This week, Berklee holds a flurry of events in New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay), India, including clinics and its first-ever auditions and interviews for prospective students. (Learn more about the trip.) The team includes David McKay, Berklee’s VP for institutional advancement; frequent fliers Jason Camelio and Gojko Damjanic of International Programs; contemporary writing and production faculty Michael Farquharson; and Dan Carlin, chair of film scoring, who takes us from his home in Massachusetts to touching down in the subcontinent.

This journey started with Jason Camelio picking me up at my Southborough home at 1:00 pm Friday, then we drove onto Newton, where Michael Farquharson hopped in, after which we swung by Beth Israel to pick up shot records. We finally arrived at Logan Airport in time to meet Gojko Damjanic and David McKay before catching our 4:00 flight to Newark. Anxious to experience as much of the notorious New Jersey culinary delights as possible, we dined in the airport and then allowed ourselves to be corralled onto the 8:45 flight to Delhi (moooooo). We landed 13.5 hours later (apparently it is Saturday night here). Continental has a good music selection, and I had brought some movies to watch, so it wasn’t too painful—especially with the new slick Sony noise-reduction headphones my wife gave me for Christmas. (What a great invention—I should have whined for these things long ago!)

‘Twas a typical customs circus inside the airport, where we were met and rescued by a helpful Berklee alumnus and his friends, who arranged our car trip to the hotel (about 30 minutes away). The good news is that all the car and truck horns work splendidly here. The bad news is that there appears to be no obligation either to drive within marked lanes or to replace tail/brake-light bulbs that have burned—or been smashed—out.

We each have a nicely appointed, comfortable, non-smoking, king-bed room at the hotel. Tomorrow is a day off for recovery, so I will complete my clinic preparations before venturing out into the unknown.

Stay tuned.

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