This week, I was invited by Payton MacDonald to give a concert and masterclass at William Paterson University, in Wayne, NJ. We gave a concert with a similar format to those of our mini-tour last fall, with me accompanying Payton's dhrupad vocal performance on jori (pakhawaj tabla), followed by him accompanying me on harmonium for a tabla solo. We were also fortunate to have Jessica Johnson on tanpura.
Payton opened with Alap, Jor, Jhala, and a composition in Raag Bhimpalasi (I accompanied both the jhala, and the composition, which was in chautaal), followed by a short piece in Sooltaal. I then played a tabla solo in Teentaal. After playing for nearly an hour on the larger jori drums, it's quite an odd feeling to switch to the much smaller tabla, tuned an octave higher!
Payton opened with Alap, Jor, Jhala, and a composition in Raag Bhimpalasi (I accompanied both the jhala, and the composition, which was in chautaal), followed by a short piece in Sooltaal. I then played a tabla solo in Teentaal. After playing for nearly an hour on the larger jori drums, it's quite an odd feeling to switch to the much smaller tabla, tuned an octave higher!
After a tasty lunch at a local Mexican restaurant, we returned to the university, where I gave a masterclass for the percussion students. Many thanks to Payton for having invited me to WPU, and to SABIAN Cymbals for their support of my masterclass!
