How technology has changed music teaching

How musician-teachers offer different modules to reach learners around the world

As for the Indian classical arts, guru-sishya parampara is considered to be the most ideal and effective way of teaching and learning. Veterans in the field describe it as "sinne barr sinna sikhlai" (straight from one to the other). When lessons on Skype began about two decades ago, mostly for overseas or overseas students, it was viewed only as a temporary addition to the face-to-face learning experience. But the pandemic has made online learning the main medium of instruction. Several experienced artists and teachers have developed different learning modules tailored to different categories of students. Let's look at how technological interventions have changed the Guru-Sishya equation, the learning experience, and the pattern of teaching.

Specific topics

While some teach in order to appeal to passionate aspirants, there are others who offer a "sampler" for later in-depth study, and then there are those who tailor courses to the student's needs.

Bengaluru-based Veena exponent Jayanthi Kumaresh started online coaching a year ago. Her immediate goal in launching it was to expand the reach of classical music and guide young enthusiasts living around the world. “I don't expect all of my 900 students to become professional musicians; although many continue to learn from their gurus even if they do not attend my masterclasses, ”says Jayanthi.

Your teaching model is structured in such a way that each class is separate and encompasses technique, repertoire and practice methods. “Some students have been taking my classes regularly since it was introduced a year ago, while others are taking raga-specific classes. During the lesson, every student has the opportunity to ask me questions directly. If there is a difficult sentence, I have each student play it. After each class, there are tasks to do that are checked and identified for errors. ”Jayanthi has three grades - Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced, with detailed guidelines to help you determine which level you are at. Materials will be sent to each student prior to class, including voice and pitch instructions.

Jayanthi has also initiated general master classes such as Understanding How to Listen to Music, which teach a student what to hear and what to look for while listening. “When you learn the sitar, for example, you only concentrate on the instrument at a concert, but it is important that you also notice what the tabla artist is playing. I play several music clips and point out what they should have noticed; Then ask them to listen again and pick up the nuances. I make sure that you get more of every listening experience. "

However, Jayanthi admitted that she does one-on-one teaching for her older students, as a digital platform is not conducive to detailed teaching.

“Before the pandemic, I planned to start a Veena academy. Now it's taking shape online. In addition to teaching, I am also building an audiovisual archive. I will definitely continue this model even when I start traveling to concerts, ”she says.

Kaushiki Chakraborty agrees. “The teaching model developed by my husband Partho and I can also be maintained afterwards. A student who has completed our six-month course may not become a professional singer, but can differentiate between 'sur' and 'besur', understands taal, can sing and can present music ideally, ”says the Hindustani singer.

Kaushiki's model does not involve direct live interaction; It includes 20 online lessons of 45 minutes each over a six month timeframe, divided into two categories of learners - beginners and older students - based on their musical ability rather than their age. After a selection process, the student is sent his / her lesson unit, which includes both acoustic and visual inputs, whereupon he / she submits his / her understanding of the lesson. This is then scored and sent back for further improvement, but the pace of learning is not rigid as each student reacts differently. “In live learning sessions, you take a group class, record everything you can, practice for a week, and demonstrate to your guru next week. If you've done everything wrong, a week is wasted. "

Structured teaching

During the lockdown, the couple began archiving their music learning experience for their son Rashith. “As we started to structure and record the lessons, we wondered why we shouldn't share them with interested learners. That's how it all started. "

For advanced learners, Kaushiki prefers personal exchange. "It is a phase in which the disciples would have committed to persecute them throughout their lives."

The Ranjani-Gayathri model is somewhat different for newer beginners in online teaching. The well-known Carnatic singers started their masterclass three months ago and selected 64 out of 500 applicants. To resemble the training process of a live experience, the sisters created groups of eight to ten students for the bi-weekly sessions. Each student attends 25 sessions and, in addition to teaching composition, receives extensive reference work to prepare so that they can better understand and learn.

Ranjani says, “As teachers, we must try to maximize the classroom experience for better reception. Things that a disciple automatically soaks up in a gurukul must now be taught consciously. After the sessions we review the homework and give constructive criticism so that the lessons actually make a difference. "

Pune-based senior Hindustani singer Pt. Ulhas Kashalkar. “I don't take on new students; I only teach students who are enrolled in the institutions I am associated with, ”he says. For him, online teaching was a compromise, something he had recently started, something he had to do for his students as they needed his input. The physical limitations of the medium, especially the problem of delay in reception, can be frustrating, especially as instructions to Taal are sometimes lost in transit.

This problem was solved by playing live tabla at the end of the student so he or she could clearly hear the new taan patterns. "Plus, the experience feels incomplete without a tanpura," he says. According to Pt. Kashalkar, he has not changed his teaching method or his content for the online medium.

The orthodox (representing the 20th generation in a line of dhrupad musicians) but technologically savvy Veena artist Ustad Bahauddin Dagar shares this perspective: Teachers, it's not satisfying. I doubt I'll be doing so many courses in the future. The microphone we use only picks up the louder sound, so my use of the 'chikaari taar' is not recorded; the subtle nuances of a meend on the veena or surbahar are often lost; you need a USB interface, you have to repeat two or three times, so the lessons take much longer. On the positive side, aspirants could get in touch with gurus to whom they previously had no access; I even teach students who live in Israel. ”He prefers one-to-one classes and believes in giving instant feedback to the student.

The Delhi-based author writes about Hindu music and musicians.

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