Hi World! I'm a recent grad from Amherst College in Massachussetts, USA having majored in Music and Computer Science. I am performer, composer, and researcher. I specialize in Hindustani vocal and jazz piano performance, and I mostly compose and arrange for voices. I'm travelling the world for two years on the Watson and Fulbright research fellowships to explore the place of music in Islam and the historic relationship between folk and classical music in South Asia. I look forward to topping off my travel experiences with an MA/PhD program in Ethnomusicology.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

Couchsurfing is undeniably awesome. It's one thing to visit and exit a new city only having been exposed to generic tourist sites. Its a completely different thing to build friendships and connections along the way. Also, gotta build up those karma points for reincarnation/afterlife.

Interests

Basketball because ball is life.
Running to unleash the masochist within.
Yoga and Vipassana to tame said masochist.
Cooking for sustenance and saving $$.

• singing
• performing arts
• concerts
• dancing
• ballroom dancing
• environment
• cooking
• yoga
• running
• politics
• traveling
• music
• jazz
• piano
• surfing
• basketball
• computer science
• engineering
• science
• software

Music, Movies, and Books

Most anything at all. Over the years, I've learned to force myself to like things other people like even though I may not like them initially. Nonetheless, here are a few selections that are worth singling out:

Music

Radiohead, SBTRKT, Massive Attack, The Hics, James Blake, Banks, FTSE, Flying Lotus, MF Doom, The Album Leaf, The Internet, Senior/Junior Dagar Brothers, Mallikarjun Mansur, Nikhil Banerjee, Imrat Khan, Keith Jarret, Vijay Iyer, Johnny Hartman, John Hendricks, Billy Eckstine, Avishai Cohen, Tyshawn Sorey, Snarky Puppy, Cecile McLorin Salvant, Bud Powell, Art Tatum, Tigran Hamasyan, Arvo Pärt, Morten Lauridsen, La Monte Young, Ligeti, Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Giovanni, Palestrina

Movies
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Godfather, Amelie, The Shawshank Redemption, Some Like It Hot

Books
Brave New World, 1984, The Grapes of Wrath, East of Eden, A Confederacy of Dunces.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I directed and conducted a children's choir for a national cultural convention within the United States as a 14 year old in 2010. The choir consisted of roughly 20 children (ages 8 - 14). The concert hall was a full house, and we performed my arrangement of Michael Jackson's "Heal the World".

Teach, Learn, Share

“After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” -Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

“Human sexuality has been regulated and shaped by men to serve men’s need.” – Ana Castillo (1953-)

“Revolution: in politics, an abrupt change in the form of misgovernment.” –Ambrose Bierce (c. 1842- 1914)

What I Can Share with Hosts

I can sing and play music in a variety of genres on a variety of instruments.

I can offer language lessons in English, Bengali, Hindi, and Urdu and to a lesser extent in Spanish and German.

I can cook vegan/vegetarian food and both American and South Asian appetizers/meals.

I can do dishes, mop floors, scrub down bathrooms, and wash laundry pretty well if I may say so myself.

I can offer a pair of receptive ears and an open mind for memorable conversations/debates that just may hit you in the feels.

Countries I’ve Visited

Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Czech Republic, England, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Slovakia, United States

Countries I’ve Lived In

Austria, Bangladesh, United States