Michael  Siegell

 

Michael with his wife Lakshmi in concert. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Michael with his wife Lakshmi in concert. Image rendition by Anthony Zois.

AMERICAN

 

SITAR PLAYER & ACADEMIC

 

Michael was the 1st artist invited by Meher Spiritual Center to inaugurate its Artist-in Residence program in May 2018.

April 2016 ; Michael & Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC. - photo taken by Anthony Zois
April 2016 ; Michael & Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC. - photo taken by Anthony Zois

 

Devoted to Meher Baba since 1970. Michael Siegell , Ph.D. is an accomplished and versatile sitarist and one of the few westerners to train seriously in North India classical music.

 

He has been studying the sitar since the 1970s both in the U.S. and in India.

 

Michael is Core Professor of Psychology and Program Chair of Psychology at Cambridge College.

 

Michael was awarded a Senior Fellowship by the American Institute of Indian Studies-Smithsonian Institution to complete his Doctorate and continue his cross-cultural research and music training in India ( 1985 -'86 ) and later awarded an Academic Fellowship at the European Graduate School ( EGS ) in Switzerland in their Arts, Health and Society program.  His Doctoral Psychology training included a long association with Erik Erikson as Clinical Fellow and then later worked with him as staff at the Erikson Center.

 

Professor Michael Siegell, PhD, was recently appointed Visiting Adjunct Professor at European Graduate School, Division of Arts, Health & Society, in Saas-Fee Switzerland. During his initial stay in Switzerland, Professor Siegell taught graduate psychology courses in the Expressive Arts program, presented a keynote lecture entitled " Notes on Creativity, Freedom and Identity : Soundings from a Cross Cultural Pilgrim ", community.

He continues as Adjunct Professor at EGS in Switzerland supervising doctoral students.

 

 

1979 - Michael accompaning Adi K. Irani at the Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.
1979 - Michael accompaning Adi K. Irani at the Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Michael stated that he bought that sitar (above) in Calcutta in 1978, and the above picture was taken during Adi's last visit to the Center.

 

His musical training and study included long stays in Pune, India with Ravi Shankar's longtime senior disciple Pandit Bhaskar Chandavarkar.

He has accompanied and performed with Ravi Shankar in Symphony Hall, Boston.

Michael's training has also included intensive study with Peter Row, past Provost of New England Conservatory, who trained with Gokul Nag.

 

Michael played and contributed music to the "Song of Huma" recording of Baba's early ghazals - sung by women mandali and others, that was created by Elaine Cox in the 1980s.

 

 

Michael with his sitar teacher Pandit B.Chandavarkar in Pune, India from 1985-86
Michael with his sitar teacher Pandit B.Chandavarkar in Pune, India from 1985-86
  Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Image rendition by Anthony Zois.
Nov. 1977 : Michael ( far right ) with Win Coates ( far left ) & Babu Ram Prasad of Nauranga Village, Hamirpur District, India.
Nov. 1977 : Michael ( far right ) with Win Coates ( far left ) & Babu Ram Prasad of Nauranga Village, Hamirpur District, India.

 

 

GLOW INTERNATIONAL magazine

- Spring 2013

 

Michael wrote a tribute to Ravi Shankar in this issue of the magazine.

Pages 20 - 24

 

 

1980s Los Angeles ; Michael & Lakshmi with Ravi Shankar
1980s Los Angeles ; Michael & Lakshmi with Ravi Shankar
Group Photo at The Trust office December 1977. Michael is seated in the middle of the bottom row.
Group Photo at The Trust office December 1977. Michael is seated in the middle of the bottom row.

 

This DVD was Written, Produced & Directed by Buz & Wendy Connors

 

Indian music directed and performed by Michael Siegell.

 

72 mins.

 April 2016 ; Michael & Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC. - photo taken by Anthony Zois
April 2016 ; Michael & Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC. - photo taken by Anthony Zois

Siegell appointed Visiting Adjunct Professor at European Graduate School in Switzerland

 

Professor Michael Siegell, PhD, was recently appointed Visiting Adjunct Professor at European Graduate School, Division of Arts, Health & Society, in Saas-Fee Switzerland. During his three week stay in Switzerland, Professor Siegell taught two graduate psychology courses in the Expressive Arts program, presented a keynote lecture entitled Notes on Creativity, Freedom and Identity: Soundings from a Cross Cultural Pilgrim, and performed a concert on Sitar along with his wife, for the college community.

Dr. Siegell in Switzerland

Dr. Siegell is a member of the Core Faculty at Cambridge College and is Program Chair of the Bachelor of Arts in Psychology program.

Across the U.S. and abroad, Dr. Siegell has worked as an educator, teacher, clinician, consultant and performer in a wide variety of different educational, cultural and organizational settings and institutions. He combines scholarly, clinical and artistic interests in a broad range of interdisciplinary topics especially connected to: human development, the cross-cultural experience, the psychological and therapeutic dimensions of the arts and the spiritual impulse.

2016
2016
Michael and Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, Sth.Carolina Photo by Anthony Zois
Michael and Lakshmi at Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, Sth.Carolina Photo by Anthony Zois

Video courtesy of Robin Vogel

Michael performing with Ravi Shankar
Michael performing with Ravi Shankar

Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.  -  April 2017

 

Mid-April 2017 ; Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.
Mid-April 2017 ; Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.

Meher Center, Myrtle Beach, SC.  -  April 2019