Guy Beck

Dr. Guy L. Beck is a member of the Religious Studies faculty at Tulane University. [http://www.tulane.edu/~rtw/faculty.htm] He has a Ph.D. in Religion, South Asia from Syracuse University, a graduate degree in Musicology (M.A.) from Syracuse University and an M.A. in Religious Studies (Western religions) from the University of South Florida. Dr. Beck has published "Sonic Theology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound" (University of South Carolina Press, 1993) where he examined Hindu theology relative to sacred sound. He has also published, as editor, "Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity" (SUNY Press, 2005), where he looks at the Krishnology of the Vaishnava sect known as the Radhavallabha Sampradaya. His recently edited volume, "Sacred Sound: Experiencing Music in World Religions" (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2006), includes a CD of forty selections of world religious chant and music. When Beck was a Visiting Fellow for three months at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies at Oxford University in the fall of 2001, he delivered the Michaelmas Lectures on Hinduism and Music. During this time, he also received a grant from the Infinity Foundation for research and study at Oxford on the Indic influences on world religious chant and music.

Guy Beck performs Hindustani vocal classical music and has released two CDs of his own; "Sacred Raga" (New Orleans: STR Digital Records, 1999) and "Sanjher Pradip" (Calcutta: Bihaan Music, 2004). Originally studying under Prof. Sailen Banerjee of the Tansen Music College in Calcutta (1975-1980), he has continued his training under Pandit Arun Bhaduri (Kirana Gharana/Guru, ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta) and Pandit Vijay Kichlu (Agra Gharana/Founder and Former Director, ITC Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta). Guy Beck has performed in several national music conferences in India and is the first American vocalist to have appeared in an all-India music conference (1977) of Hindustani music. He has also performed on Door Darshan (Indian TV), and on Radio Nepal. He has taught several students the art of Hindustani vocal music, and frequently gives lecture/demonstrations on American college campuses and other venues. For a history of Hindustani music and an overview of his musical training, see his article, "The Magic of Hindu Music," in "Hinduism Today" (October 2007, pp. 20-31). For further studies in Hindustani music, Beck has held a Fulbright Research Grant and a Senior Performing Arts Fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies (A.I.I.S.). Beck is also an accomplished pianist.

During the post-Katrina academic years of 2005-2007, he taught at University of North Carolina at Wilmington and University of Mississippi (as Croft Visiting Assistant Professor)] .

External links

*http://www.strdigital.com/beck.htm
*http://www.bihaanmusic.com/guy-beck.htm
*http://www.wlu.ca/press/Catalog/beck.shtml