Is Indian classical music a dying art?
Re posting my answer from Quora (Read Here)
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No.
It is vibrant, alive and (as they say) kicking. And in the last couple of years there is a focused effort to revive interest and reestablish it’s glory.
The number of young people stepping up to learn the art is very encouraging. Having said that I will also admit that the number of westerners finding appeal in our music is increasing at a higher rate compared to our own people. And that is something that saddens me.
The genre itself is undergoing a significant transition in terms of how the knowledge is passed on. Some of the key changes are:
- (Most of )The present teachers are no longer accorded “god status” like the old days. They are gurus no doubt but there are boundaries that are being drawn and respected by both sides.
- The teaching is a lot more systematic and better documented compared to old days where some gurus are actually known to have banned writing down notes. The expectation was to listen, learn and master. It had its advantages but what is also true that many precious compositions were not preserved because they were never written down. That is one huge change.
- The tradition of “Ganda Bandhi” and “Gurukul Vas” (staying in the guru’s house and learning) is almost non existent.
- Teachers are a lot more lenient with their students.
Well, those are the top things I can think of right now. But The future of Indian Classical music is safe. Enough people are pursuing it and working towards attaining mastery in it.
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