In 2004, I received an unexpected email from New Delhi, India, signed by Thakur Chakrapani Singh. In it, he told me that after visiting my website, he was very interested in collaborating with me. "I want to do something new in the music field, not like a fusion but some exemplary creative work." My feelings, always. I immediately visited Chakrapani's website and listened to excerpts of his ragas, entranced. I had never collaborated with another composer before, but I sensed that a wonderful opportunity had presented itself to me in the form of this brilliantly gifted veena maestro.

I responded to Chakrapani that I was currently starting work on an album of electroacoustic pieces for soloists accompanied by a prerecorded soundscape. In previous such projects, I had always composed both the soloist's part and the electronic track. But this time, I suggested something different. "Send me a cleanly recorded CD with any tracks you wish of about ten minutes each, with or without tabla," I wrote him. "I especially love what I heard of your Raag Bageswari." Not long after, I received a CD from halfway around the world, featuring that raga as well as his Raag Megh, ready for me to begin my exploration.

My first task was to listen carefully to the material and decide which sections to include, and where. I wanted to create a flow between the recording of the veena with and without tabla. Then, the bigger challenge began: blending our musical voices from two sides of the planet.

Indian music is centered around linear melody and rhythm. Western music is all about vertical harmony and counterpoint. These are two very different approaches to creating music, but in this case, I viewed them as two halves of what could be a lovely whole.

Aiming to keep the focus on Chakrapani and his incredible veena technique, I chose an electronic palette I hoped would enhance the beauty of his unique melody. I subtly imposed harmonies that I'm certain in some cases he would never have imagined. At one point, I worried I might offend this great Indian artist with my additions. But I reminded myself that Chakrapani wouldn't have reached out to an American composer had he wanted his music to sound solely Indian. Soon after, I found myself picking up my guitar and adding an even more distinct American sound to the piece. When I first heard Chakrapani's raga, I was struck by his use of major triad chords and jazz fusion-style syncopated rhythms. Yet I doubt he knew his raga also worked well as a full solo over a twelve-bar boogie-woogie blues!

" I myself can simply say that it is not only unique but superb too... Your blending is as such that the Indian music and your surrounding music is quite distinct and also supporting each other."

— response from Thakur Chakrapani Singh, composer and veena player