Based in Oakland, California, he also founded the Alaya Project, an ensemble that blends the traditions of Carnatic music with those of contemporary jazz and funk. As the percussionist for the group, he developed his own drum set, one that combines Indian percussive instruments like the mridangam with the snare, bass, and cymbals found in many jazz and funk drum sets.<\/p>\n
![\"Rohan](\"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/alumni-news-media\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/page40_high-res_RohanK.png\")
PATENTED PERCUSSIONIST: Krishnamurthy has developed his own drum kit that combines a jazz-style set with traditional Indian instruments. As an Eastman student, he patented a system for tuning mridangams and other percussion instruments.<\/p><\/div>\n
He holds a patent for a system for tuning Indian percussion instruments, an entrepreneurial endeavor he began as a student at the Eastman School of Music.<\/p>\n
As the journal of the Percussive Arts Society <\/em>notes, he is a leader of a \u201cnew, trendsetting percussion paradigm.\u201d<\/p>\n How were your introduced to Indian music? <\/strong><\/p>\n I grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a pretty unlikely place to turn out a professional Indian percussionist. But my parents were very musical. Our Kalamazoo house was always filled with great Indian music from their huge collection\u2014Carnatic music from southern India; Indian pop, including Bollywood-style music; Indo jazz; and much more.<\/p>\n How does drumming bridge cultures? <\/strong><\/p>\n For me, music is about expressing what is essential in all of us, regardless of where we come from. Cultures can have their own distinct musical style, but all music has one thing in common: rhythm. It\u2019s universal. Rhythm is part of everything\u2014from the beat of the drum, to our heartbeats, to our breathing. There\u2019s something about rhythm that ties us all together.<\/p>\n