Virani – CV
1
VIVEK VIRANI
Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and Music Theory
University of North Texas College of Music
1155 Union Circle #311367, Denton, TX 76203
[email protected]
EDUCATION
2016 Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology, UCLA
Dissertation: “Find the True Country: Devotional Music and the Self in India’s
National Culture”
Committee: Professors Aamir Mufti, Daniel Neuman (chair), A. J. Racy, and
Timothy Taylor
2012 M.A. in Ethnomusicology, UCLA
M.A. paper: “Tabla Education in Maharashtra: Suresh Talwalkar’s 21st Century
Music Ashram”
Advisor: Professor Daniel Neuman
2008 B.A. in Music, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
2016-Present Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology and Music Theory, University of North
Texas College of Music, Denton, TX.
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
2016 Martin Hatch Award, Society of Asian Music, for Best Student Paper presented at
60
th
Annual Meeting of the Society of Ethnomusicology, 2015
2015-16 Dissertation Year Fellowship, UCLA Graduate Division
2013-14 Graduate Research Mentorship, UCLA Graduate Division
2012 FLAS fellowship from UC Berkeley for Marathi Summer Language Program
2012 American Institute of Indian Studies Fellowship for Marathi Summer Language
Program (declined in favor of FLAS)
2011 Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, UCLA
2010 Graduate Division Fellowship, UCLA
UPCOMING PUBLICATIONS
2017 (EST.) “Dual Consciousness and Unconsciousness: The Structure and Spirituality of Poly-
Metric Tabla Compositions.” Chapter in Music and Consciousness 2, edited by David
Clarke, Eric Clarke, and Ruth Herbert. To be published by Oxford University Press.
2017 (EST.) “Scheduled Castes and Social Capital: Social and Spiritual Reform through Kabir
Singing in Central India.” Chapter in Songs of Social Protest, edited by Aileen Dillane,
Eoin Devereux, Amanda Haynes, and Martin J. Power. To be published by Rowman
and Littlefield International, London.
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INVITED LECTURES
2017 Symposium on Singing Religious Poetry in North India, Stanford University,
Stanford, CA, April 14-15, 2017. Presented “A Vīnā Resounds in the Palace of
Emptiness: Theologizing Performance and Performer Identity in Malvi Nirguṇ
Bhajans.”
2017 Presenter and discussant at Third International Workshop on Cross-Disciplinary and
Multi-Cultural Perspectives on Musical Rhythm and Improvisation, New York
University, Abu Dhabi, March 19-21, 2017. Presented “Variation and Improvisatory
Processes in North Indian Tabla Solo Performance.”
CONFERENCE PAPERS
2017 “Saints and Sufis: Religious Harmony, Exclusion, and Ambiguity in Indian Popular
Music Labels.” Presented at 3
rd
International Conference on Sufi Heritage: A
Transcultural Dialogue with Critical and Alternative Cultural Traditions” organized
by Government of Sindh in Karachi, Pakistan, May 5-6 2017.
2016 “Saints and Sufis: The Cultural Politics of Labels in Indian Popular Religious Music.”
Presented at 61
st
Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Washington,
DC, November 10-13, 2016.
2016 “Rethinking the Tabla Solo.” Presented at Fourth International Conference on
Analytical Approaches to World Music, The New School, New York, NY, June 8-11,
2016.
2016 “A Voice without Singer: Sant Bhajan Musical Structure and Adaptability in Malwa,
North India.” Presented at Conference on the Music of South, Central, and West
Asia, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, March 4-6, 2016.
2015 “Folk Musicians on Tour: Regional Devotional Music Emerges into India’s National
Culture.” Presented at 60
th
Annual Meeting of the Society for Ethnomusicology,
Austin, TX, December 3-6, 2015.
2015 “Casteism and Capitalism: Social and Spiritual Change through Kabir Singing in
Central India.” Presented at conference “Songs of Social Protest,” University of
Limerick, Ireland, April 30-March 1.
2015 “Dual Consciousness and Unconsciousness: The Structure and Spirituality of Poly-
Metric Tabla Compositions.” Presented at 2
nd
Conference on Music and
Consciousness, Oxford University, April 14-17.
2014 “Where Do We Find Kabir? The Impact of Popular Recordings on a Spiritual
Tradition.” Presented at 49
th
Annual Meeting of the Southern California and Hawai’i
Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology, University of California, Santa Barbara,
February 22-23.
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2013 “Om Shanti Om: Diasporic Dialogue in Popular Music of India and Trinidad.”
Paper presented at 58
th
Annual Meeting of Society for Ethnomusicology, University
of Indiana, Indianapolis, November 14-17.
2011 “Innovation and Unconsciousness: Poly-Metric Tabla Compositions of Suresh
Talwalkar.” Presented at 46
th
Annual Meeting of Southern California and Hawai’i
Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA,
February 19-20.
GUEST LECTURES
2016 Lecture: “Indian Popular Musics: Bollywood, Qawwali, and Bhangra.” For course
“Music and Cultures of the World: Asia,” taught by Helen Rees at UCLA.
2014 Lecture-demonstrations: “Rhythm in North Indian Music Part I: Introducing Tāla,
Tabla, and Key Rhythmic Structures” and “Part II: Aesthetics of Indian Rhythmic
Composition and Improvisational Paradigms.” For course “Survey of Classical Music
in India,” taught by Daniel Neuman and Jeff Roy (Spring 2014) at UCLA.
2013 Lecture-demonstration: “Devotional music of South Asia,” including Hindu,
Muslim, Sikh and Christian musical traditions. For course “Music Cultures of Asia
and the Pacific,” taught by Elizabeth Macy (Spring 2013) at Chapman University,
and for “Music and Cultures of the World: Asia,” taught by Charlotte D’Evelyn (Fall
2013) at UCLA.
2013 Lecture-demonstration: “Religious Philosophy and Music in South Asia.” For course
“Music and Religion,” taught by Michael Silvers (Spring 2013) and Brigita Sebald
(Fall 2013) at UCLA.
2013 Lecture-demonstration: “Hindustani Classical Music Structure and Culture.” For
course “World Music Survey,” taught by Lauryn Salazar (Winter 2013) at California
Institute of the Arts.
2013 Lecture: “Fundamentals of Hindustani Classical Music.” For course “Introduction to
Music: History, Culture, Creativity,” taught by Timothy Rice (Winter 2013) at UCLA.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of North Texas
MUET 5230: World Music Analysis (Spring 2017)
MUET 4500 / 5500: Introduction to Ethnomusicology (Fall 2016, Spring 2017)
MUET 3070 / 5070: Asian Pop Music (Fall 2016)
University of California, Los Angeles
Teaching Assistantships and Associateships
Music, Science, and Technology (TA for Roger Kendall, Spring 2013)
Music of the World (TA for Münir Beken, Winter 2013)
Music and Cultures of the World: Asia (TA for Helen Rees, Fall 2012)
Music of Bollywood & Beyond (TA for Amy Catlin-Jairazbhoy, Winter 2012)
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Music and Cultures of the World: Asia (TA for Elizabeth Macy, Winter 2012)
World Music Systems and Structures: East and South Asia (TA for Münir Beken, Fall 2011)
MUSICAL EXPERIENCE
North Indian classical music: Tabla, 1999-present: full-time apprenticeship with Suresh Talwalkar in
Pune, India, 2008-2010; further training during India visits, 2011-2015; training with Swapan
Chaudhury at CalArts and the Ali Akbar College of Music, 2010-2013, 2016-present.
Teaching tabla privately, 2009-present.
Bansuri (bamboo flute) training with Radha Prasad in Torrance, CA, 2011-2015.
Vocal and melodic theory training in khyāl idiom with Arun Dravid in Tustin, CA, 2014-
2015, in dhrupad idiom with Ramakant Gundecha, starting December 2016.
South Asian folk and devotional music: Vocals, harmonium, tabla and other percussion in bhajan,
qawwālī, kīrtan, and related genres since 2000. Learned nirgunī bhajan singing from Malwi
performers and accompanied Prahlad Singh Tipanya’s troupe in concerts throughout India
on bansuri, harmonium, and vocals, September 2014-2015. Led interfaith devotion youth
music group in Southern California, 2010-2016.
Western European music: Classical piano, 1994-2004. Violin, 1997-2000.
Music theory, analysis, and composition at UVA for BA in music.
UCLA Early Music Ensemble (vocals), 2013.
Chinese music: Dizi (bamboo flute) with UNT Chinese Music Ensemble for traditional Jiangnan
Silk-and-Bamboo and contemporary compositions, 2016-Present.
Middle Eastern music: Percussion (riq, tār, and doumbek) with UCLA Near Eastern Ensemble led by
A. J. Racy, and student-run group UCLA Takht, 2010-12.
American folk music: UCLA Old-Time Ensemble (guitar and vocals), 2012-2013
West African drumming: UNT West African Music and Dance Ensemble led by Gideon Alorwoyie,
Fall 2016.
Balinese gamelan: UCLA Music of Bali Ensemble, led by I Nyoman Wenten, 2013.
Jazz: Jazz piano with John D’Earth and Bob Halahan at UVA, 2005-2007.
SELECTED PERFORMANCES / RECORDINGS
2017 Performed classical tabla solo and global rhythmic improvisation at Musical Diversity
in Concert program at NYU Institute of Abu Dhabi.
2016 Sung traditional and contemporary Hindu devotional music for 98
th
Birthday
Celebration of Dada J. P. Vaswani at Sadhu Vaswani Mission, Pune, India.
2016 Contributed to soundtrack of The Cinema Travellers, winner of L'Œil d'or Special
Mention: Le Prix du Documentaire award at 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Played eight
instruments in addition to providing vocals.
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2015 Accompanied diverse performers including Parvathi Baul, Mooralala Marwada,
Prahlad Singh Tipanya, Vedanth Bharadwaj and Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy on
instruments including bansuri (bamboo flute), dholak (barrel-shaped drum),
harmonium, and vocals during 19
th
Annual Malwa Kabir Yatra (a five-day concert
tour in cities and villages throughout Madhya Pradesh, India).
2013 Tabla with Eternal Soul Orchestra, jazz-fusion ensemble led by Radha Botafasina
and conducted by Geoff Gallegos, at California African American Museum, Los
Angeles.
2012 Performed as part of Tabla Kirtan ensemble in Guru Purnima celebration honoring
Suresh Talwalkar in Pune, India. First foreign tabla student to play in Guru Purnima
program.
2012 Played as part of Skin and Strings global folk music trio, representing UCLA
Department of Ethnomusicology at Shanghai Jiao Tong University World Music and
Arts festival in Shanghai, China.
2011-2012 Tabla accompaniment for blues and global pop singer Dana Gillespie at Barclay
Theater in Irvine, CA, First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, CA, and
Unity of Houston Church, TX.
2011 Tabla and vocal accompaniment for South African contemporary dancer Gregory
Maqoma at UCLA World Arts and Cultures department.
2006 Guest tabla performance with UVA Jazz Ensemble featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel.
FIELDWORK
2014-2015 Dissertation fieldwork in India, 12 months. Conducted research with lower-caste
non-professional devotional musicians in rural Madhya Pradesh and professional
classical and popular musicians in Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Raipur.
2014 Pune, Mumbai, and Aurangabad, India, one month. Attended 2014 Mumbai Kabir
Festival in Mumbai and continued classical tabla training.
2013 Attended gatherings of Turkish Halveti-Jerrahi Sufi order in Long Beach, CA, over
two months. Participated in zikir and devran musical trance rituals.
2012 Pune, India, 2 months. Training in Marathi through American Institute of Indian
Studies with support of FLAS from UC Berkeley. Research in Maharashtrian
regional folk music and religious music. Continued training in classical tabla with
Suresh Talwalkar.
2011 Pune, India, 3 months. Research on traditional tabla teaching with support of
Graduate Summer Research Mentorship from UCLA.
2008-2010 Pune, India, 20 months. Full-time training in classical tabla performance and
rhythmic theory under Suresh Talwalkar.
LANGUAGES
Hindi Advanced speaking, reading, and writing
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Marathi Conversational speaking, basic reading and writing
Sanskrit Reading and translation competent for Classical Sanskrit, basic for Vedic Sanskrit
TECHNOLOGICAL PROFICIENCY
Digital audio recording and mixing (ProTools, Cubase, Reaper, Audition)
Digital video capture and editing (Premiere, Vegas, Videostudio)
Basic programming (C++)
Desktop computer maintenance and repair
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
Society for Ethnomusicology
Society for Asian Music