The Score Magazine February 2021 issue | Page 39

How can this chasm , which is putting the existence of Indian classical music in danger , be filled ? How can classical music be made more relevant ? How can ragas be a part of a millennial ’ s playlist ? How to reach a point when millennials start talking about ragas just as they talk about new song releases ?
A succinctly expressed post by a very promising vocalist Anuja Kamat had some good answers . She had questioned the usage of the word ‘ sadhana ’ only for musicians , more so for classical musicians . She has emphasized that why ‘ sadhana ’ is not used for other professionals like scientists or sportspersons ?
If you ask any Indian Classical musician , they will gladly admit that practising that classical mu-sic has enhanced how they experience life in general and not something that they should fear , thanks to their Gurus ! It ’ s important for everyone to be a little less stoic when it comes to classi-cal music and make room for experimentation , innovation and collaborations . People also need to be less judgemental when an artist is trying to do something different and instead try to see the thought behind it .
Can there be a physical space in India where classical music is taught as an art form along with other musical genres ? This can greatly help a classical music student to see how she / he can adapt to other musical genres .
There can be more shows and series that portray classical music as a rich musical legacy like how it was done amazingly well in Bandish Bandits . There are endless crime and gangster dra-mas on air today . Something as fantastic as classical music , definitely deserves some more bandwidth .
On TV , there aren ’ t that many classical programs in a contemporary format . The airwaves are filled with the age old format with a boring looking stage when it comes to classical music presentation . Can Indian classical musicians and organisers come up with an improved way of presentation ?
Venues with a scope to make the ambience look beautiful and not just a stage with sponsor hoardings right behind the artist are something that organisers should look at .
Facilitation of Indian classical music on popular mediums like playlists and radio will also go a long way in making it popular .
From relaxation to healing , ragas can serve a purpose too . They can put listeners in a romantic mood as easily as they can bring out their devotional side .
Anyone who loves and breathes classical music will be overjoyed at the possibility of letting more people experience the richness and wholesomeness of this musical genre .
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