Latest Blog Posts

Over the years I’ve gotten used to many of the people around me thinking the music I love is strange. Most of my family, friends, a lot of the percussive arts community, even some of my students and colleagues. Forget about the American public as a whole; if they pay attention to what I’m doing at all it’s only to ridicule it.

But it’s a newer and tougher pill to swallow to see how much my kids dismiss my work. I knew I wouldn’t be the center of their universe forever, but still it came up faster than I anticipated how marginalized experimental and Hindustani music is in their world view. I’ve had a privileged life so I don’t publicly complain much about things, but it does get tiring having to justify my existence over and over again. People seem to understand that my teaching has value–and my daughters do see that my university job translates to money which translates to a roof over their heads and food on the table–but beyond that I think they’re at a loss as to why I spend so much time and energy composing music that few people listen to, making films that few people watch, practicing pieces that most people dislike, and singing a style of Indian classical music that most people find tough sledding.

Maybe they’re right. I could quit it all tomorrow and the world would keep spinning just fine. I wouldn’t even get fired from my university job. Nothing would happen at all. Except I’d rather die. Seriously, if I can’t make experimental music I’d rather not be on this planet. It’s what I was made to do.

So, to hell with it. I’m going to get up tomorrow and make more experimental music. The world needs it, even if it doesn’t know it. And more importantly, I need it.

Well, reading over that previous post it would seem that I would have those bikes forever. But dear readers, the fact is that there are a lot of great bikes out there for a good price on Craigslist.

As much as I liked that CB750 Nighthawk I decided to modernize my touring bike. I sold the Nighthawk and picked up a 2009 Kawasaki Versys 650 with only 8K miles for an excellent price. It came with the engine guards and side luggage (I purchased the rear luggage and the hand guards).

In three months I’ve already put over 2K miles on it. Unfortunately I’ve been so busy with work stuff I haven’t been able to get out for a longer trip, but I’ve got a big one planned for next summer. That bike is amazingly capable on any road. It slices up twisties with ease, but on the interstate it will cruise at 80 mph without breaking a sweat. It’s a beautiful bike.

I don’t need that much bike for running around town, though. The Suzuki TU250 was a fun little bike, but after a few months I decided I wanted something with more power, so I sold it and picked up this 2016 Yamaha YZF R3 for a very good price. It had 2,600 miles and not a scratch.

Wow, that little bike rips. Although it’s only 321cc with about 40 horsepower it’s more than enough for around town. Even on the interstate it will hit 80 without working too hard, though I definitely prefer the bigger bike for interstate trips.

I thought about getting an R6, but it’s just way too much power for public roads, plus the insurance is super expensive. It’s frustrating enough having to putt along at 40 mph on the R3. On the R6 it would be downright aggravating. Also, the ergonomics of the R3 make it much more suitable for daily commuting. I’ve already put over a thousand miles on it in just two months.

Are these the last motorcycles I will ever buy? I doubt it, but I’m very happy for now. I got both of these bikes for cheaper than a new one at the dealer and they’re basically in showroom condition. They’re reliable, fast, fun, and practical.

I love motorcycles. I’ve been riding motorcycles off and on since I was six years old, and they’ve always loomed large in my consciousness. Seeing America on a motorcycle is an inspiring experience. Motorcycles connect one with the road, the elements, and the vehicle in a way that isn’t possible with a car. On a motorcycle you feel the gear shifts, the Gs on the turns, the speed. You’re literally sitting on the engine, and every firing of those pistons reverberates in your body. Riding a motorcycle is visceral, energizing, and centering. It requires tremendous concentration, and tremendous skill. In its own way, it’s very musical: the sound of the engine purring, the rhythm of the turns, the whistle of the wind.

I own two bikes. Here’s a photo of my 1992 Honda CB750 Nighthawk:

And another because, well, it’s cool:

I’ve put some big miles on that bike, over 8,000 in the last two years. I bought it used from a guy via Craigslist. I had it regeared, got a new petcock, and a few other things. That’s an amazing bike. Even though it’s carbureted, the carbs are of the most refined type at the pinnacle of carburation technology and once it’s warmed up it just purrs. Motorcycle enthusiasts regularly refer to the CB750 as one of the best bikes ever made for all-around general use and although I’m not an expert I suspect they are correct. It just never fails and it is very, very smooth, with an even power band and heaps of torque and power. It’s phenomenally reliable and lasts a long time. I regularly see posts on forums from guys who have put over 100,000 miles on their CB750s. I’m only at 29,000, so I have a ways to go. I plan to keep that bike for a long time and continue doing bigger trips on it.

But as much as I love that bike, it’s a bit much for just getting around town, so I recently picked up a second bike, a 2011 Suzuki TU250x:

This bike is frequently listed as one of the finest commuter bikes ever made. The fuel injection is buttery smooth, and repairs and maintenance are a snap. It’s bullet proof in the same way that the Honda is, but it’s over 140 pounds lighter and geared in such a way that it excels at lower speeds. The lighter weight makes it much easier to park and deal with traffic around town.

I got the Suzuki just a few days ago from a woman who only put 850 miles on it in the last seven years (but her husband kept it running during the down times and changed the gas and oil, etc, so it wasn’t just sitting). It is literally in show room condition, absolutely perfect. They kept it garaged and on a battery tender the whole time they owned it.

So now I’m riding it, and I hit the 1K mark on the odometer today:

I took an early morning ride and hit some back roads:

45 mph was the fastest zone I hit, mostly I was in 35 or 40 mph zones. Even though that bike is only 250cc and just 16 horsepower, the Suzuki engineers did an amazing job at getting every ounce of power out of that thing. It holds its own quite admirably up into the 60s. Of course, it’s not the Nighthawk, which as a 750 and with 75 horsepower excels at higher speeds, but the 250 has more than enough power for what I need around town. And it averages 75 miles per gallon!

There’s nothing better than seeing small-town America on a motorcycle:

I was all grins, all morning, as I traveled on back roads up into New York state:

Got to see some cool stuff, like these small planes at a rural airport:

Smaller bikes are the way to go. With a top speed of 126mph the 750 is very capable well into the 90s (don’t ask how I know that . . . ), and completely rock solid at interstate speeds. And for smaller roads the 250 is more than adequate. Americans like bigger bikes, but that’s mostly just ego and posturing. With smaller bikes you actually feel the bike and you feel the ride. And what a sweet ride it is!

And to finish, yes, I’m very careful out there. I do everything you’re supposed to do: I wear full armor (head to toe), high vis reflective clothing, full-face helmet, I avoid driving during rush hour and dusk and dawn, I never speed, I never drive under the influence of anything, and I always assume people can’t see me and don’t care. I always have an escape route planned, at all times, at every instant. I watch videos every week on how to improve my safety, and I’m taking a second, advanced safety course this summer. I ride dependable bikes that put me in an upright position for better visibility, and I keep them maintained. I don’t ride to look cool or “get chicks” (I already have a super chick, thank you very much), I ride because I love it, and I want to stay alive as long as possible so I can keep doing it.

The statistics about motorcycling look bad on the surface, but once you take out of the equation all the drunk motorcyclists, the ones without helmets, the ones who are speeding, the ones who haven’t had any safety training, etc, etc, the numbers are not far off from cars, and some people argue it’s actually safer because you’re actually paying attention to what you’re doing. Of course, not everything is under my control, but I’m doing what I can to make the statistics work in my favor. At the end of the day, I think the risk is worth it for the immeasurable improvement to my life. Life is short, and I want to ride, and see this amazing country this way.

Thanks for reading, and ride safe!

It’s a busy time of year, but I still managed to get in an overnight bikepacking and music trip. I have to make time for these things. I’ve been too much in the company of humans for the last few months and I’ve lost touch with the infinite thread that keeps me grounded, that I only find with sustained physical effort in natural surroundings.

So, I used some of the routes from the good folks at Marty’s Reliable Cycle and I pedaled about 70 miles from Morristown to Stokes State Forest. I was mostly on the Patriot’s Path for the first part, which runs the gamut from flowy and smooth to abusive and punishing. Here’s some of the flowy stuff:

Here’s some of the abusive stuff:

That kind of singletrack is a blast on a normal mountain bike, but it’s tougher when you’re loaded down. Here’s my rig:

That photo also shows why some of that singletrack is so slow. Deadfall! Lots of it! We had some big storms this winter and the trails are a mess of deadfall. Some of the riding was on the order of pedal for 30 yards, unclip, lift bike, repeat, repeat, repeat. Slow going, but still way better than doing paperwork . . .

It was also slow going because of the mud:

I often had to walk around that stuff because I didn’t want to destroy the trail and because it’s nearly impossible to ride through it. Here’s my front tire, getting sucked in:

At any rate, I had a blast, as you can tell from this photo:

I just love being out there. I didn’t do any singing this time, but I spent a lot of time listening to the woods and the creatures that live in them. The sounds are just incredible, and so varied, and so nurturing, and so inspiring to me as a composer and improviser. I spent 40 minutes sitting in the dark after the sun went down, out by the lake at Stokes Forest, listening to the frogs. Their individual chirps mass into a drone of phenomenal complexity and ever-changing sonic color. Extraordinary. I fell asleep in my sleeping bag, totally exhausted, my ears ringing with frogs, feeling refreshed and inspired.

The next day I took a slightly shorter route back, for a total of about 135 miles. I only climbed something around 6,000 feet total, so it was pretty mellow, but still a nice outing. Bikepacking in New Jersey is pretty cushy because of the abundance of services, but the singletrack is tough going sometimes. At any rate, I’m super excited about my Sonic 8 adventure this summer in Vermont, and I think I’m basically on track with my training.

I’m not sure how a whole year went by and I didn’t update this once, but maybe it had something to do with the Sonic Divide.  The good news is that I did it.  I premiered 30 pieces in a month, at remote wilderness locations that I got to under my own power, pedaling my mountain bike 2,500 miles from Mexico to.  I Canada.  I also filmed the whole thing and I have finished the first draft of my first documentary film, called the Sonic Divide.  My assistant editor is working on it now and we will have it done in a few months.

It was a massive project and I’m still amazed that I pulled it off.  The level of vision, preparation, discipline, creativity, and courage it took was well beyond anything I’ve ever attempted before and I’m proud of my accomplishment.

And it’s amazing how I’m now developing a whole new dimension in my career as a film maker.  I’ve always loved film and always secretly wanted to make films, and now I’m actually doing it.

The Sonic Divide was so successful in so many ways that I’m already pumped up for my next project in 2018 . . . to be announced next year . . .

 

After a busy few months in August, September, and October in which I was quite busy singing Dhrupad, but now I’m back in the world of contemporary music, playing percussion and singing.  My big project is the Sonic Divide.  This is by far the most ambitious and difficult project of my career so far.  I’m very excited about it and it’s fueling my practicing with a great deal of positive energy.  I invite you to check out the website.  All the information is there.

The last few months have been pretty hard-core winter here in New Jersey.  It’s cold, often grey, and the days have been short.  It’s not my favorite weather, though I’ve made a good faith effort to embrace the energy of the season and put it to good use.  Hence the intense practicing.

I haven’t been doing any traveling or concertizing, just holing up in my basement room, shedding away.  “Shedding” is short for “woodshedding,” a term jazz musicians coined that means going deep into practicing.  (Some of the major jazz musicians in the early part  of the 20th century were banished by their families to practice in the backyard woodshed . . .)  In the Hindustani realm we call it “riaz”, which basically means dedicated practicing.  “Sadhana” is yet another level, where the practicing and life become entirely intertwined, one and the same, complete dedication.  Here is a good and short interview with one of the major Hindustani musicians of our time discussing this:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ThcVhMxZYg.

I feel it is arrogant to say that I’m completely in the realm of sadhana (especially as there are distractions at home with the kids and various administrative duties I have to attend to for the university and otherwise), but still I’m pretty much wrapped up with practicing, composing, and teaching from early morning until late at night seven days a week.  Of course I take short breaks to rest my mind and body, but then I’m soon itching to get singing or playing marimba again.  The inspiration is flowing.

In fact, I DID have a musical event scheduled for last night (March 5), a late night experience up at the university.  I was planning to sing some Raga Chandrakauns and then bring in the beats, but Mother Nature had other ideas.  She unleashed a powerful snow storm that shut down all of North Jersey and shut down the university.  I was disappointed as I had put a lot of effort into promoting the event–not to mention the work to get ready musically–but what could I do?  Well, there was one thing I could do and I did just that: practice.  I put in a good session on marimba and also sang.  It was quite lovely watching the blizzard outside through the window while I sang Raga Chandrakauns!