“One of Pandit Ashok Ranade’s many contributions to Indian (ethno-)musicology was his insistence on the importance of a version of the ethnomusicological project that held fast to “one principle: to keep the Indian performing tradition at the centre of all scholastic persuals.” My investigations into the world of Indian wedding bands show how ethnomusicology can work in India to expand our understanding of Indian performing traditions in the context of Indian society and can indeed to lead us to what Ranade Saheb called “a fuller interpretation of the Indian musical reality.” This talk will examine the complexities of a musical and ethnographic focus on the performing tradition encountered in the (north) Indian baraat and trace the ways that changing conditions alter socio-musical relationships throughout Indian music-culture and the socio-economic positions of the musicians involved.” – Dr Gregory D. Booth