According to convention, a student of Hindustani music learning in the guru-shishya tradition cannot unilaterally decide to change his or her guru. It is incumbent on the student to seek permission from the first guru before such a change is made. The guru may or may not deign to sanction the move and the student has to accept that as the final word on the subject. There have been several instances of shishyas changing gurus for a variety of reasons, but in general, this was not an easy task to accomplish because of the guru’s supreme position in the hierarchy.
Increased contact with the West has led practitioners of Hindustani music to reinvent themselves in many ways. An important transformation has been seen in the manner that musicians approach music education. While they may continue to follow the guru-shishya pattern with disciples in India who wish to pursue music as a profession, they are willing to embrace teaching methods and situations that the West has in place. Indeed, this dichotomy was equally seen in the case of musicians teaching in modern Indian cities in the late nineteenth century.
One of the situations that musicians have wholeheartedly accepted is the "workshop", where a group of students is taught for a fixed number of hours and days on payment of a fee. The workshop may be organised by the musician, an organisation, or a group of music enthusiasts. The musician may not demand or accept a fee for the workshop, as it may be a part of a larger performance schedule lined up by the same presenter. Normally, workshops are tailored to suit the requirements of a particular group, and a theme may be selected accordingly. For instance, techniques of improvisation and elaboration may be taught or specific types of compositions may be highlighted. Often, the students include practitioners of other musical traditions or a variety of instrumentalists and vocalists.
Now in India
The workshop model has now been incorporated in the Indian context, and one hears of workshops being conducted every few days or months in one or the other city in India. Sometimes, musicians seem to be keen to impart their knowledge to one and all in workshops held outside India, without so much as inquiring whether participants have sought permission from their original gurus to attend these workshops. But in India, they often restrain their disciples from attending workshops conducted by other musicians.
Back to workshops held outside India, here are excerpts of a workshop conducted in Italy by dhrupad singers Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha and their brother and pakhawaj player Akhilesh Gundecha. The workshop focuses on vocal techniques, melodic elaboration and metrical patterns that are also employed in the dhrupad form.
The next two clips show excerpts of a workshop conducted by tabla maestro Zakir Hussein. He takes the participants through various phases of a melodic composition and familiarises them with different metrical patterns and phrases.
We welcome your comments at
letters@scroll.in.
Increased contact with the West has led practitioners of Hindustani music to reinvent themselves in many ways. An important transformation has been seen in the manner that musicians approach music education. While they may continue to follow the guru-shishya pattern with disciples in India who wish to pursue music as a profession, they are willing to embrace teaching methods and situations that the West has in place. Indeed, this dichotomy was equally seen in the case of musicians teaching in modern Indian cities in the late nineteenth century.
One of the situations that musicians have wholeheartedly accepted is the "workshop", where a group of students is taught for a fixed number of hours and days on payment of a fee. The workshop may be organised by the musician, an organisation, or a group of music enthusiasts. The musician may not demand or accept a fee for the workshop, as it may be a part of a larger performance schedule lined up by the same presenter. Normally, workshops are tailored to suit the requirements of a particular group, and a theme may be selected accordingly. For instance, techniques of improvisation and elaboration may be taught or specific types of compositions may be highlighted. Often, the students include practitioners of other musical traditions or a variety of instrumentalists and vocalists.
Now in India
The workshop model has now been incorporated in the Indian context, and one hears of workshops being conducted every few days or months in one or the other city in India. Sometimes, musicians seem to be keen to impart their knowledge to one and all in workshops held outside India, without so much as inquiring whether participants have sought permission from their original gurus to attend these workshops. But in India, they often restrain their disciples from attending workshops conducted by other musicians.
Back to workshops held outside India, here are excerpts of a workshop conducted in Italy by dhrupad singers Ramakant and Umakant Gundecha and their brother and pakhawaj player Akhilesh Gundecha. The workshop focuses on vocal techniques, melodic elaboration and metrical patterns that are also employed in the dhrupad form.
The next two clips show excerpts of a workshop conducted by tabla maestro Zakir Hussein. He takes the participants through various phases of a melodic composition and familiarises them with different metrical patterns and phrases.
