Daniel Birch Vadya Nipun, Bhatkande Sangit Vidyapith, Lucknow, 1983

MA in South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1994
 
Sarod Player Extraordinaire.

Trained in the Nepal, Lucknow, Shahjahanpur and Maihar Gharanas.

	Born on November 11th, 1952, from early childhood Danny Birch knew 
he would be a musician.   He reached this conclusion at the age of 3 while
listening to his father play French horn. His father taught him the French 
horn from the age of 6.  At 12 Danny took up the guitar.  He learned for 
some years without instruction, playing folk and blues on acoustic guitar 
and then psychedelic rock music on electric guitar. Influenced by the music 
of George Harrison's Indianesque Beatle's songs and Wonderwall album, 
Danny developed an interest in South Asian music and culture. Meanwhile, 
in 1970 Danny began guitar lessons with the legendary folk-blues-gospel-ragtime 
great, Reverend Gary Davis.  He learned with Gary Davis until his death 
in 1972. In 1972 Danny visited Nepal for the first time as a tourist. He knew
he had to go to Nepal, but didn't know why.  In 1973 Danny heard the 
performance of Vasant Rai, a sarod player and student of Alaudin Khan at 
Columbia University. Subsequently he visited Vasant Rai at his apartment in 
Brooklyn. Upon hearing Rai's sarod performance close up at home, Danny 
immediately knew that it was his purpose in life to learn and practice sarod. 
 
	Danny traveled to India in 1974 for the purpose of studying the sarod in 
particular and South Asian culture in general. After living in Shree 
Yukteshwar's ashram in Puri for a few months studying Kriya Yoga with Swami
Hariharananda, Danny traveled to Nepal where he met his first teacher, Mohan Sundar, 
the Royal Court Musician for the Maharaja of Nepal. After studying for 2 years, 
at the advice of his guru, Danny went to Lucknow where he studied sarod with 
Suprabhat Pal, who was a chela of Ustad Alaudin Khan of Maihar Gharana.  
He subsequently studied under Ustad Ilyas Khan, who was head of the Department 
of Instrumental Music at the Bhatkhande Sangit Vidyapith and an exponent of both 
the Lucknow and Shajahanpur Gharanas.   In 1980 Danny earned the degree 
Vadya Visharad and in 1983 the degree Vadya Nipun from the Bhatkande Sangit
Vidyapith.  He continued studying with Ilyas Khan until his demise in 1990.   
At the same time Danny had been taking instruction intermittently with Ustad 
Bahadur Khan of Calcutta, an expert in the Maihar Gharana.  All the while Danny 
maintained a residence in Nepal and continued his lessons with Mohan Sundar 
and Ganesh Bahadur Bhandari, also a court musician in Nepal.  Meanwhile, 
Danny studied tabla with Pandit Shambhu Prasad Mishra, a court musician to the 
Maharaja of Nepal and Pandit Choti Lal Mishra, both exponents of the Banaras 
Gharana.  He returned briefly to the USA in 1993-94 to earn an MA in South Asian 
Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.  Danny also holds certificates 
in Nepali and Sanskrit languages from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.  He remained in 
Nepal until 2001 when he returned to New York.  Presently he resides in Ithaca,
New York, but plans to shift to Maui, Hawaii in the near future as of November, 2006.

	Danny was a lecturer in the Music Department of Kathmandu University for 6 years.   
He was also active in performing at various venues such as on Nepal radio and TV 
from the late 1970's until 2001.  For many years he performed sarod regularly at the 
Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple for the full moon concerts and the twice monthly "Ekadashi" 
concerts held at the Narayanthan Temple, also in Kathmandu.  He won Third Prize in 
the Radio Nepal Classical Musical Contest in 1987. He was director of local music for 
the film, "The Little Buddha".  Similarly he composed directed and performed music
for a number of dramas in Nepal with the Studio 7 Troupe at the Hotel Vajra.  
He performed regularly at the Hotel Vajra's Pagoda Room for over 20 years.