Research & Publications

Rohan earned a Ph.D. in musicology from the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester as a Provost Fellow. His dissertation, Virtual Gurukulavasa: Tradition and Innovation in Online Carnatic Percussion Pedagogy, examines the musical, social, and cultural impact of virtual music lessons in the context of South Indian percussion. Fundamentally interdisciplinary, his research explores the exciting intersections of music, globalization, diaspora, and technology. His dissertation is available through ProQuest.

Rohan's dual passion and education in the arts and sciences has enabled him to carry out cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. His senior thesis at Kalamazoo College was entitled Acoustics of the Mridangam: Study of a New Design of a South Indian Drum. He patented a new drumhead tuning system to make tuning and head replacement more user-friendly. The patent was supported by Eastman’s Institute for Music Leadership.

Rohan conducted acoustics research on his new design at Coe College with acoustician, Dr. James Cottingham. The research was supported by a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He was invited to present his research at the international conferences of the Acoustical Society of America’s since 2007.

Publications