. It's obvious that if you have money here, you can live very lavishly. There are so many people around to help you in India. There are always servants, cooks, watchmen. All of these people are paid to help you in some way: carry groceries, fetch necessities, clean house etc. But I've recently been appalled by how some people have been treating the help. I can't be specific, but I'm starting to learn, that regardless of cultural background and actual wealth, the minute human beings have a team of people helping them, they start to become unappreciative, demanding, and rude. In essence, I've watched the slow transformation of some of my friends here from one extreme to another. Why does power and position give people the right to treat others badly? Screaming at the help for minor details, making them feel flustered and worthless through condescension because of their position in life, is nothing short of bigotry in my opinion. How does that transformation happen?

Is this all a petty rant? I don't know. But something has to be done. Women need to be empowered in this society. Sex education needs to be taught in schools so young boys and girls know what is right and wrong - they need to be aware of the repercussions of sexual abuse and need to know how and where to get help. Locals need to be educated and understand that even though someone might be from abroad, they could very well not have a penny to their name. They need to learn not to see dollar signs in the blue of Caucasian eyes and not discriminate based on skin color. Contracts need to be legally binding - what's the point of writing anything down if it doesn't mean anything??

Concert Footage

Thanks NDTV!

Jai Ho

We Shall Overcome





Oh and I just finished my new website! Check it out: www.kavitart.weebly.com

Post-Oscar Madness/MLK Concert

The staff at Panchathan helped set up the movie screening room at AM Studios so that the staff, students and faculty could watch the Oscars on the big screen. Everyone showed up at 6:30 am to watch but I didn't make it there till 9 am because I was just exhausted from all of the rehearsals and planning and organizing going on at the same time for the MLK concert. I got there at the perfect time though because just as I arrived, Rahman won the first of his two oscars for Best Score! Shortly after the first award he won the second for Best Original Song from a motion picture. What a victory! Everyone at AM was jumping up and down, crying, shouting, screaming.... the students were hugging each other and one of them even fainted. I'm not kidding. Fainted.

Immediately after he won the second one everyone ran outside to shoot firecrackers and light crackers on the street. There was cracker residue all over the place and the media was eagerly waiting outside to get interviews and tape the reactions of the faculty and students. I saw a couple of videos online - some of them are pretty skeptical of the school in general but some of them were quite nice:

The link feature never works when I use my mac. Copy and paste the link to watch the video: http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video.aspx?id=57552

The first video shows me looking really tired during our Jai Ho rehearsal. The second video shows all of the media waiting by the gate and then taking pictures of the French girls Claire and Vivienne who were standing with my student Ginu. And this one is funny because it shows me on the phone - and you can tell I'm saying "Bye Ma!"



The hysteria died down by Tuesday but Rahman was supposed to come early Wednesday morning and I knew it would be totally crazy again. Up and down the streets, people put up huge billboards with Rahman's face on it and the staff hung lights one after the other attached to florescent light sticks to make it look like the entire street was covered by a glowing tent. Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay up all night and attend the festivities but from what I heard, it was total madness. People were tripping and climbing over one another to get a look at Rahman when he entered the gates; the fans were euphoric and shouting Jai Ho!; the media was aggressively trying to get as many close-ups as possible, and although the police were there, they just joined in instead of trying to keep everyone calm! It was 6 am when everyone finally left Panchathan.

I haven't talked to Rahman yet, but I'm sure he's on Cloud 9.....and extremely exhausted.
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MLK Concert -

The concert was pretty wild. The last two weeks have been filled with total chaos. Absolute. Total. Chaos. I have never been a part of something so disorganized, so last-minute, or anything so stressful. I ended up having to help plan events, follow up on schedules, confirm sound requirements, organize the transportation of instruments, organize meals for coffee/tea for the musicians etc. etc. etc. I could just go on and on. Anyone who has organized anything in India, I'm sure, can understand how crazy things can get here. I'm just going to assume it's the place and not the people. How hard is it to be organized? The sound check which was supposed to take an hour ended up taking 6 hours. Why? I have no idea. Not a clue. I understand going from 1 hour to 2. But 1 hour to 6??????? I wanted to rip my hair out by the end.

Somehow, everything managed to come together at the end. The concert started with Mr. Vairamuthu doing a dramatic reading of a Tamil poem he wrote for the occasion followed by the KM faculty playing the Bombay Theme. Then the students sang Jai Ho which was followed by Kamal Hassan reciting Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech "I Have a Dream." Kamal Hassan then introduced Martin Luther King III who talked for a little bit about what it means for him to be living in this time today; a time that his father could only dream of and is now a reality. I came in at this point and conducted the song Vaishnava Jana to with the choir and instrumentalists and then we finished the program with We Shall Overcome which ended up being a hit! The program was only an hour long and everyone afterwards really seemed to enjoy it. ARR's sister Rehana came up to me afterwards and said she's a music director as well (I had no idea) and she said she would love to have me sing for her sometime. She asked if I sing Jazz and I'm thinking, "well, actually not at all." But I said "Of course I do!!! I'm available any time!" So that's pretty cool.

I've also been hanging out a lot with ARR's manager Noell and his wife Nithya who are the coolest people I've met here so far. They're in their late 40's but they're young spirited, fresh and very level headed logical people. They're like a breath of fresh air. I hope I'm like that in 20 years. They came to the concert and said it was fantastic. I was very happy they enjoyed it.

All in all, it's been a crazy but fulfilling week. I haven't found anything about the concert online yet but when I do I'll post it. The concert was taped by NDTV and CNN but I don't think it was shown live. I don't know when it will be on tv but I'm keeping my eyes open.

This was my first time conducting in public - and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
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The night of Rahman's arrival in Chennai:

We Shall Overcome

Amidst the post Obama inauguration, there has been so much talk about hope for the future, change, international relationships, foreign policy, and, well, African Americans... in general. Even here in Chennai it is impossible to turn on the television and avoid news about the Obama presidency. I can't imagine what it must be like at home right now. The spotlight is finally on this marginalized group, and for once, not in a negative way. The post George W. political climate, coupled with February being black history month, has prompted the American Consulates in India to join together and host events across the country to celebrate and pay "tribute to the contributions that African Americans have made in American history." This year’s theme is “The Quest for Black Citizenship in the Americas,” and it explores the issue of race and citizenship in the United States. This month also marks the centennial of the NAACP which was founded on February 12, 1909. The NAACP had a significant role in the transition of Blacks from slavery to freedom, the desegregation of primary schools in the 1950s, and equal employment.

February also marks the 5oth anniversary of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.'s journey to India, where he said he saw for himself the results of Gandhi's nonviolent campaign to end British colonial rule. After his month-long trip, he was quoted as saying “I left India more convinced than ever before that nonviolent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.” The 50th anniversary of that historic journey is being commemorated with a visit to India by King’s son, Martin Luther King III; members of the U.S. Congress, including Representative John Lewis, the last surviving speaker from the 1963 March on Washington; Clayborne Carson, editor of several volumes of King’s papers; and jazz musician Herbie Hancock. Rumors have also been circling about the possibility of Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys making an appearance. This State Department–sponsored tour will include two musical performances by Hancock plus a special tribute by Indian musicians.

Um. The final casual remark about "tribute by Indian Musicians" involves a concert here in Chennai featuring L. Subramanian, ARR, and the faculty and students of KM Conservatory. WHAT?!!! Yeah you know, Alicia, Stevie, Herbie and I - we go way back. Um.... HUH?! Selva called me into his office last week when he was meeting with members from the American Consulate and they were discussing budgets and logistics of the upcoming events. Selva then turns to me and says "so, in honor of Martin Luther King, in this concert, we want you to transcribe the popular and uplifting song "We Shall Overcome" for four-part chorus, harp, violin, viola, cello and solo voice. The concert is in 20 days. Have fun and good luck." I think they were expecting me to say thanks, get up and leave at this point. But my jaw dropped to the floor and my eyes must have been glazed over because Selva actually had to say "ok, we need to discuss other issues, so, you may leave." All I could say was "I'm uh, I'm uh... I'm..." And one of the women said "still digesting?" I coughed out a "yes" and stumbled out of the room.

I mean, forget about the possibility of being in the same concert as these well known professionals, but to come up with a transcription in less than a week and have the students and faculty perform in 20 days??? I was speechless. It may not sound like much, but this is a HUGE undertaking, which Selva is probably unaware of because he has minimal knowledge on the subject. Wikipedia says that "We Shall Overcome" is a protest song that became the key anthem of the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. In 1963 folksinger Joan Baez memorably led a crowd of 300,000 in singing "We Shall Overcome" at the Lincoln Memorial during Martin Luther King's March on Washington. Joan Baez! 300,000! And now I, me, Kavita, I, get to do a transcription of it that will commemorate the 50th anniversary of MLK's journey to India?? With Herbie Hancock??????????? Jigga whaaa?? What an incredible opportunity!

Let me just say first off that this could very well be a disaster. I have zero knowledge of the harp, or even string instruments for that matter in terms of technique, resonance, and even range. I've already finished two verses and they may not be playable. I just have to present myself to the other faculty as an amateur and say "so uh, if some of what I wrote is impossible, I give you permission to change it." I'm going to sing the first verse with the harp, cello and choir as my backup. Then i'll step back into the choir and we will all sing the second verse. Then hopefully I can add a Hindi verse, and Indianify it somehow. Who knows. I'll take what I've written to school tomorrow and have the choir go over it and then maybe they'll have some good ideas about Indianification. And then I'm going to come back at the end and we'll all sing the last line in unison.

So that's what I'm working on right now. It could be really good or really bad. The concert is supposed to be somewhere between the 22nd and the 26th. Not quite sure when, but I'll keep you updated. This is going to be a crazy month. I've posted two versions below: The first by Joan Baez and second by Bruce Springsteen.