Dr. Guy Beck gave the inaugural lecture of The Asian Studies Lecture Series at Christopher Newport University, located in Newport News, VA. The event took place on April 17th, 2013 and was entitled, "Rāgas and Riches: Indian Music in Hindu Worship and Beyond." In his lecture and demonstration, Dr. Beck described the history and mythic origins of Indian music, and then introduced the practical art of meditation on sacred sound through music. With an emphasis on voice culture and the production of the pure note, the audience was treated to an aesthetic sense of the concept of rasa as well as an appreciation of the structure and beauty of a rāga (a unique melodic pattern) and the tāla (rhythm). Building upon this foundation, Dr. Beck also demonstrated how other religions in South Asia like Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and even Christianity have adopted aspects of Indian music in their worship.