Biography
Originally trained in Classical Western Vocals and pop/rock/jazz guitar, Dr. Michael T Balonek and his family have lived in India since 2012, where he has been especially involved in Musical Contextualization, helping to encourage followers of Jesus to embrace their country’s rich heritage as they write and perform music in local styles and utilizing local instruments. He has also been serving as the Team Leader for YouVersion Bible App’s Hindi Localization Team. Before traveling to India, Dr. Balonek taught K-12 General and Vocal music in Upstate NY, and studied traditional music in Sri Lanka as well.
Dr. Balonek received his PhD in Allahabad, India, under the guidance of Dr Badri Narayan Tiwari, with a focus on identifying and tracking cultural change in the Bhojpuri-speaking region of Northern India using Music as the primary source of data. For the dissemination of his research, he has a YouTube channel with sections which focus especially on folk songs from this region. With Paul Neeley as his Thesis Advisor, Dr. Balonek completed his MA in Ethnomusicology through Bethel University, studying Musical Contextualization in the Sinhala-Speaking Church of Sri Lanka. Living in South Asia for so long, he has become proficient at a number of instruments, including the Tabla, Sarod, Harmonium, and Dholak, as well as the Sri Lankan Thammattama and Geta Bera.