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Two years in India were life changing, says musician Max ZT

When I went back from Senegal after two months, I came out with an entire album, but when I went back home from India, I could write only one song.

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Max ZT playing the hammered dulcimer.
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We have heard of a zillion clichés where Westerners come to India for enlightenment, to find the meaning of life, but seldom do we actually witness one of them pursuing and living that. Here, Max ZT, a musician who is lauded as the Jimi Hendrix of hammered dulcimer, talks about his journey, and especially about how living in India for two years and studying under Pandit Shivkumar Sharma proved to be transformative. Read on…

How did you get into music?

I grew up in Chicago with parents who were photographers and filmmakers. Chicago is also rich in tradition, music, art, history and culture. Initially, I played American folk music and Irish music from the time I was about 7 years old, but it was only when I turned 12 or 13, that I actually got better instruments. It was also around the same time that I had a conversation with my dulcimer teacher and I discovered that teaching music was what he did for a living. I was amazed and decided, if that’s what I have to do for a living, I was ready. But more than anything, I think it is the passion and curiosity that really takes you ahead. Then I went to West Africa, Senegal, to learn to drum, where I discovered another instrument called Kora. I spent two months there and then came back to Chicago and then moved to New York.

How did you get interested in Indian classical music?

When I moved to New York I came across Indian classical music and found it very interesting to the extent that I applied to the American Institute of Indian Studies and came to Mumbai, to study under Pandit Shivkumar Shankar for two years. The two years I spent in India have been life changing. I found my goal here, I learnt to live in the moment, and the fact that in the moment there is no ego, to understand perspectives and much more. I found that happiness lies in the ability to live in the present and loving what you do, be it making music or even folding laundry.
Of course, these things were learnt over a lifetime, gradually, but the realisation of it all came in India. There have been times when I haven’t learned nothing in a class, but learnt a whole lot of things travelling in a cab from one destination to another. 
I obviously learnt a lot academically, but there were definitely many more philosophical things as well. The title guru cannot be equated to an English word, be it teacher or mentor. In fact, when I went back from Senegal after two months, I came out with an entire album, but when I went back home from India, I could write only one song.

So is there a process of composing music?

Probably (laughs). I have been playing the instrument for over 24 years now and over these years, I have found and composed many melodies and patterns. After composing about 60-70 songs, there are now times when I question myself, 'now what?' I now have to dig deeper and deeper and sit with the instrument and play to find new patterns. Today, I can say that my new compositions are much more intelligent and complex than my earlier ones.

Is there any instrument that you want to learn?

There are many actually. But surprisingly and as weird as it may sound, I cannot play a guitar! I can’t even do two chords, no matter how hard I try (laughs). 

(Max ZT will be speaking at the TEDxGateway, Mumbai, on December 5, 2015, at NCPA)


This article was first published on iamin.in. For more such hyperlocal stories, visit their website.

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