It’s Official! Introducing…Dr. Lisa Young

Last night was my official graduation, where I wore the fancy gown and puffy hat, to receive the award of Doctor of Philosophy – Music Performance.  Thanks to my family for tagging along 🙂  It’s incredible to complete this chapter of my life which began in 2010.  I can feel a long holiday on a beach somewhere coming very soon, but for today the champagne will have to suffice!  As many of you know I have been studying and integrating the stunning art form of konnakol (Sth Indian vocal percussion) into my work for 20 years now.  I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to undertake this long research project, creating and performing new music, and investigating what is going on with konnakkol in the world.  The title is ‘The Eternal Pulse – creating with konnakkol and its adaptation into contemporary vocal performance’.  If anyone dare’s to read/view/listen – here’s the link to the e-thesis, via the Monash University Repository: PhD Lisa Young ‘The Eternal Pulse’ Monash University, Australia. It’s all about the use of konnakkol as a creative tool and the creation of The Eternal Pulse music.  It includes links to video examples, live footage,  pulse related demos, and ethnomusicological fieldwork interviews with Kaaraikkudi Mani, V. Suresh and Lori Cotler.  I am eternally grateful to my Gurus M. Ravichandhira (Melbourne) and Kaaraikkudi Mani (Chennai), and to the fabulous musicians in my quartet Stephen Magnusson, Ben Robertson and Dave Beck.