Dream Theater pianist Jordan Rudess in Chennai

Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater

The students of Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music in Chennai are well accustomed to being taught by a team of international musicians. But bringing down Jordan Rudess as a special guest faculty is nothing short of a coup. The Dream Theater band member has taken up a teaching residency at SAM for their Fall diploma program in music performance that begins on August 22^nd. Says Prasanna, president, SAM, on the academy’s website, “Jordan is not only a celebrity performer but also a passionate educator. When I met Jordan, we talked about music education and I was happy that he connected to SAM on a personal level.” Drummer Shyam Rao, vice president, SAM, tells ROLLING STONE INDIA that Prasanna had been in talks with Rudess even as the academy was being set up in 2010. “Prasanna met Jordan earlier this year in Boston and they discussed the SAM model of doing things,” says Rao adding, “Jordan mentioned that he had a month off between Dream Theater tours and they decided it would be great if he could come down to SAM. I think Jordan’s still taking a call on how long he’ll be here.” While the duration of Rudess’s residency at SAM is being finalized, the students at SAM, as Prasanna puts it “are in for a treat.”