I joined Local 802 for my teaching job at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. I play tabla, and my musical goal in NYC is to propagate and preserve Indian music. One of my favorite recent gigs was at the Chhandayan Center for Indian Music at 4 West 43rd Street, where I serve as president. The establishment of this center and its ever-growing presence in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania are an accomplishment I definitely cherish. Another project I have been involved in has been bringing music back to Afghanistan, particularly to orphans and street children. This has been one of the biggest satisfactions in my life.