J O S E P H   M.   G E T T E R

multi-instrumentalist · ethnomusicologist · educator

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Saraswati's Journey South Indian Karnatak Music in the United States by Joseph Michael Getter  A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Wesleyan University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Middletown, Connecticut May, 1998 © Joseph M. Getter, 1998 All Rights Reserved

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Abstract:

This thesis is about the foundation, institutionalization, and transformation of South Indian Karnatak Music in the United States. This classical musical tradition has ancient origins in the Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam language and culture areas of Southern India. It came to the US primarily through Indians arriving after the 1965 reform of immigration laws; I also examine those who preceded the diasporic South Asian communities. Central concerns of the thesis regard social networks and activities of the Indian diaspora, cases of cultural flow between India and the US, and details of Indian music education systems that undergo degrees of adaptation.

The thrust of this thesis is that South Indian music in the US serves a wide variety of social, spiritual, cultural, and musical needs. I examine those who utilize Karnatak music as a discipline, as a component of religious celebrations, and as a means of identifying as Indian, of transmitting culture, and of collaborating cross-culturally. The evidence for my interpretations includes interviews, published accounts, archival documents and recordings, participant-observation at Indian cultural events, and my years of Karnatak music study.

In Chapter One I outline interconnected issues indispensable for an understanding of Karnatak music in America: the Hindu religion and South Asian traditions; contemporary migration and global diasporas; and appropriate and changing systems of music education. Chapter Two looks at the first Karnatak musicians here, while Chapter Three charts the development of musical organizations. Chapter Four examines Hindu temples in the US, important sites for music and culture. Chapter Five assesses the transmission of music and culture by teachers. Chapter Six considers music by children of immigrants and by non-Indians, and Chapter Seven closes with a look at ethical and musical issues in fusion music. The thesis contains an audio CD recording, numerous illustrations, and an extensive bibliography.

Contents

List of Illustrations, Tables, and Photographs
Compact Disc Contents
Acknowledgments