Music Educator

Besides his international travels, performances and collaborations with various artists from around the world. Navin has also been in the field of music education for more than 20 years. He is the founder of Music Education for School Students and The Music Room Learning Centre in Nepal and has served as a professor of percussion at the University of Idaho and the Instructor of Jazz Percussion at Washington State University.

“I have taught music to students of various age groups and backgrounds for more than 20 years. A unique aspect of my teaching has been that I have taught western music to non-western learners and non-western music to western learners.
In Nepal, I taught African American musical styles such as jazz, blues and funk and introduced Broadway musicals to the Nepali students who had never had exposure to these styles of music before.  At the University of Idaho, I created the World Beat Ensemble and the Fundamentals of Music in Global Dances, exposing students to non-western musical practices of aural traditions in West Africa, Latin America and India.

I was fortunate to research the roots of Black American music and study West African music in Ghana in 2010. This was instrumental in initiating some of the classes mentioned above.

In 2018, as an Artist in Residence at the Hamburg School of Music and Theatre in Germany, I worked with the jazz band on 6 original compositions of mine for their performance at the ELB Jazz Festival. My study in various genres of music has helped me find the commonalities and differences between these styles and I strive to encourage students, regardless of their background, to embrace traditions of music from other cultures with respect and dedication, and help them become wholesome musicians and global citizens.”

Cornish College Seattle

Konnakol with High School Students.

Drum Jatra Percussion Ensemble / Kathmandu Percussion Festival 2019