NOC | Appreciating Carnatic Music

Course abstract

Carnatic music is a vibrant musical tradition that has evolved, and is largely practiced, in Southern India and wherever else there is a significant diaspora of South Indians

A highly nuanced and tonally rich melodic music, its rhythmic aspect too is considerably complex. As much as it is rooted in tradition there is immense demand on the improvisational skills of the musicians. The coming together of these two aspects in a concert can give the listener a musical high.

What makes this music so unique and rich? What happens in a typical concert? What do we look for? Who were the great musicians and composers who have made the music what it is today? These are some of the questions this course will try to answer.

What does a student need to bring to this course? An interest in music, a willingness to bite into a music technically and aesthetically very different from popular music-s and other forms like Western Classical music.

It would help if you have heard Carnatic music before, but that is not absolutely necessary. You will hear plenty during the course.

Course Instructor

Prof. Lakshmi Sreeram

Dr. Lakshmi SreeramTrained in Carnatic music since her childhood, Lakshmi has been a performer for over 25 years. She also performs Khayal, a north Indian tradition of classical music. She has a Ph.D in Philosophy from the University of Bombay focusing on the idea of dhvani in Anandavardhana\u2019s Dhvanyaloka, a 9th century Sanskrit text in the tradition of Alankarasastra (literary theory). She has been teaching introductory courses on Carnatic and Hindustani music at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. She is also a freelance journalist. For more details and music clips