Ben Seretan ’10 wrote his senior thesis on an influential cellist who is involved in everything from Indian classical music to disco. An American Studies and Music double major with a concentration in experimental music and maritime studies, he was at first hesitant to add a thesis to his commitments. Seretan e-mailed the Argus from Los Angeles, where he was opening for a band at the Wailing Wall show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, to tell us about his process.
The Argus: What is your thesis about?
Ben Seretan: My thesis deals with various facets of the music of Arthur Russell, a queer cellist born in Iowa who became deeply involved in Indian classical music, New York minimalism, disco, and breezy acoustic pop. The paper is actually a collection of ten short essays and a large-scale live performance with a ten-piece band and video projections.
A: How did you decide to write about this topic?
BS: I was pretty on the fence about doing a two-semester long project, but the Music department encouraged us majors to start one anyway since “you can always drop a thesis.” I never ended up dropping mine, I guess. At the beginning of last semester, Arthur Russell was the music I was most interested in since I spent all summer listening to him and traveling about the US. I sort of accurately predicted that his music would continue to become more and more important, so it seemed like a good and academically useful idea to study his work and life.
A: What was the hardest part to writing a thesis, for you?
BS: I guess the sort of complex emotional relationship I developed with Arthur Russell. He died tragically of AIDS in the early 90s, and the fact that his creative life got cut short endeared him to me. His posture generally is also usually super intimate, like almost embarrassing to listen to. Listening to his music was often a very intense relationship, often so much that I was unable to effectively analyze his work.
A: And the easiest part of writing?
BS: Part of my thesis project involved a fairly involved recital in the Center For Performing Arts (CFA) Hall. Playing it was definitely the easiest part. Organizing it, getting all of the technical stuff in line was quite a challenge, but in the end I think I’m most comfortable playing music. Actually playing my recital was by far the least stressful part of my whole project.
A: What was your favorite part of doing your project?
BS: I really enjoyed talking about Arthur Russell with all sorts of different people. His music comes up with surprising regularity and, often, his fans are really dedicated. It always feels as if I’ve made a friend when I realize that someone I’m talking to is also in love with Russell’s music.
A: What are your plans for after college?
BS: No big plans, but some things I’m really stoked on. Duchampion is going on tour with our friends the Shade on the West Coast. We’re going to try and cut a record at some point, hopefully. Other than that I’m going to take some time off and hang out with my parents in Missouri. They just permanently moved into a lake house in the Lake of the Ozarks, so spending some summer time there seems like a really good idea. After that…
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