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Appreciation Workshop
on Hindustani Classical Music for Beginners

Venue: Out of the Blue, Union Park, Khar ( W), Mumbai
Samay (time): 9.30 AM to 12.30 PM (Dec 4-5, 2004), 5.00 PM to 8.00 PM (Dec 6, 2004)
Gayak (singer): Conducted by ethnomusicologist and composer Dr. Ashok Ranade

Indian classical music is embedded in the soul of

India and contributes significantly to the depth of Indian cultural roots. Modernity with its pressures, has forced a disconnect among the flag bearers of our musical traditions. Cultural expressions are fighting an uphill battle for meaning in the fast paced commerce driven world. The lack of understanding of even the foundations of our music prevents today’s generation from appreciating the melody. The tide is slowly changing. Indian musicians have become aware of the increasing non-professional interest in Indian music. Both in India and abroad, curious beginners engaged in other walks of life, have felt the need for a course which relates performing traditions to the underlying conceptual structures, though in a non-technical manner. In order to satisfy the need, Soulitudes Inc is honored to present one of India’s most esteemed ethnomusicologist, Dr. Ashok Ranade (see profile below), who was at the forefront of making Indian classical music accessible to the world. He initially tried out a course in Music Appreciation (in Hindustani Music) in the University of Bombay in 1969. Since then the course has evolved further, chiefly because he has conducted it for individuals and groups from diverse fields of life.

Structure of the Workshop
The basic format employed is to play back examples of recorded music and follow up with explanations and discussions. To a certain extent, the course-content varies according to interests and aptitudes of the attending group. The course outline is listed below.

Pricing
Rs. 2,500 for the entire workshop

Course outline
1. Varieties of Musical Experience
2. Swara to Raga
3. Matra to Taal
4. Musical Instruments and their Music
5. Forms in Art Music
6. Forms in Non-art Music
7. Gharana-s

Dr. Ashok Ranade - Profile
Born in India in 1937, musicologist and composer Dr. Ashok Ranade pleads for a congenial juxtaposition of the traditions of Indian music and for a non-conditional openness towards the fusion of western and Indian aims and ideas. Since his retirement he has become especially interested in the varied street-music of Indian cities, which he likes to call an 'authentic urban folk-music'.

Dr. Ashok Ranade was the first Director of the University Music Centre, Bombay. He has also held important positions in the archives and research centre in ethnomusicology of the American Institute of Indian Studies and also in theatre research and ethnomusicology in the NCPA, Bombay. Dr. Ranade had his music lessons under Pt. Gajananrao Anant Joshi, Pt. Laxmanrao Bodas and Prof. B. R. Deodhar. A sangeetacharya from ABGMV, he is the recipient of several awards like Phulambrikar Puraskar and was appointed to the Tagore chair in M.S. University of Baroda. He received the best music director award for professional theatre in the year 1990. Some of Dr. Ranade's publications are Sangeetache soundarya shastra, Lok sangeet shastra, and On Music and Musicians in Hindustan. He has edited, composed and compared several music albums. He has also held various positions in Indian colleges. During this time his open and precise analysis of the Indian tradition was a great stimulus for many inquisitive young Indian artists.

Ashok Ranade has written standard works about Indian music like 'Studies in Indian Ethnomusicology' and has held hundreds of workshops.

Introduction adapted from: House of World Cultures [www.hkw.de]

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