Michael Lindsey is an ethnomusicologist and doctoral candidate at UCSC. His primary research focuses on the musical traditions of South Asia, with a specific interest in the performance practices of the tabla and Kabuli rabab. Michael entered the graduate program at UCSC in 2011 after working in the South Indian film music industry for the internationally-acclaimed composer, AR Rahman. From 2008-2011 Michael lived in Chennai, India where he worked as a studio musician, sound engineer, and music teacher. In addition, he studied classical and folk percussion instruments with many acclaimed musicians in Chennai. His Master's thesis, titled "The Karnatik Tabla: Cross-Cultural Music Synthesis in South Indian Percussion Performance," discusses the evolutionary history of percussion ensembles within South Indian musical culture and examines how contemporary musicians in South India are incorporating the tabla into new performance spaces, necessitating new approaches to tabla performance practice and composition. His doctoral work focuses on the traditions of tabla performance practice ranging from the elite genres of art music to "light-classical" and devotional categories of music performance. Currently Michael is conducting fieldwork as a Fulbright-Nehru Student Researcher in New Delhi, India.
Musics of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan
Hindustani tabla performance practice
Kabuli rabab performance practice
Michael's Graduate Recital, April 2013, UCSC Recital Hall
Enthiran, AR Rahman (Think Music, 2010), compact disc.
Dilli 6, AR Rahman (T-Series, 2009), compact disc.
Slumdog Millionaire, AR Rahman (Interscope Records, 2008), compact disc.
Ada... A Way of Life, AR Rahman (Big Music, 2008), compact disc.
Yuvraaj, AR Rahman (T-Series, 2008), compact disc.
- "Exploring Sama' through Percussion in Sufi Devotional Music Performance." Presentation at the South and Central Asia Annual Fulbright Conference, Kolkata, India. March 6, 2017
- "Escaping the Violence: Afghan Musical Culture in the Fremont Diaspora." Paper presented at the Conference on the Music of South, Central, and West Asia, Harvard University, Cambridge. March 5, 2016.
- "Should I Stay or Should I Go? Afghan Music's Confrontation with Violence." Papaer presented at the Sociey for Ethnomusicology's annual meeting, Austin, Texas. December 4, 2015
- "Coming Together: Extra-Cultural Inclusion in South Indian Percussion Ensembles." Paper presented at the Northern California Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology (NCCSEM) annual meeting. March 1, 2014.
- "Issues in Contemporary Ethnomusicology: The Karnatik Tabla." Presentation given at DePauw University. November 13, 2013.
- "Vistar: Musical Improvisation in North Indian Tabla." Presentation given at California State University, Monterey Bay. November 4, 2013.
- "The Karnatik Tabla: Innovative Approaches to Composition in Contemporary South Indian Percussion." Paper presented at the NCCSEM annual meeting. March 2, 2013.
- Asian Cultural Council - Afghanistan Award, 2017
- US Fulbright-Nehru Student Research Award, 2016
- Critical Language Scholarship - Hindi, Summer 2015
- Critical Language Scholarship - Hindi, Summer 2014
- UCSC Regent's Doctoral Fellowship, 2013
- UCSC Regent's Fellowship, 2011
- Pi Kappa Lambda, Musical Honor Society, DePauw University, 2008
- Eta Sigma Phi, Classics Honor Society, DePauw University, 2008
- Marcus R. Veatch Scholar, DePauw University, 2004
Tabla Performance Practice
Improvisation
Music and Nationalism
Music Theory