Besides being a musician, I am also a music researcher. I developed interest in researching music during my time as a Masters of Music Performance student at Tribhuvan University, Nepal, which subsequently led me to Queensland Conservatorium, Griffith University in Brisbane Australia where I completed a a Master of Music Research degree. My research at QCGU focused on music sustainability of Dapha, a traditional Newar devotional music genre of the Kathmandu Valley, with a particular focus on the experiences of practitioners, intergenerational transmission, and the factors that shape the continuity of musical traditions in contemporary society. My master's research examined the experiences, attitudes and perspectives of recent Dāphā trainees, investigating questions of musical learning, participation and sustainability. This research was recognised with the Research Excellence Award at the Queensland Conservatorium.
Currently, I am pursuing a PhD at Monash University, Australia, where my research extends my interests in musical sustainability into the broader fields of cultural heritage and cultural policy. My doctoral research now examines music as intangible cultural heritage and the role of cultural policy in sustaining traditional musical practices in Nepal. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, I investigate how heritage policies are understood, interpreted and implemented, and how they affect the communities that practise and sustain traditional music.
A central concern of my research is the relationship between formal heritage frameworks and the cultural practices, knowledge systems and priorities of musical communities. I am particularly interested in how state policies engage with existing community practices, what practitioners expect from government support, and what challenges arise when international heritage frameworks are implemented in local contexts.
Through this work, I aim to bring perspectives from ethnomusicology into wider discussions of heritage and cultural policy, with particular attention to the experiences and needs of practising communities.
My broader research interests include:
Music as intangible cultural heritage
Dāphā and Newar musical traditions
Musical learning and intergenerational transmission
Music sustainability and community participation
Cultural heritage policy and governance
UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage framework
Ethnomusicology and interdisciplinary heritage studies
I am interested in research that connects academic inquiry with the lived experiences of musicians and communities, contributing to a deeper understanding of how musical traditions continue to hold meaning and remain active in changing social and cultural contexts.
I welcome opportunities for academic exchange, research collaboration, conference presentations and interdisciplinary projects related to music, ethnomusicology, cultural heritage and cultural policy.
For research-related enquiries, please get in touch.