carnatic-music-inclusiveness-perception

[kvchellappa]

From FB:
Carnatic music circles were recently abuzz on the issue of INCLUSIVITY in our Carnatic music.
In this context, I need to share a fact that isn't common knowledge (unfortunately) : colleges of Carnatic music across South India, have silently (without fanfare, and without even thinking much about it) been working very, very inclusively - training students from all communities.
I'm often asked why I disappeared from Chennai for 10 years to teach in a music college in Tirupati - and that too, right after a double-promotion A-grade, which would surely have facilitated reasonable performing opportunities for me in Chennai. What a "career-limiting move", my well-wishers often rued...
My answer, is that those were 10 years of community service for me - in the most inclusive sense of the word.
It is common knowledge that Government medical doctors need to do a mandatory rural stint before getting back to larger towns. I feel really proud that, as a musician, I did my community service stint too, before returning to Chennai and turning attention to a performing career in the Mecca of Carnatic music.
If anybody asks me today, whether I have taught a substantial number of students from different communities, castes as well as religions - I can proudly and emphatically say, "YES! I HAVE - and all my students are EQUALLY dear to me!"
I am sharing an article I wrote in the Sruti magazine on the subject of inclusivity in Carnatic music - I hope that conscientious rasikas who'd like to cherish inclusiveness in our great heritage, would find something of value in the thoughts I have tried to share.
( Pls note: this article was written before Sri TM Krishna's recent speech - so the speech does not find a mention )

https://srutimag.blogspot.in/2017/07/ca ... ption.html

[sureshvv]

Thanks for the link. A constructive and heart warming article.

[Purist]

A signal contribution by Dr Padma Sugavanam setting aside career ambition for a period.
(what they call- more walking than talking).Kudos

[jshrikanth]

Thanks for the link.

Excellent article by Vid. Padma Sugavanam. Very well articulated. And made greater by the fact that it is based on her own experience, and not armchair theorizing.

[arasi]

A highly intelligent woman, dedicated to her art. And more. Ten years of fruitful work. She did it effectively, it seems. More than all, her suggestion to musicians to train students from diverse communities at colleges, taking sabbaticals for teaching is of great value. It's practical and valuable. No need for soap boxes...

[Nick H]

What a wonderful piece of writing, based on wonderful actual doing. Noticeable is that it is entirely positive: she is pro everyone and not anti anyone. At the end, she says

If I were to make a suggestion to Sri T M Krishna, this is what it would be – moffusil music colleges are probably the best means to achieve the impact you seek. Most of these colleges have affirmative action - and while no Dalit student approached you despite your keenness to teach, you will actually find several students from socially and economically backward communities, in these colleges. The systems and structures are already in place, the enrollments are already in place. If our top-notch Vidvans and Vidushis would get involved in mentoring these colleges in a sustained manner across a few batches, we could together achieve a lot towards inclusiveness in our wonderful heritage of Carnatic music.

I don't really mean to aim yet another barb at TMK personally, but I am afraid that it may matter to some that what they do on the beach of a big city is close to the journalists of that city. What is done in the colleges and schools, even of the same big cities, goes without notice and without remark, and yet is of infinitely more value.

Hats off to Smt Padma... and to all the names we may never see on the stage, let alone read about in the newspapers, who are doing this good teaching work for all.