Dear HRD Minister, Please make classical music compulsory

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:02

Please read and sign my petition here:

https://www.change.org/p/indian-hrd-min ... m=copylink

Petition content:

Dear HRD Minister,

Congratulations on the many laudable initiatives of your government to make India an economically strong and a culturally vibrant nation. Just like in yoga, India has a rich heritage of classical performing arts, particularly Carnatic music and Hindustani music. These traditions date back several centuries and form an integral part of Indian culture, playing an important role all round the year in festivals and social events. Indian classical music has also significantly contributed to the Independence movement, and forms the backbone of Indian dance, theatre and film industry. Indian performing arts have a pride of place in the world.

Classical music was once taught in the gurukula. Today, just like yoga, it can be taught in schools using modern methods to develop good fundamentals, nurture talent, and kindle an abiding interest in Indian music. Weekly lessons based on a syllabus created by a team of great musicians can cover both Hindustani and Carnatic music basics. This will enrich the cultural foundations in the education of our youth and create many more great musicians like Ravi Shankar and MS Subbulakshmi. Basic schooling in Indian classical music will also diffuse classical music from elite concert halls to mainstream Indian life.

Institutions like Prasar Bharati can be very effective partners with the HRD Ministry and our school system to reinforce this cultural education.

Compulsory introduction of Indian classical music in schools will give a big impetus to taking our cultural traditions of music and performing arts to the great heights that our founding fathers intended for our country, India or Bharat. Indians will be enriched with Indian classical music in their veins.

Please initiate this as soon as possible.

Thank you.
LETTER TO
Indian HRD Minister
Make Indian classical music compulsory in schools

pattamaa · Post by **pattamaa** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:17

good initiative, but not secular for other religions.. remember muslims protested for yoga - for surya namaskar etc... same thing will repeat classical music is made compulsory..

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:28

pattamaa wrote:good initiative, but not secular for other religions.. remember muslims protested for yoga - for surya namaskar etc... same thing will repeat classical music is made compulsory..

If anyone of a different religion protests, point out names like Bade Gulam Ali Khan, Ustad Bsmillah Khan, Ali Akbar Khan, etc.

And in the South, Uraiyur Kader Batcha, Sheik Chinnamoulana Sahib, Kasim&Babu, etc.

As to members of the Christian community, point out the efforts of persons like Abraham Pandithar.

Until fundamentalism reared its head, music was the common heritage of all Indians.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:50

I signed and forwarded the link to friends interested in CM and also posted in FB. But, unfortunately, CM is too intertwined with religion and it will not be seen kindly by the secularists, incl. TMK.

asangeetha · Post by **asangeetha** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:55

I have signed it and posted on the http://www.acharyanet.com facebook page also. Nice initiative, hope it picks up momentum.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 02 Jul 2015, 10:59

I read this in Indian Music (book) and it impressed me:
"The ancient Greeks are said to have made a point of teaching their children music, because they believed that it made them more unselfish, and helped them to see better the beauty of order and the usefulness of rule."

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 11:12

Thank you for your kind enthusiasm, folks.
You are going to make it happen.
Kindly note that you can add your comments while signing the petition.
I purposely posted the image of the stamps issued:
Tansen, Allauddin Khan, Vilayat Khan, Ali Akbar Khan.... all muslims.
In fact if there is one thing Indians, Pakistanis, Hindus, Muslims, and even increasingly Christians, all agree upon, it is the greatness of Indian classical music!!!!!
Sachi R

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 11:15

Here is a short handle for you to share:
http://bit.ly/CMusicinSchools

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 02 Jul 2015, 11:28

I think it should not be a problem for other religions when they have a choice to make. They can choose hindustani which is not Krithi based. It should be regional and need not be forced on them. Orissa has their own music which is slightly different .

In the same manner there should be also dance offered. The idea is to immerse the generation in our cultural wealth. But there is a practical difficulty. No one is going to learn if it is going to be only Carnatic or Bharathanatyam throughout India. And for students to take it seriously there should be grading. But, what if a student shifts form Kanyakumari to Kashmir? This may sound like jumping the guns, but there should be some farsightedness to avert any failures, like many of the govt schemes. This is one of the reasons why these things are hard to implement , especially in a country like India where people get a sense of affinity to their culture all of a sudden,which they never would have heard of.

Proposal is a good one , but has to be more generally presented , including Dance, emphasizing all the regional arts.

G_M

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 02 Jul 2015, 11:47

I don't like to play the pessimist's role on this - but there is just one problem in the whole thing that makes me reluctant to sign it - the use of the word "compulsory". And there is another problem here in that the government is expected to force classical music into people's ears. Let me share one particular observation -- no one, especially grown ups, like to have anything (even if good) forced on them. "Compulsory" does not work in today's world. Our music is not the only one in India either. When you try to make one compulsory, you have to make them all compulsory.

I forsee another set of newspaper articles coming soon about "authoritarian issues with the Modi govt" and "saffron music". I will not be surprised to hear a refrain "kurta dhoti suit sangeet ka sarkar" coming from a certain someone.

Votes are after all, the most important thing, even above the motherland, aren't they?

Awareness and good PR have a much more effective impact. While we have a tendency to look down on the PR and publicity aspects of our music ("projection" is a word that attracts negative comment from quite a few), I have seen quite a few good ideas and initiatives suffer (even on this forum) because our "public relations" skills have only served to drive away our intended audience.

We have a lot to learn in that aspect.

I think the initiative of having a "World music day" like "World yoga day" would be helpful. Our PM could probably spare a note in "Mann Ki Bharat" about his experience in listening to great pieces of classical music. Let the people decide what they want to do with that. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%AAte_de_la_Musique

Schools can be encouraged (but not compelled) to provide an option for students to take up music -- for which one needs to arrange for good teachers and instruments, necessary classrooms / outdoors, etc. We could do better to promote radio classical music too (radioweb is a great example, AIR unfortunately isn't doing as much today as they once used to). Today there are lots of groups on FB that share many rare collections and compositions (very neatly sorted into lists on Youtube) that give access to musical repertoire in a manner unheard of even 10 years ago. Today I can find 200 Dikshitar compositions in one list on Youtube (which I can download with a simple add on if I want to) and virtually every composition of Thyagaraja. Soon others will follow.

My own school used to play CM instrumental for the bell. In the course of a few days, I would listen to an entire cassette in bits and pieces. There was once a wonderful Shanmukhapriya alapana that played for 3 days like this, with Taanam too. But not many realized what they were listening to.

Many more adults will join if you let them come in of their own accord with some encouragement - the music is beautiful and that will do the job. "Compulsory" will just make a political issue out of it and it will rake up the issues normally swept under the carpet, the issues that spoil our enjoyment of the music, rather than the greatness of the music itself. Adults are more complicated.

Always give them the choice. One can never force anyone else to love music, or anything else. It is not love till it comes from one's own choice.

Then there are children. If we really want our kids to have the kind of exposure to CM (or HM or any classical music), we need to take sufficient proactive action at home first. My family did a great job there for me despite many limitations. In other families where I do not see the children liking classical music, the simple answer (which I can confirm from observation) is that no one in their family was enthusiastic or proactive in that direction to begin with and the children never got that exposure while growing up -- the sad reality is that people who are more starved of the music of their roots sometimes recognize it's value much more than people for whom that access is more readily available. I do concede that in the case of kids it is true that it is the music that chooses it's heirs. But there are things we can do in our homes which we cannot ask schools or colleges (ESPECIALLY NOT COLLEGES!

) or governments to introduce or force.

Let's sign a document promising that we'll ask our kids to listen to CM every day and let them learn something daily in a well planned manner and we promise to share one recording on our FB walls daily or at least weekly? (non-commercial, preferably vintage, or with the consent of the artistes') or on twitter?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 12:49

Srinath,
Yes, I agree the choice of an adult in listening is his birthright. But for children, education, and exposure to the fundamentals of their culture, like classical music, is also a birthright. How do we fulfill that?
What I have in mind is a one hour or max. 90 min. class per week. It will have video clips, audio clips, guided singing, games and projects.
If we make it all fun, I think children will love it.
Anyway it's just my opinion. You know better.
When and if you sign it, you can add all your xommebts and even counter suggestions.

S.NAGESWARAN · Post by **S.NAGESWARAN** » 02 Jul 2015, 13:00

I have signed and sent the petition to the HRD Minister.

S.NAGESWARAN.
02.07.2015.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 02 Jul 2015, 13:05

@Rsachi, Slightly shorter classes twice a week IMHO is better for memory retentivity. A good balance of revising the old and introducing the new is required. The links below are extremely useful for any student or teacher.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forgetting_curve
http://www.gwern.net/Spaced%20repetition

All these ideas are good for introducing a music course and even workshops. Maybe you could tie up with a school and try the experiment and see. Participation should be optional. With small children, while it's easy to get the whole class to participate, it will involve their parents and teachers also

. If you can start with workshops and create a good reputation, you can always revisit

This is a good idea for a visiting music teacher in schools.

The thing is, so long as it is kept to the purely social circle of our own initiatives, it will run without issues. When it gets to the government, it becomes as political as the Land Acquisition Bill and I am afraid that it will be used for "other motives". It's negative publicity and complications that one can do without. At least I do not want the music I love to get mixed up in that .... noise. Never underestimate the power of just one proactive person sir! I think that rather than asking the government to make it compulsory, one day we should be felicitated by the PM for our own efforts!

ramamantra · Post by **ramamantra** » 02 Jul 2015, 13:31

In such issues, I believe a musician of high repute or a Sangeetha kala acharya must spearhead the campaign in order for it to have a serious impact. RK has already voiced it in his Outlook interview. Perhaps, he is following it up.

SrinathK · Post by **SrinathK** » 02 Jul 2015, 13:41

One thing that the govt. can do in my opinion is to give musicians a few tax breaks. What's the point service taxing a niche field @30% like this, as if income tax wasn't enough? Yes, those tickets you are buying are now going to come with taxes. Can we have a petition there, with some data (that ought to be kept confidential to the public) as to just how much musicians and organizers are actually hit by this?

http://www.radioandmusic.com/biz/music/ ... tax-150302
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/13j48wU ... music.html

Take a look at the end of the 2nd article :

One could ask Jaitley’s team why dance and theatre were given preferential treatment, but it is unlikely that one would receive an answer. It is whispered though, that the powerful lobby of classical dancers and theatre persons with mighty connections in the Capital were able to get their way. Musicians, it would seem, do not have the ear of the government, but it is more likely that musicians failed to form a lobby and raise a voice in protest. Either they do not care, or they still retain a feudal mindset where supplicants do not raise a voice against those perceived to be their masters. Meanwhile, Rao rues with depressing accuracy that “Unlike many countries, where traditional arts receive funding and concessions from the government, here we seem to believe in not supporting, but rather burdening the organizers as well as the audience who engage in promoting traditional arts.”

Dear HRD & Finance Minister, please exempt classical music from 30% service tax! Of all the things ...

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 02 Jul 2015, 14:27

This was interesting (from FB):
Chitravina Ravikiran with Radha Bhaskar and 19 others

"A diplomatic take on why it is a cultural crime to resort to communal slants against a whole art-form (Carnatic) that has been shaped by the geniuses of diverse communities over centuries. "
"I was soon invited to provide a syllabus from Class I-VIII for “Music Education in Schools” by the Manmohan Singh Government and I do hope that the new government will revive this syllabus and introduce both Carnatic and Hindustani in schools across the country. Children respond to the arts well, and they might be further groomed to become performers or organisers involved in the classical music industry."

pattamaa · Post by **pattamaa** » 02 Jul 2015, 14:34

To get more secular support, one can tune the language lessons particularly poems, short verses (regional language, hindi, sanskrit) in appropriate classical music in very simple tunes, and teach kids... These verses would be already part of syllabus.. For tamil nadu, these can be thirukural, silapadigaram, purananuru etc.. Along with this, there could be brief notes about raga, tala etc. will it work ?

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 14:48

Pattamma
Excellent suggestion.
As i said, kindly add these inputs in your commenta while signing the petition.
The petition is nothing personal. It is a collective expression of a suggestion and if lots of people sign it, it will hopefully get some attention. The change. org has a strreamlined way of collecting and forwarding the signatures.

vgovindan · Post by **vgovindan** » 02 Jul 2015, 16:26

RSachi,
Notwithstanding the comments which one may add, the title itself mentions 'compulsory'. If you remove this word, I shall sign the petition.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 16:53

Sir,
My intention was to make CM in schools compulsory. I cannot alter the original petition just as I cannot sign ig myself a second time.
I respect your opinion, but for the reasons I have stated, I feel it is the compulsory duty of our education system to introduce the basics of our classical music to school students. How easy and how much fun it can be as a learning experience will have to be left to the subject matter experts like Sri Ravikiran and others.

shankar vaidyanathan · Post by **shankar vaidyanathan** » 02 Jul 2015, 17:07

I signed the petition today. Fine arts could include various dance forms and folk arts too.

Thank you, Rsachi, for taking the initiative and lead.

vgovindan · Post by **vgovindan** » 02 Jul 2015, 17:37

RSachi,
I have signed the petition - with remarks "No complusion please".
I appreciate your effort. But all our well-intentioned initiatives get bogged down because of 'compulsion'. We should allow time for things to mature - then the foundation will be strong.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 18:33

Thank you sir.i see your point.

kolenidhi · Post by **kolenidhi** » 02 Jul 2015, 18:45

ramamantra wrote:In such issues, I believe a musician of high repute or a Sangeetha kala acharya must spearhead the campaign in order for it to have a serious impact. RK has already voiced it in his Outlook interview. Perhaps, he is following it up.

I too was wondering why some overenthusiastic and hyper rasikas get into such issues of profound nature. In cm, musician and rasika lines blur just bcoz rasikas can identify some ragas(or 'my uncle was so-and-so') or have some contacts/arrange concerts or so. They say they respect musicians but like mundhirikottais butt in and take credit.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 18:58

Kolenidhi,
Overenthusiastic!

I dont know if you're a rasika or a musician. Whatever, just think. Do you want children to learn CM/HM at school? If you think it is a good idea, please sign the petition.
In case you don't know what to do, please tell others. Maybe they would like to sign it.
By the way a number of rasikas and musicians have signed the petition in the past few hours.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 02 Jul 2015, 19:21

I am for this petition. Music helps in creativity and brings tranquility among students for reaching the full potential of learning other streams of science IMHO.

chitravina ravikiran · Post by **chitravina ravikiran** » 02 Jul 2015, 20:34

The petition by concerned citizens is an excellent idea. But having been a bit active in this area over the last few years at Central and State level, I know that the process is a rather involved one. Due to constraints of space, I only shared parts of my projects in the interview in Outlook (from the other thread). Some of you may have written various articles and interviews by me over the years where I have constantly emphasized for Culture and Arts to be given much importance from school levels and argued that pride and passion in culture is the strongest glue that holds any self-respecting country together. I have projected this to be always viewed as an artistic and educational necessity that will also boost the economy. I have cautioned against confusing it as religious/communal initiatives. That said, this is a complex and dynamic issue that needs to factor in numerous things including Governments' reach, impact and limitations (some, self-created).

1. In very broad terms, the Govt is the best option for macro-level difference , if the political will is there. But numerous things need to be in place for the Govt to implement it since more than one Ministry is involved - Culture/Home/Education etc. All these are heavy, ponderously moving machineries who have made treading on one-another's toe a fine-art!

2. For instance, the overwhelming success of the Camp for 31,000 children in 2006 showed that even ragas like Sahana and Yadukulakambhodhi was not inaccessible to hundreds of children of diverse communities, at least at a basic level. This also resulted in a UNESCO Award of $50,000 for my initiative for a similar project next year in the Tsunami affected districts of TN - but the TN Govt stalled the paperwork and went into a mode of obfuscation - shooting themselves in the foot. I am hoping that the State will revive this project because I have already created blue prints for it.

3. Some of you may have also read that I created a similar blue print for the Central Govt when invited to be a member of the "Music Education in Schools" Core Committee . I was tasked to create a syllabus from Class I to VIII, which of course is now slumbering serenely in one of the numerous offices of the Culture/Home/ some other Ministry now!! The former PM was also the Minister of Culture then and he was all for this.

4. Therefore, if your petition can make a clear reference that a Blue Print has already been created by me and is available in black and white and a lot of social, economical and other ramifications have already been taken into consideration before I drafted the syllabus, the Govt may be tempted to move faster and revive it. If not, they will think that there is too much work involved/find vote-centric reasons in this and stonewall such efforts.

VK RAMAN · Post by **VK RAMAN** » 02 Jul 2015, 22:46

I fully support Point No.4; rsachi may like to include a reference ........

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 02 Jul 2015, 22:48

Sri Ravikiran, your post shows there is a good chance for things to move. I will write an addendum in the petition about what you've said, after studying what you've stated. I request you also to refer to this petition and take up the issue with HRD Minisry yourself and enlist at least one Hindustani musician to say pretty much the same thing effectively from his/her side. This is no disrespect or doubt about your efforts or commitment to the cause as I know you have lived and breathed music. But the voice of ordinary people like me will get through this petition and adding more musicians' voices will create a "critical mass" of influence. I may be wrong here but I may be right, too.

I request someone familiar with your efforts to sign the petition also with more details of the work done already.

Thank you.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 03 Jul 2015, 09:00

Update:
56 people have signed the petition so far!
I have added the valuable inputs given by Sri Ravikiran and updated the petition.

chitravina ravikiran · Post by **chitravina ravikiran** » 03 Jul 2015, 11:30

Shri Sachi,

Actually, there was another delegation which had met the PM a few years before this consisting of 10-12 of India's cream CM and HM artistes which included Pt Shivkumar Sharma, Shri T N Krishnan, Pt Birju Maharaj, Dr Balamuralikrishna, Mr Zakir Hussain, Pt Ajoy Chakrobarty, Shri U Shrinivas etc and we had lobbied for a new TV Channel for Classical Music and other such initiatives. When the Core Committee was formed for Music Education in Schools, I was the only musician in it (I don't know if I am at liberty to share those names) but I do remember that one of the others had been tasked to submit a syllabus for HM). My syllabus included a glimpse of HM and I had urged the HM syllabus to have a brief overview of CM as well. Both these must be in Govt files.

But for my schedule till at least May next year (which involves a lot of time outside India), I would be able to devote more energies to physically set up meetings in Delhi to pursue this with the Govt (who, however are generally apathetic to overtures over emails). Realistically, I can remote-manage the artistic side of things, should your petition gain momentum and the Govt revives the initiative. I'd recommend that more mainstream media coverage to your petition would also add weight to it. Perhaps rasikas.org or some of you could set up Press Conferences in your cities to urge the media to prominently publicize your efforts, which could also be in the form of an Open Letter to the PM.

eesha · Post by **eesha** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:00

Music is a fine art, like dance, painting, sculpture, architecture and poetry.

If we say music has to be made compulsory in schools, because we love music, another set of people can ask for painting to be made compulsory because they love painting, yet another set of people can ask for dance to be made compulsory because they love dance and so on.

So we can only ask music to be made available to all students. Asking for making it compulsory is difficult to achieve.

kvchellappa · Post by **kvchellappa** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:16

In fact, fine arts is in the curriculum in UK (or was in the eighties). Even poem writing is there. There is a subject CDT. I feel that in young minds things that will stay for a life time must be instilled. The mere bookish education dies once the exam is over. I feel there is great merit in including fine arts for some time and as one matures one can branch off into some specialisation.

ramamantra · Post by **ramamantra** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:26

eesha wrote:Music is a fine art, like dance, painting, sculpture, architecture and poetry.

Music and dance are performing arts, and that is different from fine arts - arts performed on the go is different from relaxed arts like painting, sculpture, or literary arts like poetry and so on. Different skills are needed for performing arts. Such skills will aid in children's cognitive development in ways different than fine arts would.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:28

Sri Ravikiran,
Excellent suggestions. I shall work with fellow rasikas on this.
I do deeply appreciate your commitment of time and thought and energy and creativity in an area that is somewhat like the Akbar Birbal "Doodh-Paani" story

, where everybody's business is nobody's business.

Eesha,
First of all, you know how beholden we all are, for your S'Priya initiative, something CM can be proud of.

Coming to the question about "compulsoriness" of classical music in a school system, I have somewhat clear ideas on this after listening to CM for nearly 60 years now, and thinking through the subject at length.

Like Math and classical languages which are difficult subjects in school, but compulsory for someone to learn for being called "educated", I feel music in fact has a far-reaching impact on personality development. So much so that children not exposed to classical music or being excluded from music training as compared to their siblings, often express the feeling that it would have been easy for them to absorb classical music in childhood rather than work at it on their own in adulthood.

In some communities and families, music is threaded into learning via Sunday classes, bhajans etc. Children begin to love those sessions.

I feel the challenge is not to convince people about learning music in schools, the challenge is to make it interesting and fun.

To that extent, I have seen in the USA, Europe, and Asia, that many schools teach music in a fun way and children develop a sensitivity and basic musicality which makes them really shine. It seems to be a valuable accomplishment or faculty if you like.

I have seen children resisting any effort to put them in music classes when they find that it takes away fun time or play time. But if a school curriculum is creatively architected to accommodate a well-run one-a-week music classes, I am strongly of the opinion that children will love it. This could be the best, least-resisted, widest-reaching approach.

Also if we don't ask for it to be made compulsory, schools will not employ teachers or adhere to end goals.

On balance, I feel convinced this approach will work. But making the government implement it is VERY DIFFICULT. That is why we need brilliant people like Sri Ravikiran. We also need more committed people, who are in "solution" mode rather than "complaint" mode.

eesha · Post by **eesha** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:36

ramamantra wrote:
eesha wrote:Music is a fine art, like dance, painting, sculpture, architecture and poetry.

Music and dance are performing arts, and that is different from fine arts - arts performed on the go is different from relaxed arts like painting, sculpture, or literary arts like poetry and so on. Different skills are needed for performing arts. Such skills will aid in children's cognitive development in ways different than fine arts would.

Historically, the five main fine arts were painting, sculpture, architecture, music and poetry, with performing arts including theater and dance. Today, the fine arts commonly include additional forms, such as film, photography, conceptual art, and printmaking
SOURCE: wikipedia

One may argue that for him/her music is fine arts as he has no intention to perform on the stage and he/she is learning for relaxation purpose

Let us not deviate by hairsplitting. The point is, when there are many fine art (performing art) forms , making only one of them compulsory will not work.

munirao2001 · Post by **munirao2001** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:52

Chitraveena Ravikiran and RSachi,

Artists suggestion and request for the introduction of Classical Music in Schools and Colleges is time immemorial and non acceptance is also time immemorial. It is no secret that even if Central/State Govt makes budgetary allocation, either the funds will meet the administrative set up for implementation or non utilization of budgetary allocation will happen.

Few States have established Music University and Colleges. Central and State Govt. can and should work on 'Outreach' program at Macro level. The Heads of such established institutions must work together to make it happen.

Art, its growth and development is the primary responsibility of rasikas and citizens. To make it happen at 'micro level', established institutions of repute e.g. Music Academy and Gayana Samaja/KFAC with Artists and rasikas patrons support, tapping the Corporate Social Responsibility Funds through the established representative industry bodies and associations e.g. CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, CREDAI etc is the ideal. To make this happen, first the artists initiatives on 'outreach' program must receive wholehearted support from both the artists fraternity and rasikas e.g. Chitraveena Ravikiran's NGO-S'Priya, Akella Mallikarjuna Sharma's 'Swarabhangima', Shankar Mahadevan Academy, Svanubhava, Rhapsody etc. Also Heads of Private Residential Schools and Colleges to be met to plan and implement music education in their institutions with support from Parents Associations and Popular Artists.

The good results achieved by the private initiatives will attract public/Govt. attention and action-grants and aids. Not petitions and representations to Governments.

munirao2001

ramamantra · Post by **ramamantra** » 03 Jul 2015, 12:57

eesha wrote: The point is, when there are many fine art (performing art) forms , making only one of them compulsory will not work.

Performing arts are art forms in which artists use their voices and/or the movements of their bodies, often in relation to other objects, to convey artistic expression—as opposed to, for example, purely visual arts, in which artists use paint/canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. (Source: Wiki)

Anyways, I'm not interested in arguing over this further (just wanted to point out the difference to a not-so-related point you voiced). As Rscahi says,

Rsachi wrote:We also need more committed people, who are in "solution" mode rather than "complaint" mode.

munirao2001 · Post by **munirao2001** » 03 Jul 2015, 13:39

I wanted to share one significant instance of happening on 'ideas'.

Sri Arvind Brahmakal/Ranjani Fine Arts, our forumite and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, both of Bengaluru held the event of 'Ideas Conclave' on Karnataka Sangeetham growth and development issues. One of the panel member, Sri Mysore V.Subrahmanya, a scholar and a senior critic, DH even questioned the very idea of focus on Classical Music-Karnataka Sangeetha exclusively, and not 'other forms of music - Folk, Bhaava/Lalita and Devotional-gamaka and vachana etc', inclusively. Demand will also be made for 'metal' and 'film' music inclusion. State or Central Govt and their Ministers and Secretaries will face these pulls and pressures and would like to stay away from this.

munirao2001

eesha · Post by **eesha** » 03 Jul 2015, 14:24

munirao2001 wrote:I wanted to share one significant instance of happening on 'ideas'.

Sri Arvind Brahmakal/Ranjani Fine Arts, our forumite and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, both of Bengaluru held the event of 'Ideas Conclave' on Karnataka Sangeetham growth and development issues. One of the panel member, Sri Mysore V.Subrahmanya, a scholar and a senior critic, DH even questioned the very idea of focus on Classical Music-Karnataka Sangeetha exclusively, and not 'other forms of music - Folk, Bhaava/Lalita and Devotional-gamaka and vachana etc', inclusively. Demand will also be made for 'metal' and 'film' music inclusion. State or Central Govt and their Ministers and Secretaries will face these pulls and pressures and would like to stay away from this.

munirao2001

That is exactly the point. Supporters of each art form (whether it is fine arts or performing arts , the definitions are irrelevant here) consider their art form to be supreme and would like to have that included as a compulsory subject in schools.

So this idea of compulsory classical music in schools can not take off.

priyaram78 · Post by **priyaram78** » 03 Jul 2015, 15:10

My humble opinion is this. Being brought up in Mumbai, and studying in a school there, Marathi was compulsory. Many non-marathi speaking parents objected to it but it was later found that knowing the regional language had so many benefits. Similarly whenever anything new is introduced and made compulsory there will be objections but later it will be proved that it has many advantages. Now other fine arts like painting, pottery all children may not be interested but is there any child which does not like music ? With the invasion of film songs and mass popularity among kids it is necessary for us to introduce them to refined forms of music. Hence I am sure the future generations will soon realise the benefits of classical music in schools.

kolenidhi · Post by **kolenidhi** » 03 Jul 2015, 15:23

I can't wait to see the great Rsachi lead the rasika group for the mission - spreading awareness of the issue to the media, organizing press conferences, etc., - a major change from the easy, indoor activity of sending mails and online activities.

Although he may not be quite sure of how to go about it as he himself says in a post - "in an area that is somewhat like the Akbar Birbal "Doodh-Paani" story

, where everybody's business is nobody's business." and then, all sorts of naysayers here, I wish him all the best for the venture. And, don't worry, I've signed the petition as well and urged others known to me to do so.

So onward, soldier ! As they say

or should I say Colonel Rsachi

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 03 Jul 2015, 16:08

Sir, actually retired Field Marshal.
With support from at least a dozen rasikas willing to travel to Delhi, I can try and get a meeting with the HRD ministry. I will travel to Delhi.
Please sign up, those willing to join me.
We are missing the support of a Hindustani "big name".

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 04 Jul 2015, 00:24

Glad News!
I just came to know that Dr L. Subramaniam and family have started a great new initiative called SaPa Baby:
1. They enrol a school for teaching ALL KIDS basics of classical music (mainly Carnatic!) in a fun way
2. They create a music room with beautiful visuals and musical instruments etc.
3. They have graded lessons for 8-10 years to be given with audio and video and class teacher training for one class per week.
4. They bring in international musicians, share interesting video documentaries, tell stories and make kids take part in events
5. Kids from 2 years 6 months to almost high school kids take part in different modules
6. Annual fees per kid about Rs 1000/-
7. The kids in the schools rolled out are simply loving it!

You can buy the audio and book set on Amazon.in
You can download an app called SaPa on iOS or Android.
There is stuff for kids, teachers and parents!!!!!!

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 05 Jul 2015, 10:28

harimau · Post by **harimau** » 06 Jul 2015, 01:26

About 4 years ago, Sri Kannikeswaran brought out a CD of Muthuswamy Deekshithar's nottuswara sahithyams.

Mrs YGP announced that in her Padma Seshadri schools, those songs would be taught to children instead of nursery rhymes.

Perhaps an initiative along those lines would bear fruit faster than any attempt to get the Govt of India to decide on a policy and funding framework for introducing music in schools.

vidya raja · Post by **vidya raja** » 06 Jul 2015, 03:09

I have signed this petition today. My Ph.D research was an experimental research , studied the Impact of Carnatic music training on the mathematical achievement in children . The study showed significant improvement in mathematical abilities. Making classical music training compulsory , will make "music for all" and not only for the talented. This will definitely have a positive impact on cognitive abilities especially in early childhood.

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 06 Jul 2015, 04:11

Vidhya Raja,
Thank you. That is very helpful information. I keep coming across many examples of children who do better academically and even behaviourally after starting to learn music. Music seems to tap into even very "closed" children otherwise.

Harimau
The SaPa project of Dr L S I cited above does precisely what Mrs YGP said. They use nottuwarams and other such simple songs.

The only thing is how to make the reach widespread instead of being confined to some schools.

By the way Papanasam Sivan taught school kids at the Besant school started by Rukmini Devi in 1930's. Those schools were on the Montessori system.

vidya raja · Post by **vidya raja** » 06 Jul 2015, 07:14

According to the Howards Theory of Multiple intelligence, musical intelligence can be tapped in children and core subject concepts can be given to them in a musical platter. Integration of music with other core subjects will help in this and also will end parochialism. There are many schools that use the theory of multiple intelligence today. Concepts such as LCM and so much in mathematics can be taught without the child experiencing the stress of a difficult mathematics concept. This will also elevate the status of music , which is sometimes taken as a leisure period .

Rsachi · Post by **Rsachi** » 06 Jul 2015, 09:13

Vidhya,
Your insights are very valuable! Thanks.

The movie, The Sound of Music, and the way Maria teaches the music, is so delectable.