In tune with music

By Garima Upadhyay Rawat

 

From understanding the physics of sound to exploring cultures through songs, studying music is a harmonious journey that can lead you to successful careers in a variety of fields. Here's a lowdown on music as a career choice on World Music Day!

 

Music knows no language, transcends boundaries and is enjoyed by one and all... Be it Punjabi rock, which took UK and US by storm or jazz, that's catching up in India, music in its various avataars doesn't go unnoticed. ‘Kolaveri Di' was a rage, and then came the variations of it in every regional language, which clearly shows how intricately intertwined our lives are with music.

 

Talking about the importance of music in our lives, Professor Anupam Mahajan, dean, Department of Music, University of Delhi (DU), says, "From ancient times, music has occupied a very special place in the growth of civilization and culture. Every human being has been associated with it in some way or other. Today, it continues to play an important role in people's lives as stress levels rise..."

 

Elaborating on the undergraduate programme offered by DU, she says, "Music students study Indian classical music which is a very rich subject having a very strong theoretical and practical base. They are made to study both with equal rigour. Also, one must understand that music can't be studied in isolation, and there are a lot of subjects that one needs to understand."

 

What do you study?

"At the Department of Music, DU, students are exposed to inter-disciplinary approach to learn music. They study physics for sound principles and phenomenon, comprehend mathematics to understand taal better, learn biology for knowing throat and its construction, psychology, anthropology, sociology and other fine arts and languages (texts in Persian, Brij bhasha etc) along with practical aspects. Within classroom teaching, we stick to oral teaching as far as possible. As a part of the Guru-Shishya parampara, we sit on the carpeted floor and one-on-one interactive learning is given preference," informs Mahajan.

 

Programmes and eligibility:

Bachelors: There are two ways to enter B.A.(Hons) music in the University of Delhi, you need to have a minimum of three years' training in music or you should have studied music in Class 12. One should have trained under a renowned guru for three years. In case you have not had either of the two, then, you are eligible to apply for the B.A. (Pass) music you should have an aptitude for music which is gauged on the basis of an interview when you apply for colleges.

Masters: If you don't have music at the undergraduate level, but have learnt under a guru, and have an aptitude, good voice, good learning capacity, then you can enroll for a diploma programme with DU. The programme is of two year's duration. If you qualify with 60% marks, then you become eligible to sit for the entrance of MA in music. The entrance is a practical test.

MPhill and PhD: If you want to apply for MPhil, there are two tests, one that examines you in theory, and the other is a practical examination. The department also offers PhD programme. "At the moment a lot of research in the department is targeted at understanding the inter-disciplinary approach in music," adds Mahajan.

 

Career path

After bachelors, students can go for postgraduate courses in music appreciation, and work as music critics. They can also get into music preservation. But, Mahajan advises, "A bachelors degree is not enough, couple it up with a masters. Go for MPhil and Net to get into teaching. After masters, one can get into stress release therapy as well. There are a lot of options now for students wanting to make a career in music. If you want to get into the industry as a music artist then they have to put 4/5 hours of thoughtful riyaaz (practice)."

 

Some of the best places to study music in the country (in no particular order)

 

• Delhi University (DU)
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU)
• MS University of Baroda (MSU)
• University of Calcutta
• University of Mumbai
• Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

 

Other interesting reads:

 

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- Courses in Dance & Music

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