Hydrology Professor Rocks the Stage

Hydrology Professor Rocks the Stage

By Alexis BlueUniversity Communications
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Hoshin Gupta, a hydrology professor at the UA, has written a rock opera to be performed at the Zuzi! Theater this weekend. (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)
Hoshin Gupta, a hydrology professor at the UA, has written a rock opera to be performed at the Zuzi! Theater this weekend. (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)
Dancers rehearse a scene from "Like a Lotus Resting in Fire: The Great Dance." (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)
Dancers rehearse a scene from "Like a Lotus Resting in Fire: The Great Dance." (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)
Much of the inspiration for Gupta's music comes from the Zen practice. (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)
Much of the inspiration for Gupta's music comes from the Zen practice. (Photo by Maria Sans-Fuentes)

There came a time in Hoshin Gupta's life when he had to choose between a career in science and one in music. But while the University of Arizona hydrology and water resources professor opted for a professional life in the lab, his musical aspirations were far from abandoned.

Gupta's love of music will take center stage this weekend as he plays guitar for a performance of his original rock opera, "Like a Lotus Resting in Fire: The Great Dance."

The theatrical dance performance, set to music composed by Gupta, will be performed by dancers from Tucson's Zuzi! Dance Company this Friday through Sunday. Gupta will play guitar and will share singing duties with friend and bandmate Sally Withers, a Montessori schoolteacher.

Gupta was a 13-year-old boy growing up in India when his father gave him his first guitar, triggering a lifelong interest in music. Over the years, he's played in a series of bands, from his first unnamed high school group to his current band, "Water on the Rocks," which he started in Tucson in 2002.

In the past four or so years, Gupta's musical passion has expanded to include writing, and when he's not in the classroom or engrossed in research, he can often be found in front of his computer, composing songs with GarageBand, a software application for Macintosh computers. With the program, he is able to write and layer parts for different instruments, and his Mac provides additional accompaniment for "Water on the Rocks," a two-person band.

"The parts I don't have musicians for are played by the computer, with the hope that eventually I'll be able to replace the computer with a full band," Gupta said.

While Gupta has performed in bands throughout his life, and has graced stages at Tucson restaurants, retirement homes and festivals, this is the first time his music has been part of a theatrical performance.

His rock opera tells the tale of a young prince who finds himself while searching for the secret to eternal life. The show is based on a CD of the same name, available on Gupta's Web site. Tracks can also be downloaded from iTunes or Amazon. 

Inspiration for Gupta's music is varied. Elements of Latin, Indian and jazz music give his pieces an eclectic, global feel. Then there are hints of the 1970s rock ‘n' roll heroes of Gupta's youth – The Beatles, Pink Floyd and Jethro Tull among them. But when it comes to lyrics, the inspiration comes more from within; as a Zen practitioner, Gupta says many of his songs evolve from meditation.

"In Zen practice you have, oftentimes, little sayings or bits of poetry or things like that, which were designed by Buddhist teachers to help open up the mind or to unlock the mind," Gupta said. "So you would sort of meditate on them or ruminate on them and you would see what kind of response you got from that. And very often it turned into a piece of music."

Withers, who had performed as a dancer with Zuzi, introduced Gupta to the dance company's artistic director, Nanette Robinson. After listening to Gupta's CD, Robinson said she saw an opportunity to merge artistic talents for a multifaceted show.

"It's been very exciting for me, one of the most creative things I've ever been a part of," said Withers, who plays the part of Mother Nature in the production.

Gupta came to the UA in 1983 as a research scientist and became a full professor in 2005. His research currently focuses largely on mathematical systems modeling, and while graduate students in his classes might be surprised to see their professor wielding an electric guitar when he's not on campus, a balance of music and science has always been important to him.

"Over the years it's the music that's kept me sane," he said.

In retrospect, he says he thinks he made the right decision to pursue a career in science, while keeping music as a sideline. "I could have been a starving musician. What I do think, sometimes, is that when I retire I'll go and study music. Then it won't matter because I won't have to make money off of it."

Nearly 30 dancers will perform Gupta's rock opera, with live accompaniment from Gupta, Withers and three additional vocalists/percussionists. The show includes trapeze work and other aerial elements, an integral part of the movement instruction at Zuzi.

"We're having a blast. This has been a great project," said Robinson, co-founder of Zuzi. Dancers with the company normally perform to recorded music, so having live musicians involved is an exciting change, she said.

Tickets to the show, which is sponsored by the Tucson Pima Arts Council, are $20 for general admission and $15 for students and seniors, with proceeds benefiting Casa de Los Niños. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with 2 p.m. matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday. The Zuzi Theatre is located in The Historic Y, 738 N. Fifth Ave. For more information, call 629-0237.  

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