Caleb Snyder Hare Krishna member on campus

Hare Krishna musician into India; discusses life, music, his guru and his mantra

WILDCAT: So what do you do?

SNYDER: Um · I'm a musician.

WILDCAT: Do you play an instrument, do you sing, do you use your armpit?

SNYDER: I play a lot of different instruments and I sing as well. I'm currently into a lot of Indian music, songs of spiritual leaders in India.

WILDCAT: Intriguing.

SNYDER: Yeah, I mean, like, when I was 15 I had a heavy metal band and then I was on the road with the Grateful Dead ·

WILDCAT: I love Cherry Garcia ice cream, so good.

SNYDER: I used to play my acoustic guitar on the street corner and beg for money.

WILDCAT: Did people ever throw banana peels in your money jar?

SNYDER: No.

WILDCAT: So, you've done it all.

SNYDER: Yeah, but now I'm really focusing on a spiritual path.

WILDCAT: And where will that lead you?

SNYDER: Well, right now my guru is from India.

WILDCAT: Wait, you have a guru? That is so cool. My friends call me the entertainment guru, but don't worry, I'm not a real one.

SNYDER: Yes, he's my spiritual teacher and he gave me a mantra that I use everyday, sometimes saying it internally, sometimes saying it externally.

WILDCAT: There's a lot of things I say internally, but would never say externally.

SNYDER: It's to purify the mind.

WILDCAT: So when you purify the mind are you getting rid of all your thoughts, kinda like an airhead?

SNYDER: No, it's about letting the thoughts come.

WILDCAT: But what if there was a thought collision as they were entering your mind and they got all twisted up and your thoughts were a massive jumble?

SNYDER: Sometimes it's like that, but that's what the mantra is for.

WILDCAT: Ah yes, the mantra. It all makes sense now.