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Arapan - Home of Hindustani Classical Music
What is Hindustani Classical Music?
Also called North Indian classical music, Hindustani Classical Music is a tradition that originated in Vedic ritual chants and has been evolving since the 12th century CE, in North India and to some extent in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan.
Hindustani classical music is imparted on a one-on-one basis through the guru-shishya ("mentor-protégé") tradition. This style of music belongs to the oral/aural tradition where the shishya (student) spends time practicing music back and forth with his/her guru (teacher), thereby learning through listening and practicing only.
(***Note that, due to its oral/aural nature, Hindustani music is not written down. Sheet music or staff papers do not exist in this tradition)
Indian classical music has seven basic notes with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. Unlike the 12-note scale in Western music, the base frequency of the scale is not fixed, and inter-tonal gaps (temperament) may also vary.
Why Learn From Soma?
Students' Quote after a yearly recital -
" We are blessed to have a teacher like you. Every moment of the program was enchanting. Specially your words..................."Music is alive bacause of the ordinary people." This will inspire us always. Thank you"--
Manisha Mukul and family
Soma trained under her Guruji, Sri Dilip B. Sarkar, in the Agra gharana tradition in Serampore, West Bengal, India, where she completed her degree of Sangeet Visharad from Pracheen Kala Kendra, Chandigarh University, India.
She later earned her master’s degree in music education from the New England Conservatory, Boston, where she also served as a Research Assistant to Harvard professor and researcher Lyle Davidson. Soma has since built a career as an early childhood music educator. Over the years, she has combined her diverse training and experience in both India and the United States to create unique lessons that are easily understandable and learnable for students of all ages and backgrounds. Besides teaching children and adults, Soma has presented multiple lecture/demonstration classes at various universities and venues in the USA.
