Classical music:Will India retain it

In the near future, is India going to remain the stronghold of Indian Classical Music or will it go the way of the English language which has become so widespread that now English people cannot claim it as their own anymore. It's a question that is being discussed by many classical musicians now.

My own feeling is that India would still retain the stronghold in Classical Music (both Hindustani and Carnatic), acting as a central body monitoring and helping in the development of classical music through various organizations. Many organizations hav come up for this purpose too like Toronto "gharana" and "SPIC-MACAY". It;s a good sign that these various organizations hav sprung up all around the world dedicating thm to the developmnt and spreading of Indian classical music. Apart frm the gharanas, music sangams and others which contribute by teaching classical music to learners hav also come up.

But it is also a fact that interest in classical music is on the decline in India. One probable reason could be that Indian classical Music is more aesthetic and sophisticated (which in turn demands more knowledge of the music by the listeners in order to appreciate it). It is probably more correct to say that interest in Classical Music is getting limited to a select few, where they encourage their children to learn music at an early age. Even today, it is not uncommon to see young kids running in and out music schools where they start learning as early as 8 or 10 years old. There are many schools where children start training at an early age of even 8yrs. But this is not much comparing legends such as V. Nagarajan who gave his first public concert with Alathur Brothers when he was 13, or Vilayat Khan who performed first at the age of 6, or Srimushnam Raja Rao whose first ever concert was at the age of 8 accompanying Ariyakkudi Ramanuja Iyengar. But then legends/prodigies are rare.

The point i am trying to make here is, the interest is not totally on the decline. there are still those torch bearers who carry on the tradition as they will always do. But the demands of modern life have cut into the art, reducing the number of people who pursue music for a profession. There are select communities, where they have teachers come and teach music/dance to children. Once in a while, there is a legend that arises out of such small communities. The Music Academy always had a lot of classes that go on around the year, and so does most other sabhas. i know of people, students, who would take time off to go to the Academy in the evenings all the way from Adayar (at least a 1/2 hour bus ride) just to learn the art. The people who did were not coerced into doing it, and these people were teenagers, who could be spending time otherwise. But like i said, these are the few torch bearers and whether they shine in this profession or not, there efforts have to be mentioned.

Societies such as Bhakta Rasika Ranjani Sabha in Chembur, Bombay, the Indian Fine Arts Society in RK Puram, New Delhi, organize around the year music classes to train children. As long as there are people like them, India will still be a stronghold for Indian Classical Music, not just theory but also practice. Because i feel learning the theory alone is not of much use, if you can not listen to the theory being put to practice. And the pre recorded tapes do not give you that "feeling" of listening to the "rakti" in the concerts. There is always someone to carry the torch of music. The art of Dhrupad is not as dead today as it was 7 years ago. Thanks to the annual Dhrupad Sammelan in Banaras and Calcutta, and All India Radio for the publicity.

Music being the greatest invention of all civilizations, like food, drink and religions, Indian Classical Music is the most free-thinking medium there is to communicate music from mind to mind. The sub-continent allows people to blend the classics with contemporaries in innumerable ways. However, the classics will still be recognized. It is not the particular recording, raga on the record's jacket, lyric in a book, but the experience that is paramount. If the music you just heard could make you forget the present, not think of the future, but dwell on the past, then it is a classic.

I totally agree with you barnali di. Still today when we have Ravi Shankar ji or any concert like this they are full, so even people's interest is declining and we don't hear/appreciate it in every day life but still appreciate it, realize it's importance & I think that's what will keep it always alive.

maybe in 10 years or so - the classical music might be rare - at the pace music is changing today

Didi,

Contemporary music will come and go, but our heritage classical music, was there is there and will always remain. Especially the instrumental renditions. Here we have organisations & persons who give classes on sundays.My gut feeling is that parents send their kids to these places not because they love the classical music, but they do not want to be any less than their friends whose kids go to learn.This competitiveness in a way had become a blessing in disguise in the pardesi scene. Kids as young as 6-7 are starting off taking lessons in tabla, sitar, flute etc.and they perform in localfunctionslike puja,deewali etc.

Any classical show held over here is 100% sold out.Unfortunately you wont find many teenagers going there.They would rather go to a hip hop happening rockstars show. Seeing this I was very disappointed. But now when i see Lil champs and Abhrokanti singing classical songs, I know classical music may not be as popular as "present special genre music" but genuine music lovers will never give up either.Karnatic,Hindustani will always prevail..

The problem with Indian classical music is that it is not taught in a way as to arouse interest in the subject. A child going to learn classical music will be made to learn saregamapadhanisa over and over again, and the child will soon lose interest unless the parents have other ways to keep the child motivated.

On the other hand, I am quite amazed at the courses available for children wanting to learn western classical music. The Yamaha music courses (started by the Japanese) are designed for children of various ages and classical music is taught in a totally fun way. Without even knowing it, children are initiated into the world of notes, beats and so on. This model can easily be replicated for Indian classical.

Music appreciation has to precede actual music learning. It is surprising that no one is coming forward with innovative ways to teach Indian classical music.

Barnali di,

You are just fantastic and this thread is mindblowing. This is a wonderful thread. This is very sad but true. The popularity of Indian classical music is surely dying fast. I would like to stay hopeful that it will not die, but the picture is not very rosy.

India had classical music from the time when the rest of the world used to live on the trees. This is how old our culture is, but sadly we are loosing it.

I don't have much knowledge about the upcoming classical musicians of our country right now, but I am not seen or heard about anyone very striking lately. The last name I heard was of Kaushiki Chakrabarty.

So, whom should we blame for this? I think we should blame the parents. Now a days if we ask a 13 year old about Ut. Bismillah Khan, or Ut. Alla Rakha, or Pt. Bhimsen Joshi, I don't think he or she will be able to say who they are or why are they famous. But on the other hand they know everything about Britney Spears, or Eminem. I am not saying that it is wrong to know about them, but they should know about our musical legends too. Its the duty of the parents to make them aware of that.

I still remember when I was a kid, I use to listen to Hindi film songs all the time, but whenever my father listened to any music, it was either classical, or semi-classical, or Rabindra Sangeet or Nazrul Geeti, or something good. And that's how I got exposed to good music and developed a taste for it. But parents don't do that any more. The idiot box is responsible for that. Now the moms are busy with the soaps, while the dads are busy with sports, news, movie channels. So what the kids see on the TV all day becomes a part of their culture. That's why we are busy aping the West. It is not a bad thing to follow something good, but it has to be done without loosing your own identity.

Now we have lounge music, sufi rock etc. What the heck? Sufi rock? Sufi music is so beautiful, why mix rock to it and create a junk.

Just a small example. Recently, I had discussion with my wife and my few friend's wives. I was termed an "old fashioned" after that discussion. While watching the audition's round for the Lil Champs, I commented that " Did anyone notice that not a single kid is wearing any Indian dress". I have not seen a single salwaar or anything Indian. Why? Is it that bad? Few girls looked bad in jeans or pants, but still they were wearing them. If they wore a traditional Indian attire, then they would have looked much better. The best example would be Ujjaini during the Calcutta concert looked really odd. She looked much prettier in Indian clothes.

Oh man! its getting long. I can can write much more, but will stop here for now.

If singers like HR [no offence] continue to devolope in the music undustry - then Classical music wil become ancient. teens of today will be paretn's when classical music will be known by very few people - so with teens of today being possesed by songs related to that of HR - Classical music will indeed vanish, or be "endangered"

Originally posted by: punjini

The problem with Indian classical music is that it is not taught in a way as to arouse interest in the subject. A child going to learn classical music will be made to learn saregamapadhanisa over and over again, and the child will soon lose interest unless the parents have other ways to keep the child motivated.

On the other hand, I am quite amazed at the courses available for children wanting to learn western classical music. The Yamaha music courses (started by the Japanese) are designed for children of various ages and classical music is taught in a totally fun way. Without even knowing it, children are initiated into the world of notes, beats and so on. This model can easily be replicated for Indian classical.

Music appreciation has to precede actual music learning. It is surprising that no one is coming forward with innovative ways to teach Indian classical music.

Great point Sahana. Here in the US the teaching techniques are different and fun. Recently one of my friend wanted to learn guiter. He basically liked few pieces from different english songs and thats how he got interested. He went to a teacher. The teacher showed him how to play a piece, and also taught him another piece. He practiced those songs for two weeks and went back to him. He again taught him two more pieces. He practiced them too, but in the mean time my friend developed a feel for the instrument and started trying out new things on his own. In few months he was able to play few songs, and wanted to learn how to play the guiter in a more professional and proper way. So the bottom line is he did not loose interest.

Do you think if the teacher started with SRGMP, in the first class and told him that it would take at least 2 years before he could play his fav piece, then he would have continued. NO.

I have learnt classical music, and I hated the first one year which made me shout Sa Ga, Re Ma, Ga Pa,.................. I lost all interest. But I was forced to continue.

I would like to be optimistic and feel comfurtable in this regard. Every action follows path of a circle and
one or the other day we are going to see Great Musicians
singing hardcore INDIAN Clasical music.

Hey - great post di 😊 and nice contribution by all - Appa - loved your post! 👏👏👏

How about we do something - even a small effort. Like listing all the Hindi Movie songs based on Ragas; also how the ragas are used! 😊