Photo of the instrument, Yāḻ.
Faculty Member: JD Samson, Clive Davis Institute
Collaborator: Hitha Yelluru (‘23 Clive Davis Institute)
Supported by the Collaborative Impact Grant 2024-2025
This collaborative research project aims to document and revitalize the Yāḻ, an ancient Indian stringed instrument facing cultural extinction, through field research, audio recordings, and documentary filmmaking. Initial research began in August 2024 with foundational investigations into the Yāḻ's history and consultations with Indian researchers and ethnomusicologists. Hitha Yelluru, a Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music major, has worked with faculty to develop best practices for field recording and music production. Celeste Yeany, a Film & TV and Environmental Studies double major, has consulted with professors to establish a documentary framework. Local Indian artists have joined conversations to provide additional recording support.
The research will result in multiple deliverables: a sampling library for contemporary artists, an album featuring the Yāḻ in practice, and a documentary series bringing visibility to the instrument's cultural heritage.This project represents a rich collaboration between the Tisch community and the Indian communities who uphold the history of the Yāḻ. Combining scholarly research with creative production, the work bridges academic inquiry and cultural preservation, creating resources that serve both artistic and archival purposes. The sampling database will enable contemporary musicians to incorporate these traditional sounds into new work, while the documentary ensures these communities' stories reach global audiences.
This initiative addresses global cultural preservation and civic engagement, bringing international attention to rural musicians whose instruments represent both livelihood and identity. The Yāḻ's preservation is essential not only to India's musical heritage but also to the cultural survival and civic participation of the communities who sustain it.