CET Syllabus of Record
Program: UW in India: Varanasi Course Title: Tutorial: Studio and Performing Arts: Sitar (North Indian Classical Music Instrument) Course Code: VR/ARTP 219 Total Hours: 45 Recommended Credits: 3 Primary Discipline / Suggested Cross Listings: Performing Arts Language of Instruction: Hindi/English Prerequisites/Requirements: None
Description The Tutorial course seeks to bring a hands-on, applied dimension to students’ academic interests and requires substantial, sustained contact with and immersion into the host community. Though there are associated readings and writing assignments that are required for the completion of the course and the granting of academic credit, the tutorial focuses on the benefits of structured experiential learning.
The Sitar Tutorial focuses on one of India’s major classical musical instruments, most notably made famous on the international scene by Pandit Ravi Shankar. Although the exact origin of the instrument remains debated among scholars, the tradition can be traced back several centuries, perhaps as early as the thirteenth century. The sitar combines elements of Indian and Persian stringed instruments, and flourished in the courts of the Mughals. Over the years, the sitar has gone through several transformations, which have resulted in variations in both sound and style. Today, the distinct sound of the sitar—characterized by its drone strings and resonator—has become emblematic of Hindustani (North Indian) classical music.
Students of the Sitar Tutorial in Varanasi will have the unique opportunity to participate in the guru- shishya (student) tradition of pedagogy, while at the same time working with program faculty to review contemporary literature related to the field and to discuss themes related to experiential learning more broadly. In this course, the student will be familiarized with fundamental techniques of Sitar. Specific pieces taught may vary from semester to semester and student to student. Levels of progress will depend substantially on the individual student’s involvement and ability to conduct intensive, independent practice.
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Objectives • Enhance understanding of a traditional art form through academic as well as structured experiential learning • Gain hands-on competence in a traditional art form through 1:1 contact with an expert in the field, through the special guru-shishya (student) relationship • Specifically, the student will learn these fundamental aspects of sitar playing: o Scale and parent scale familiarity, with references to Ragasbilawal, yaman, khamaj, kafi, asavari, bhairav, poorvi, todi, marwa o Using the mizrab (pick) o Jam jama, gamak, chikari(methods of pulling different strings) o 1 raga (melodic composition) handled expansively: RagaYaman o Exposure to additional ragas, with detailed handling of at least one of the following: kafi, bhopali, hansadhwani, durga, bilawal,bhairav, jog o 10 todas (improvisations) o Jhala(rhythmic plucking of drone strings) • Develop an awareness of culturally-specific teaching and working styles and environments • Learn how to bring together first-person insights with supporting academic materials, combining personal reflection with critical engagement in writing • Learn to theorize the process of experiential learning
Course Requirements The course is overseen and evaluated by the Tutorial faculty member, with subject area experts contributing components of student evaluation as outlined below. Students will be expected to maintain the following weekly schedule: • Group meeting with Tutorial faculty member/subject-area expert or individual check-in with Tutorial faculty member:……………………………...... 2 hours (20 hours total over the semester) • Individual class with guru:…...... 2 hours (25 hours total over the semester, including final performance) • Independent practice time:……….……………………………………..……...... 2 hours (24 hours total over the semester) Students are evaluated according to the following: • Academic preparation for each class meeting, demonstrated by command of the background material and ability to discuss it • Demonstrated progress in chosen area from one instruction session to the next, as evidence of engagement with the material outside the classroom • Regularly maintained journal that chronicles the meeting of theory and practice in their chosen area of focus – 10 entries of roughly 1 page each • Final 8-10-page paper based on individual Tutorial • Class presentation based on Final Individual Tutorial Paper • Final performance at closing seminar
CET Syllabus of Record
Methods of Evaluation Academic preparation(class discussions) 10% Progress in mastery of material 20% (formally evaluated by subject-area guru twice in the semester) Journal (10 entries) 10% Final Paper 20% Final Presentation 10% Final Performance 30% (evaluated by subject-area guru)
Primary Texts Each student will consult readings specific to their focus area for the Final Paper. Reading lists will be individually developed, in consultation with Tutorial faculty, but following are some suggested texts from which individual readings may be drawn:
Bakhle, Janaki, “Two Men and Music.” Permanent Black 2005 Barlow, Jon and Lakshmi Subramanian, “Music and Society in North India: From the Mughals to the Mutiny.” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 19 (May 12-18, 2007). Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4419584 Cohn, Jerry, “An American Student and North Indian Music.” UW/BHU 1966 Deshpande, Vamanrao H., “Indian Musical Traditions: An Aesthetic Study of the Gharanas in Hindustani Music.” Popular Prakashan Mumbai 1973 Farell, Gerry, “Reflecting Surfaces: The Use of Elements from Indian Music in Popular Music and Jazz.” Popular Music, Vol. 7, No. 2, The South Asia/West Crossover (May, 1988). Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/853536 Farell, Gerry, “The Senia Style of Sitar Playing in Contemporary India.” British Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 11, No. 2 (2002). Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4149901 Goswami, G.N., “Parameters of Music.” Wishwa Prakashan New Delhi 1996 Hamel, Peter Michael, “Through Music to the Self.” Element Books Dorset 1986 Kouwenhoven, Frank, & James Kippen (eds.), “Music, Dance and the Art of Seduction.” Eburon Amsterdam 2013 Miner, Allyn, “Sitar and Sarod in the 18th and 19th Centuries.” Motilal Banarsidass Delhi 1997 Miner, Allyn, “The sitār: an Overview of Change.” The World of Music, Vol. 32, No. 2, India (1990). Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/43561258 Pingle, B.A., “History of Indian Music, With Particular Reference to Theory and Practice.” Indological Book House Delhi/Varanasi undated Sengupta, Pradip Kumar, “Foundations of Indian Musicology (Perspectives in the Philosophy of Art and Culture).” Abhinav New Delhi 1991 Strangways, A.H. Fox, “Features, Principles and Technique of Indian Music.” Kanishka Delhi 1989 Strangways, A.H. Fox, “Music of Hindostan.” Clarendon Oxford 1975 CET Syllabus of Record
Veer, Ram Avtar (Sangeet Acharya), “The Music of India: History & Development.” V.I, V.II, Pankaj New Delhi 1986 Walker, Margaret, “Movement and Metaphor: Towards an Embodied Theory of Music Cognition and Hermeneutics.” Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, No. 145 (Summer, 2000). Wade, Bonnie C., “Music in India: The Classical Traditions.” Manohar New Delhi 2001
Supplementary Texts In addition to subject area-specific readings, a component of the Tutorial addresses intercultural communication and experiential/embodied learning:
Biddle, Jennifer, “The Anthropologist's Body or What It Means to Break Your Neck in the Field.” The Australian Journal of Anthropology, Volume 4, Issue 3, December 1993. Cohn, Jerry, “An American Student and North Indian Music.” UW/BHU 1966 Dobson, Stephen, “Urban Pedagogy: A Proposal for the Twenty-First Century.” London Review of Education, v4 n2, Jul 2006 Hall, Edward T., “Monochronic and Polychronic Time.” The Dance of Life: The Other Dimension of Time, Anchor Books, 1984 Howson, Alexandra, “Introduction” and “The Body in Everyday Life.” The Body in Society: An Introduction, Polity 2004. Kashalkar- Karve, Sanyukta. "Comparative Study of Ancient Gurukul System and the New Trends of Guru-ShishyaParampara." American International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, http://iasir.net/AIJRHASSpapers/AIJRHASS13-140.pdf Martin, J.N., and T.K. Nakayama, “Intercultural Communication in Context.” McGraw & Hill 2012 Reitenauer, Viki L., Christine M. Cress, and Janet Bennett, “Creating Cultural Connections: Navigating Difference, Investigating Power, Unpacking Privilege.” Learning Through Serving, Stylus 2013 Roberts, Jay, “Disney, Dewey, and the Death of Experience in Education.” Education and Culture, Vol. 21, No. 2 (2005). Ruitenberg, Claudia, “Deconstructing the Experience of the Local: Toward a Radical Pedagogy of Place.” Philosophy of Education 2005.
Outline of Course Content Topic 1 • Academic Preparation: Class with all Tutorial students: overview of tutorial: experiential, embodied learning vs formal research project. How to use the Tutorial to support your Directed Field Study, or not. Individual check-in with Tutorial faculty • Tutorial Focus: 1:1 meeting with Tutorial guru– Pandit Rabindra Narayan Goswami - to confirm Tutorial meeting days, times, aims
CET Syllabus of Record
Topic 2 • Academic Preparation: Introduction to student-guru relationship, traditional performing arts/workplace culture in India, and field-based language acquisition. The journal exercise: how to bring together the first-person, the context, and the theory • Tutorial Focus: start maintaining journal; start of 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Introduction to the instrument, short history of the instrument o Practicum: Right hand position and playing technique with mizrab (pick; start of basic exercise for beginners); start of basic exercises Topic 3 • Academic Preparation: Individual check-in with Tutorial faculty; the value of being uncomfortable (but how uncomfortable?). Using miscommunication as a vehicle for learning. • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Names of the different parts of the instrument o Practicum: Review basic exercises, introducing permutations and combinations; introduction to jam jama, gamak, chikari(methods of pulling different strings) Topic 4 • Academic Preparation: Learning to read non-verbal vocabularies; the value of experiential learning • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Definitions of naad, swar (suddha and vikrit) o Practicum: More permutations and combinations in basic exercises; review of methods of pulling different strings; embellishment of notes Topic 5 • Academic Preparation: The city as text; negotiating space and culture through the Tutorial experience; the value of experiential learning. First 5 Journal entries submitted: the content, the process, the first-person. • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction:
o Theory: Definitions of octaves, tats, raga and jati of raga, ‘scales’ and/or ‘modes’; discussion of scales and parent scales with reference to Ragasbilawal, yaman, khamaj,kafi, asavari, bhairav, poorvi, todi, marwa
o Practicum: Practice embellishment of notes; start advanced exercises for left and right hands; introduction to Raga Yaman Topic 6 • Academic Preparation: Working from a position of privilege? Finding one’s place in the research context. Individual check-in with Tutorial faculty; finalise individual readings for Final Paper and Presentation. • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Concepts of pakad, alaap, taan; features of Raga Yaman CET Syllabus of Record
o Practicum: Exercises for the improvement of laya (rhythm); introduction to Rajakhani compositions based in Raga Yaman Topic 7 • Academic Preparation: Individual check-in with Tutorial faculty; review of individual readings for Final Paper and Presentation • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: More on pakad, alaap, taan; aasthai and antara; elaboration on Raga Yaman; some basic talas o Practicum: Further focus on Rajakhani compositions based in Raga Yaman, with the goal of exposure to at least 10 todas (improvisations) and jhala Topic 8 • Academic Preparation: How to write a critical reflective paper. Idea of concentric circles in critical reflection and analysis • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: More on basic talas; introduction to Raga Kafi (or other raga) o Practicum: Further elaboration on Raga Yaman; introduction to Raga Kafi (or other raga) Topic 9 • Academic Preparation: Process vs. product for performance. Reflecting on the body as text. • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Review of basic definitions, ragas and talas learned o Practicum: Further elaboration on Raga Yaman and Raga Kafi (or other, second raga), with the goal of exposure to at least 10 todas (improvisations) and jhala Topic 10 • Academic Preparation: Individual check-in with Tutorial faculty on preparation for Final Presentation + Performance; submission of draft Final Paper. • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Time theory of North Indian classical music o Practicum: Elaboration on chosen ragas Topic 11 • Academic Preparation: Work on Final Paper and Final Presentation • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Some differences between the broadly so-described North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) classical music genres o Practicum: Elaboration on chosen ragas; choice of one of these ragas to be played in detail at the Final Performance, with a short alaap, a Masitkhani composition with at least 10 todas (improvisations), and one Rajakhanigat (composition) with at least 10 todas and jhala CET Syllabus of Record
Topic 12 • Academic Preparation: Submission of Final Paper; Final Presentations; final individual check-in with Tutorial faculty • Tutorial Focus: Ongoing 1:1 instruction: o Theory: Discussing and finalizing details for final performance o Practicum: Intensive practice and preparation for Final Performance o Final Performances