The Watson Foundation awards Fellowships to forty graduating seniors from select liberal arts colleges in the U.S. "The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship offers college graduates of 'unusual promise' a year of independent, purposeful exploration and travel -- in international settings new to them -- to enhance their capacity for resourcefulness, imagination, openness, and leadership and to foster their humane and effective participation in the world community."
During 2014-15, I will examine cultural hybridity through exploring local
music traditions and their interactions with 'outside' influences in China
(Hong Kong, Urumqi, Xi’an), Indonesia (Bali, Banyuwangi), and Turkey
(Istanbul). Through the process of learning, creating, and performing music
from many different traditions and styles, I seek new perspective on how others
perceive and understand music and society. In doing so, I aim to broaden my
skills as a musician, and more importantly, to develop my capacity for
cross-cultural communication.
