USA Today, the largest circulated daily in the USA, has selected mridangist Rohan Krishnamurthy of Kalamazoo, Michigan for inclusion in its All-College Academic B Team. This year, Rohan was selected out of more than 600 nominations and is the first student from Kalamazoo College where he is a sophomore, to be so honored  The All-College Academic A, B and C  Teams  is one of the most prestigious national recognitions for undergraduate college students and is given by an elite panel of judges drawn from a wide spectrum of disciplines.  In order to be considered for this award, the candidate must be nominated by their college for exceptional academic standing and leadership qualities in and out of the classroom. The A team is almost exclusively made up of  college seniors.  Indian students have traditionally done well in this selection process but what makes Rohan’s selection unique is the fact that USA Today has singled him out  for his efforts in promoting  South Indian Classical music in general and the art of mridangam in particular. In fact, Rohan was also the only student to be selected to the academic team this year for musical accomplishments.  The USA Today citation describes Rohan as “an international mridangam performer who promotes the pitched South Indian drum and has redesigned the instrument to make it more durable and user-friendly.”

According to Rohan, who also pursues a double major in chemistry and music, “the recognition is a gratifying vindication of the levels to which one can pursue Indian Classical Music and other unique endeavors in the US”.  He further hopes that his selection will “encourage students in the US and elsewhere to pursue their dreams, however unusual and out-of-the-ordinary they may seem, without inhibitions.”

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