Eric Welkos ’10 knows the look – the wide-eyed curious stare he gets from people who see him playing the sitar, an Indian string instrument, in the middle of campus with his band “Turtle Buddy.” He loves getting that look because he says it means people are opening their minds to new types of music.

Turtle Buddy, a progressive rock and folk band, incorporates sounds from all over the world: from the Indian percussion tabla to the djembe, a West African drum. Greg Adams ’08 plays the melodica and the piano. In addition to the drums, Tyler Buisch ’09 plays the riqq, an Egyptian tambourine, and a Spanish percussion box called the cajón. Keith Adams ’10 plays guitar, Sunita Pathik ’11 plays the violin and Ghana native Henry Amankway ’10 is a vocalist.

Welkos taught himself to play the sitar after taking a music appreciation course with Music lecturer Bo Eckard. Now, he’s planning an independent South Asian Studies major and hoping to study abroad in India.

“Everybody likes music,” he says. “Playing forms a social connection. It opens doors, increases our own ability and interests other people.”

The unique sounds come courtesy of lessons from Music faculty members like Jon Seligman, who inspired Buisch to try the Egyptian tambourine.

“As soon as I saw him [Seligman] play the riqq, I knew I had to play that instrument,” says Buisch. “The relationship between the professors and students in the Music department is unlike anything else on campus. They are our friends and peers.”

Seligman, who has studied various traditions of frame drumming, says hands-on training is a benefit of McDaniel’s Music department.

“Tyler is very much interested in exploring the whole art form and finding out about its different aspects,” says Seligman. “He is a good drummer who really understands how percussion works.”

Turtle Buddy prides itself on being unconventional. On weekends, the traveling band plays at all the campus parties, with the goal of uniting different groups through music and fostering a social atmosphere. The band’s improvisational jam sessions frequently turn into philosophy discussions.

“Philosophy and self-discovery drive the music,” sys Keith Adams. “We talk about life, love, being young and what the future may hold.”

The group is playing at 7:30 on Nov. 30 in the Decker Student Center Forum. Tickets cost $5 at the door. For ticket information, call 410-857-2294.

Turtle Buddy will release its first album, “Bright Bright Moon,” in January.