by Linda Kohanov
Since 1975, this New Zealand artist has made numerous trips to India to absorb the culture, study the music, and record performances by indigenous artists. In addition to producing two albums of traditional Tibetan ritual music by the monks of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery (for the Fortuna Records Sacred Ceremonies series), Parsons has translated the essence of his oriental journeys through the lush yet profound soundscapes he has created for a number of highly regarded solo albums. Originally a jazz-rock drummer, he became interested in the music of India when he heard a performance by sitar master Ravi Shankar over two decades ago. Parsons bought a sitar and explored the instrument on his own for several years before studying with Krishna Chakravarty, one of Shankars most accomplished disciples. After several trips to the East, Parsons composed almost exclusively for Indian instruments until 1979 when he purchased his first synthesizer. He now owns one of the largest electronic recording studios in New Zealand, where he composes for radio, TV, and film. His devotion to both Western technology and Eastern music has made for a potent, highly imaginative style of composition.