Ethnographic Storytelling & Media
Documenting the Human Experience at the Intersection of Arts and Agency
The Method
My storytelling practice is rooted in ethnographic methodology—deep listening, participant-observation, community collaboration, and a commitment to representing human experience with integrity. I specialize in capturing the internal dialogue of the creative process and revealing the lived experience of the creator.
Immersive and experiential approach through participant-observation
Deep listening as the foundation to human-to-human connection
Collaboration at the center of community-informed inquiry and design
Backed by ethnomusicology training and international fieldwork experience
Featured Project
Senior Smiles Artist Stories
An Ethnographic Miniseries
Betty
"I feel like I'm helping others...I've got joy in my heart."
Louis
"The music and the art stayed...it's like a best friend that never goes away."
Mantra
"I feel like I'm in a new zone, and I wake up, and my art is complete."
Director's Statement
This series explores the lives of three retired artists navigating the complexities of aging within long-term care. By focusing on their continued creative agency, these ethnographic shorts challenge the narrative of aging as decline and highlight the vital role the arts play toward well-being, autonomy, and resiliency, especially among older adults.
Impact
Produced in collaboration with Artly World, this project serves as both a cultural archive of retired artists in Austin and an advocacy tool for Creative Aging.
Fieldwork Archive
Ethnomusicology & Field Research
My ethnographic work is informed by advanced training in ethnomusicology and years of doctoral fieldwork in South India. While researching Indian classical music in modern-day contexts, I immersed myself in the traditional gurukula system on-ground in South India, participating as a musician and music student while documenting lessons, interviews, and performances. This long-term, hands-on experience with participant-observation and collaborative anthropological inquiry provides the foundation for my participatory and collaborative approach toward ethnography and storytelling.
Opportunities for Collaboration
The creative process holds some of the most powerful stories waiting to be told. I work with individual artists, musicians, filmmakers, and creators, as well as nonprofits and other organizations, to help those stories come to life in the most compelling way.
If you have a project in development or a story that needs an ethnographic eye, let's explore how we work together.
Oral History Documentation
Preserving legacy through the power of first-person narrative
Creative Direction
Providing end-to-end direction for documentary and visual storytelling projects
Ethnographic Consulting
Assisting others in documenting their stories through an ethnographic lens