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In 1984, I organized an SEM panel called "Things Our Gurus Taught Us." Even then I was aware of the unique relationship that can be established between teacher and student and the significant impact an exceptional teacher can have on students generally. I was blessed by two such exceptional teachers, who each in their own way had a major impact, not just on me, which by itself wouldn't be so interesting, but on a host of others. Bruno Netti is of course well-known to all of you, in many cases directly.
Sabri Khan was a world-class sarangi player, generally regarded as one of the top three sarangi players in India, and the most sought-after accompanist. For those working in India, his name will be recognized, not only as my teacher but also as Regula Qureshi's teacher.
By way of introduction I would like to draw some comparisons between Bruno Netti's and Sabri Khan's lives. They both aspired and succeeded to become among the very best in their fields. As young men, both experienced the trauma of war; Bruno when he had to leave Prague because of Nazis targeting those of Jewish descent and Sabri Khan because of the communal riots in Delhi up to and through partition in which Muslims were targeted. What draws them most closely together, however, was their dedication to their students. Bruno not only guided innumerable students through their dissertations but worked ceaselessly to get them placed in academic positions. Sabri Khan not only guided his offspring, which is what hereditary musicians do, but had them all educated, including his daughters, at a time when this was very rare for this community of hereditary Muslim musicians, known as Mirasis. He also taught many others and succeeded in getting them placed at All India Radio and later at the television station and other local institutions.
First Steps
It has been almost sixty years since I first met Bruno Netti in the autumn of 1965, just a year after he had joined the faculty at the University of Illinois in 1964.1 was introduced to him by William Kay Archer, a linguist and Persianlanguage specialist who taught in the anthropology department at Illinois. New to the department in 1965,1 told Archer that I had...