The Music Academy, which usually plays host to a rather senior demographic, saw young schoolchildren flocking to attend a music workshop organised by Karnatic Music Forum on Saturday.
As many as 1,200 students from over 25 city schools participated in the workshop. The interactive sessions which engaged with form, composition, social context and the impact of both Carnatic and Hindustani musical traditions were conducted by experts such as S. Sunder, Neyveli Santhanagopalan, Sriram Parasuram and Mrs. Y.G. Parthasarthy.
Dr. Sunder, convenor of the forum, said the focus of the workshop was to build a strong ‘rasika’ (listenership) base to demystify the subtle aspects of the art form.
He said, “First timers these days are not able to appreciate the nuances of music. By catching them young, we hope to change this.”
N. Murali, president of The Music Academy, underlined the importance of the younger generation being educated in the art and science of the Carnatic tradition.
The workshop, chaired by veteran artiste Vedavalli, was received with immense enthusiasm by the students. Participants from Sivaswamy Kalalaya School won the most number of Rasika awards.
Music Forum Seva awards were distributed at the end of the programme.
