This month on Sonosphere we hear from Ken Zuckerman, co-founder of the Ali Akbar College in Basel, Switzerland and sarod aficionado.  Peter Lavezzoli, author, percussionist and vocalist also joins us as we discuss how Indian Classical Music has influenced modern rock, pop and ambient music today.

A significant figure in North Indian Classical Music is musician, composer and teacher Ali Akbar Khan.

With the opening of his Ali Akbar College in San Rafael California in 1967 Khan opened up an extraordinary interest from Western students and more mainstream musicians like George Harrison of the Beatles, Mickey Hart from the Grateful Dead, and cellist and avant-garde dance music composer, Arthur Russell. Kahn has taught over 10,000 students.

While we only scratch the surface of Indian Classical Music, you’ll find how one man in particular took America and popular music by storm through his teachings that span across the world and across musical genres.

Enjoy this month’s episode on Indian Classical Music.