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Professor fuses music of the West and India with family trio

Paul Erhard performs on his double bass, in the back porch of his home in Pierport, Michigan.
Daniel Wanschura

Have you ever wondered about the difference between the music of India, and the music of the West? 

Professor Paul Erhard has, and combines elements of each to form a unique blend of music that includes some jazz.

Paul Erhard is the Professor of Double Bass at the University of Colorado College of Music. He became interested in Indian music shortly after getting married in 1985. He and his wife visited India because they had an interest in the spirituality of the people.

As a double bass player, Erhard began exploring ways he could use Indian music to increase his repertoire. Eventually, he started adding Indian music in his traditional bass recitals.

“After a classical sonata or before a Schubert arpeggione, I would then have a 10 or 15 minute Indian piece," he says. "And people really liked that.

Paul Erhard says the main difference between traditional Indian music and Western music, is that Indian music is monophonic– it doesn’t have harmony, just the melody line. It’s similar to how a Gregorian chant sounds.

He started a family trio called Sands Around Infinity and plays with his two sons Jeffrey and Robert. Together, they blend these monophonic sounds with Western music styles to create a unique pairing of different music worlds.

You can hear Paul Erhard perform with his sons, Sunday evening at Kirkbride Hall in the Grand Traverse Commons. For more information, click here

Dan Wanschura is the Host and Executive Producer of Points North.