Tapasya Loading

Merging Dystopia with Utopia through Music and other Paradoxes with Bodhisattwa Ghosh

With an international touring career spanning over 22 countries, Kolkata-bred Guitarist/Composer Bodhisatwa Ghosh’s body of work with his Avant-Garde/Jazz trio promises to be the building blocks of contemporary Indian music history. A theory supported by the mammothly adventurous nature of their upcoming endeavor as they prepare to collaborate with cutting-edge alternative/Jazz/Improvised Mimika Orchestra over the next few weeks. The first of its kind for an independent Indian band to undertake.
I catch up with long-time friend and collaborator in an informal exchange on where it all began, the dichotomies of being a third-generation contemporary Indian musician, and dig deeper into the psyche of a musician whose work ethic strongly contradicts the apparent surface-level dystopian nature of the image it has been reputed to portray.
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
(Intro recorded on an Apogee Duet 3)
DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE
 
Connect with Bodhisattwa:
 
Music- https://fanlink.to/tBti 
New Release- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ousxPDnYb7w 
Live Performance Clip- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=altqWmyFv0M 
Website- https://thebodhisattwatrio.net/
 
Connect with T.L.
Website
Coaching/Mentorship
Instagram
Spotify
Facebook
Twitter

Growing the Legacy of the Contemporary Indian Drummer on a Global Scale With Vishal Nayak

Kolkata-born, Brooklyn-based drummer, engineer, producer, and entrepreneur Vishal Nayak qualifies for that minuscule list of Indian drummers who've built an artistic voice on their own terms completely devoid of stereotypical presumptions of what an 'Indian drummer' is supposed to sound like.
 
A graduate of Berklee College Of Music 2010, his collaborators are some of the most cutting-edge artists of North American and global contemporary adult pop music, the likes of which include Nick Hakim (as ongoing tour drummer), Hannah Cohen, Empress Of, Kimbra, MorMor , among many others.
 
His additional role as owner and operator of Black Lodge Recording and house engineer at Brooklyn’s famed Figure8 Recording combine to establish what has been the first generation of truly global post-colonial Indian musicians who play a pivotal role in shaping the mindset of future generations who attempt the same, while navigating the multi-layered obstacles ranging from the socio-cultural, economical to the socio-political.
 
In this long-form conversation, we trace the beginnings of his musical journey as the curious boy from Central Calcutta sneaking into his mother's record collection, to the lost college student who had to redefine his artistic goals, to the pro-active adult musician who takes constant challenges of the immigrant in America in stride during the course of his promising and ongoing career.
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
(Intro recorded on an Apogee Duet 3)
DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE
 
Connect with Vishal:
Soundbetter
Instagram
 
Connect with T.L.
Website
Coaching/Mentorship
Instagram
Spotify
Facebook
Twitter
 
 
 

Authentic Entrepreneurship for Musicians, Understanding Fear in the Musical Path, and the Art of Digital Course Creation with Shaeunn Thorsteinsdottir

Behind the emotional intensity of Icelandic cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir that has been duly acknowledged by publications like LA Times and New York Times, (the latter aptly describing her as 'charismatic' and 'riveting'), Icelandic cellist Sæunn Thorsteinsdottir's collaborations and performances include a list of venues as prestigious as Carnegie Hall, Suntory Hall, Elbphilharmonie and the Barbican Center in London and awards from the likes of Naumburg Competition (New York) and the Antonio Janigro Competition (Zagreb).
 
Co-nominee for Grammy award with Páll Ragnar Pálsson & the Iceland Symphony, her solo works include 'Vernacular' (interpretations of Icelandic repertoire for solo cello) and an upcoming release of her recordings of the Six Bach Suites on the Sono Luminus label. All while juggling faculty duties at the University of Washington in Seattle, teaching cello and chamber music.
 
In this long-form conversation, we address the balancing act entrepreneurship and authentic artistry musicians strive for in the 21st century and the interplay of digital music education and its possible dynamic with traditional music instruction, which garners increasing criticism for the normalization of fear-based mindsets.
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE
 
Connect with Saeunn:
Website
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
You Tube
Connect with T.L.
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Website
Coaching
Instagram
Spotify
Facebook
Twitter
 

Unpacking the World of a Third Culture Kid, Code-Switching, Balancing Entrepreneurial and Academic Mindsets and Black Lives Matter in 2022 with Tayo Rockson

Tayo Rockson is an author, speaker, consultant, podcaster, and brand strategist who co-founded UYD Management - a strategic consulting firm that helps organizations incorporate sustainable diversity and inclusion practices. As the son of a diplomat, Tayo grew up understanding the nuances of multicultural diversity while living on 4 continents. He has leveraged his experiences to establish himself as an expert in brand strategy and effective communication methods across cultures.
He has graced various stages including TEDx, the prestigious Chautauqua Institution as well as the United Nations. Tayo regularly expands on his knowledge by interviewing top industry leaders via his top-rated podcast, "As Told by Nomads" as well as consulting with corporations ranging from fast-growing startups to multinationals.
His Wiley published book, Use Your Difference To Make A Difference provides readers with new perspectives and different worldviews to leverage their cultural differences to make powerful connections.
(Source: Courtesy Guest)
In this episode, celebrating the two-year anniversary of Tapasya Loading, I catch up with one of its founding guests to chat about topics close to our hearts and check in with the relevance of the same two years since our last conversation.
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE
Connect with Tayo:
Website: https://tayorockson.com/
Tik Tok: @tayorockson
Instagram: @tayorockson
Twitter: @tayorockson
Linked In: @tayorockson
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticmusicianacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 

D For Brother, Unwitting Pioneers of ’World Music’ In Pre-Internet India with Amyt Datta

On international World Music day, we pay tribute to this controversial genre that has garnered considerable criticism for being 'white-centric' and lopsided in its narrative recently, to listen to a refreshingly unique and bold one as we re-discover the long-forgotten history of one of India's most cutting edge and respected bands, whose remarkable but short-lived career and success amidst a loyal following of listeners failed to give it the visibility today's Indian artists have access to.
D For Brother were the two cousins Amyt and Monojit Datta, based in central Calcutta (now 'Kolkata') whose cutting-edge and path-breaking experiments in the studio and onstage alike were too ahead of their time to have survived the lull of the sleepy and forgotten ex-capital of the Indian republic. Decades before a globalised economy, access to the internet and the online onslaught and digital levelling changed the trajectory of the South-Asian arts landscape permanently. 
The remnants of this masterpiece, preserved only through limited-edition cassette tapes amidst a loyal following and an abridged lo-fi bandcamp version (following the tragic and unexpected death of Monojit Datta in 2017), complete with pops and hisses is an unassuming tip of an iceberg that leads to a story of near-unbelievable and era-defying artistic innovation and integrity by two self-taught musicians whose journeys and their implications remain scantily documented and barely understood. 
We interview the only surviving member of the band, Amyt Datta to relive the writing, recording process, and the mindset behind an endeavor that remains one of the most unsung but relevant in South Asian independent music history.
Read Supplementary Article HERE
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticmusicianacademy.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom Podtrak P4 kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu   
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com & D For Brother
 
Connect with Amyt Datta:
Bandcamp
Instagram
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 

Why Musicians Should Work Out, Feeling Safe, Understanding Health-Span, and the Effect of Culture on Fitness-Image with Ryan Hurst

Ryan Hurst's holistic approach to exercise and health span is succinctly summarized when the head coach and co-founder of GMB fitness says his 'mission is to show everyone that you can define your own fitness as a sustainable and enjoyable part of your life.'
Behind the impressive agility and strength that has grown him and GMB fitness its credibilitythough,  is the astute, grounded mind of a family man, father of two, and a passionate hobby musician whose mature approach towards understanding and unpacking the myths surrounding health, longevity, and health-span has been helping thousands around the globe. The result of deep contemplation following multiple injuries during his career as a competitive gymnast and martial artist, the latter being the primary passion that led him to move to Japan for immersive studies. 
Join us in this extended exchange on understanding why musicians should work out, how to go about it right, and why being 'tough' is very different than most of us would like to believe.
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com
(Now part of www.holisticmusicianacademy.com)
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
DONATE TO THE PODCAST HERE
 
Connect with Ryan:
Website: https://gmb.io/
Instagram: @ryhurst
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GMBfitness/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GMBFitnessSkills
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticmusicianacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 
 

Archiving An Indigenous Ancestral Tradition in a Global Format and Navigating Gender Between Multiple Cultures with Jaremdi Wati Longchar

Ethnomusicologist, pianist, and researcher Jaremdi Wati Longchar started researching the fascinating musical traditions of her ancestral Ao tribe of Nagaland as a post-graduate student at Goldsmiths, London right before the Pandemic set the world into a spin.
In this long-form conversation, we address the series of challenges these traditions have endured over the generations, the shortcomings of western academic documentation, and the constant code-switching gender unwittingly seems to push her to adhere to amidst the dualities of the life of a global Naga academic. 
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
New FREE mini-course 'The Songwriter Mindset': Enroll Here
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
 
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 
Connect with Jaremdi:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaremdiWL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaremdi/
 

The Birth of a Third-Generation Japanese Sitarist and Cultivating Global Exchange Authentically with Tadao Ishihama

Osaka-born musician and inter-disciplinary artist moved to Kolkata, India after graduating art high school one week after the chance strains of a Sitar led to a love-at-first-sound of sorts. Navigating language barriers in a recently globalized India, he sought tutelage from Pandit Monoj Shankar of the Maihar Gharana in Kolkata who he would keep revisiting and living with over the years that followed in true Gharana tradition. His eventual long-term return to Japan in 2003 was the beginning of the third generation of Indian Classical musicians in Japan. Tadao has expanded since though, with eclectic global collaborations in Europe and the US. His recent success as an author of traditional Bengali cuisine which he learned from his Guruma and curation of a series of events celebrating South Asian culture in Japan has led to the establishment of his status as an unofficial ambassador of sorts that has been endorsed by the Indian Govt. and local Indian community. In this long-form conversation, we trace the beginning of his fascinating journey and discuss ideas on the role of global cultural exchange without from a space of fearless authenticity while paying respect to the source in the 21st century.
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
Connect with Tadao:
Website: http://www.tadao.in/
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/ishihama
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/tadao.ishihama
Connect with T.L:
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 

Nurturing a Decade of Global Musicians in India as a Queer White Male with Dr. Adam Greig

Scottish-born musician and academic Dr. Adam Greig found himself being thrown into the deeper end of building one of India's most innovative institutes from the ground up when a chance classified ad in the UK after his gap year spent working and teaching at a Buddhist Monastery in India ended up in an interview he wasn't really counting on. Shortly before his sexual orientation was re-classified as 'illegal' in India after his arrival.
 
In the decade that followed the KMMC churned out a few generations of musicians embodying unique artistic profiles that have been a giant step in making the impossible possible: integrating eastern and western traditions of education in a manner that is authentic, inclusive, and globally relevant, blurring lines between social idiosyncracies and building bridges that set stunning examples of what the future of the arts can be when treated with the right mix of sensitivity and passion.
 
Collaborations with the likes of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Queensland University of Technology, Berklee College of Music, ROLI, Apple, Google and Nokia, representing the institution on platforms as diverse as YouTube Originals ARRived, to Netflix series 'The Creative Indians' alongside founder of the KMMC, the iconic, oscar-winning composer
Dr. A. R. Rahman (with whom he has been coordinating the AR Rahman Foundation on some of India's most relevant social projects, including the signing of an MoU between KMMC and Nagaland to support further cross-supportive musical activities), all stand testimony to this mammoth growth.
 
In this long-form conversation, I catch up with my dear friend and colleague to look back on the decade that's been since our last encounter, white privilege and the LGBTQ community in India and the possible manner in which all of this might co-relate to the potential risks of a post-colonial love affair with victimhood.
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
 
Connect with Adam:
Website: https://www.kmmc.in
Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamjgreig
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamjgreig/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adamjgreig
Linked in: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjgreig
Connect with T.L.
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar
 
 

Imposter Syndrome, Self-care and Learning to Listen as a Musician with Sebastien Heintz

Swiss-French producer and multi-instrumentalist Sebastien Heintz (aka Univers-Îls, OVERSEA & Z-Star Delta) used the pandemic to take a break from an intensive touring career between Europe and Australia to reexamine and reinvent his artistic lifestyle from a more holistic perspective amidst a contemplative spell of nourishing, effervescent sound collages, a new E.P. and cross-continental collaborations from his studio in Lausanne.
 
As the world approaches what appears to be the beginnings of re-normalization, I catch up with my Mmus cohort, friend, and collaborator in a vulnerable and deep exchange on the delicate balance between self-care for the musician, the perils of the touring lifestyle that were, and his current E.P. which was inspired by astronomical explorations into inner and outer space.
 
This episode is brought to you by: 
www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
(Get a 25% discount on all courses as a podcast listener here)
Music by: www.everynowheremusic.com
Text: www.tlwrites.com
Produced by T.L. Mazumdar
Recorded on a Zoom L8 mixer kindly sponsored by:
https://www.sound-service.eu     
 
Connect with Sebastien:
http://h-music.ch/
https://www.instagram.com/universils/
https://www.facebook.com/universils
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMZKwtdWy-NBEksdnA3CeuQ
https://www.instagram.com/oversea_music/
https://www.facebook.com/overseaofficial
https://www.tiktok.com/@universils
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCITo2jeSj4LYBK5Vtxgmqqg
 
Connect with T.L:
DEBUT SOLO PIANO ALBUM
Artist Website: www.everynowheremusic.com
Coaching: www.holisticpianoacademy.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everynowheremusic/
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/39S0dP5
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tlmusician
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tlmazumdar