Guy
Beck has studied Indian classical music for six years in Calcutta, India,
from Sri Sailen Banerjee of the Tansen Music College, named after Tansen
the legendary singer of Akbar's court in the 16th century. He also learned
from Sri Ashish Goswami (disciple of the late Ustad Bade Gulam Ali Khan),
and from Sri Arun Bhaduri of the Sangeet Research Academy in Calcutta.
He obtained several academic degrees in Indian music while in India, and
was also trained in the devotional music of the temples of Vrindaban and
Mathura. Performing vocal music for over twenty years, he has appeared
on Indian TV (Door Darshan), Radio Nepal, and in several All-India Music
Conferences.
Guy Beck is one of the first Americans to become proficient in the tradition
of Hindustani vocal music, and the first to perform in a national music
conference in India (1977). He holds a Ph.D. in South Asian religion and
an M.A. in Musicology, and currently teaches at the college level while
lecturing and performing in America and abroad. His book, Sonic Theology:
Hinduism and Sacred Sound, which explains the philosophical dimension
of sound and music in the Hindu tradition, has received wide acclaim from
scholars and practitioners.
His recording, Sacred Raga, is unique as
it features Guy Beck performing on a variety of instruments that have
been combined in a multi-track system. Beck sings and plays a drone on
the tanpura, a long-necked lute with four strings, performs on the harmonium,
a reed-driven keyboard, and plays the kartals or hand-cymbals on the two
Bhajan selections. The tabla rhythms have been provided by Sri Ashwin
Batish, yet have been blended in by Beck and the studio engineers. The
result is a special mix of Indian sound that takes the shape of a single
"voice."