Photograph by Sarah Morelli
Trio Tarana were the recipient of a grant from the Marsico Fund at Denver University which enabled the Lamont School of Music to invite us for a week-long residency. Since I had Aakash Mittal and Trina Basu on board, we were uniquely able to cover ground on South Indian Classical Music, Jazz Improvisation, and the use of music-technology/software/hardware in a live-performance. Furthermore, we were asked to conduct workshops on Music Therapy and the use of Social-Media/DIY touring for up-n-coming musicians.
At the end of the week, we performed with the Lamont School of Music Student Ensembles, during which each of us led an ensemble in a performance of an original piece. This collaborative performance was part of a new initiative at DU called Expanding Horizons. We had a great time with the students, and were inspired by their enthusiasm and creative/technical abilities as well. The faculty were also immensely supportive of our endeavors, and all those factors made this residency an amazingly creative (no holds barred!) and satisfying experience. We hope to come back in the future!