Week 6: Cherry Wine

“Dance the night away, 

Baby, we could try to, 

Make the world spin slower, 

We could take our time and, 

Get to know each other over cherry wine” – Grentperez

I was in India this entire week, and it was my first time visiting in 11 years. I thought the chorus of “Cherry Wine” by Grentperez was fitting, as I would have loved to stay in India for longer, since I felt like I had just started to get used to it before we had to leave. 

Sounds are constant in India, which is music in itself. I thought I would list out all instances of “music” I encountered on my trip: 

1)  The koel bird’s song, waking me up at 5 in the morning. 

2)  Traffic sounds. People honk at every convenience, ensuring that the roads are never quiet, not even at midnight. 

3)  Drums at a parade. They were deafening, but nearly 15 drummers managed to have the same rhythm, and start and stop in synchrony. 

4)  Laziums, at the same parade. This is a wooden instrument with small metal cymbals. A group of young girls were playing these instruments while performing a traditional dance. 

5)  Music playing in stores. Usually, bollywood music was played in small street stores, and popular western songs were played in large malls. 

6)  Salesmen, constantly asking questions, on the street. I think I’ve picked up some new words in Hindi due to asking retail workers questions. 

7)  Meeting relatives. While we were singing a song, an old family member remembered some of the words and started singing along. 

Overall, India was a wonderful experience, and did introduce me to new definitions of music. It was almost jarring to return back to the quiet roads of the USA. 

While I was MIA, some progress still did occur. I contacted someone who is part of a piano quintet, who would like to record an arrangement. Additionally, we have one recording finalized for our first band! Their cover of “Cherry Wine” has been mixed and mastered, and I hope to release that recording sometime next week. Listen in then!