More than just 'Do Re Mi'

We live in a country wherein music is embed in every child's education, right from their initial years at school. Ancient Indian history reveals that music education, at the time of the gurukul system, was often given precedence over other subjects. Even today, music education is not unfamiliar to this nation; be it learning rhymes as a kid; partaking in the compulsory music class, which is a component in every school's syllabus; or even learning how to play a musical instrument.

Music has evolved over the years… with genrefication and global influence, India has seen a number of changes in the music scene. Folk, Hindustani and Carnatic music has always been the core of our music culture; but in time contemporary music has received immense importance. With the introduction of the live music scene in India; Indian audience did develop an ear for contemporary music, with more and more musos attempting to incorporate it in their music. Even Bollywood music, a sub-genre that dominates the music scene in India, has been drawing influences from contemporary music.

There isn't any doubt that students, specifically collegiates, take a liking to contemporary music; proof being the number of college bands that have cropped up across the nation. Despite the increasing demand for contemporary music, there isn't scope for receiving formal training in the field. Thus, students who like to take up music as a career have less choice for studying the same in India. Popular Indian universities (The University of Delhi, Banaras Hindu University, among others) offer doctoral courses in vocal Hindustani music and Carnatic music among others, but we do not have many schools that offer contemporary music education. Most students who want to take up music as a career end up spending an exorbitant amount to study in a university overseas (Yale School of Music, Berklee College of Music among others).

Though music education is not as mainstream in India in compared to other parts of the world, we're trying to cope up, with a number of courses offering contemporary music education in India.

Over the years, India has come up with a number of music schools, which has some great facilities for those who want to take up music professionally. Anushka Lewis, a vocal teacher at TSM and a performing harpist/singer-songwriter says, "I think the music education scene in India is fairly good right now. We have music schools and colleges like True School of Music and Swarnabhoomi, which are well-equipped and can help students who want to take up music professionally. I think it's just a matter of time when we'll start having universities which will implement the same." Adds Howard Pereira, guitarist with several Mumbai-based bands like Dischordian, Overhung and The Howard Pereira Trio, "Music education in India is quite substandard. The only two schools I can think of right now are Swarnabhoomi and True School of Music, which 80 per cent cannot afford. However it is still great that these schools exist as options for students looking to formally train themselves."

1. Global Music Institute
This institute based in Delhi (founders Tarun Balani and Aditya Balani) was launched in 2011 with the mission of bringing a distinctive and modern approach to music education to India. Pattie Gonsalves, Director, Institutional Advancement, GMI, says, "Music education at GMI is viewed as holistic learning experience. What sets GMI apart is it offers a structured curriculum for the comprehensive study of contemporary and Hindustani music unlike other institutions."
Courses offered: GMI offers one-year performance certificate and two-year performance diploma. They also have a single semester enrolment.
What: GMI has part-time and full-time programs that allow students the flexibility to take different courses, which include a combination of music theory, ear training, ensemble (band-style set up), private instruction in their instrument, a music seminar that covers various issues relevant to today's working musician and most recently music production and music technology.
Fee: GMI's full-time, 10-credit program costs Rs. 1,80,000.
Highlight: GMI is also the only official teacher of the Berklee College of Music, USA, Curriculum in India. In addition, GMI is in the process of launching a two-acre size residential campus in Greater Noida (to be launched in early 2016) that will offer a more diverse range of full-time and part-time courses and facilities on par with arts schools around the world. They also offer merit and need-based scholarships to applying students.
To know more: http://globalmusicinstitute.in/

2. True School of Music (TSM):
Established in 2013, TSM is India's first comprehensive academy of contemporary music. We got in touch with Ruchita Doshi, Sr.Marketing Executive, TSM who said, "TSM incorporates the best practices from international music and sound pedagogy, but at the same time, relates it to the Indian scenario. The institute aims to train the next generation of musicians, artists, producers, sound engineers, composers and DJs to feed the increasing demand for music within India's burgeoning music and entertainment industries."
Courses offered: TSM offers two courses mainly–Professional Course and Foundation Course.
What: Professional courses-a) Pro Music Performer- Guitar, Bass, Drum, Keys and vocals; each of the instruments are for a span of three years, which has three levels in it. b) Pro Music Producer: This course is for the duration of two years. c) Pro Sound (Engineering): This course is for the duration of one year. d) Pro DJ: This course is for the duration of six months with four modules. e) Pro Hindustani Playback Vocals: This course is for one year.
Foundation courses are short-term courses in Guitar, Bass, Drum, Keys and Vocal (Western & Indian) and DJ; for the duration of three months.
Fee: Pro Music Performer is for four lakhs a year. Pro Hindustani Playback Vocals is two and a half lakhs. Pro Music Producer is for four lakhs each year. Pro Sound (engineering) is eight lakhs. Pro DJ is for four lakhs. The foundation courses are for Rs. 22,500.
Highlight: TSM is known to offer world-education to Indian students at a cost that is almost 1/5th the cost of studying abroad. With state-of-the-art facilities, TSM also offers its musicians the opportunity to learn from an all-international faculty. They are also working on a scholarship program.
To know more: www.trueschool.in

3. Whistling Woods International: School Of Music:
WWI School of Music will be launched in July this year, and will be headed by D Wood, who is also the head of the Music Department at Whistling Woods International Film School. Wood says, "Music education is coming of age in India and the more students learning music at a high level in this country the more music can be established as a serious educational, social and commercial activity. The WWI School of Music imparts comprehensive training in musicianship, technology, and hands on experience in music production and performance."
What: The courses offered will include Ear Training, Musicianship Foundation, Indian Music Studies, Western Theory Composition, Music Technology, Keyboard Fundamentals, Principal Instrument and Voice. They will also have an array of workshops and master classes.
Highlight: WWI School of Music will provide to its students Sound/Keyboard labs, recording facilities and a performance space. Also, with a great network with schools from all over North America, Europe and Asia, there are bound to be visiting artists in the house regularly.
To know more: http://whistlingwoods.net/whistling/schools/school-of-music

4. Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM)
Launched in the year 2010, SAM, a music school located in Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, is affiliated to McNally Smith College of Music (MSCM) in the USA and spans on a 30,000 sq ft campus housing industry grade equipment." The vision behind SAMwas "to create an Indian Gurukula that offers courses in Indian and International Music bridging the gap between the two musical cultures." We spoke to Vice President of SAM, Shyam Rao, who said, "SAM is the ONLY music school in India that offers a fully residential program to allow students to focus solely on their craft without any distractions. In terms of faculty we are the only music school that has got some of the biggest names in the industry such as Jordan Ruddess, Benny Greb, Victor Wooten, Ric Fierabracci etc. We have had Grammy winners, platinum selling artists and internationally acclaimed artists teaching at SAM."
Courses offered: SAM offers; 1. Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance (in association with MSCM), 2. Diploma in Music Performance (One Year and Two Year), 3. Diploma in Music Production (One Year), 4. Summer Intensive (Seven Weeks Program), 5. Five Day Workshops
What: An institution that equips musicians with all the tools they need to excel in today's demanding entertainment and music industry, SAM covers every realm of music education. The students here are trained in Music theory, composition and arranging, Application of theory on their principal instrument, recording, mixing and mastering, publishing and music business.
Fee: Music Performance course is approximately about 4.2 lakhs a semester including boarding and lodging, while Music Production course is about 3.5 lakhs for the same.
Highlight: SAM offers state-of-the-art facilities for its students; a fully Wi-Fi enabled music facility has 10 large ensemble rooms, 18 individual practice rooms, five drum practice rooms and labs, 12 private lesson studios for guitar, bass, Indian percussion and voice, four guitar labs, three piano labs, and much more. Students wanting to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Music can now do two years at SAM followed by two years at MSCM and get the degree. SAM also has a semester abroad program for those who wish to study music at MSCM. With a syllabus on par with some of the top music schools in the world, the credits offered by the SAM curriculum can be transferred to MSCM. At the end of the Bachelor's course, students receive a degree from MSCM. For the Diploma programs, SAM provides students with a diploma certificate.
To know more: http://sam.org.in/

5. One World College of Music
An independent space of about 3000 square feet, One World College of Music is known to be a school that provides an interactive and experiential learning and working environment for music students and musicians. Nidhi Kothari, Director, One World College of Music says, "Launched in April 2012, the criteria for student to enroll in One World College College of Music is an interest and enthusiasm in music. For senior students, we allow an interaction with faculty for the purpose of identifying the right mentor/ mentors and customising a study program with the framework of our study courses and programs." The school based in Gurgaon is said to cover a wide variety of musical styles and skills are covered by members of the faculty, including Classical Indian, Classical Western, jazz, blues, rock, folk and world music.
Courses offered: This college offers sessions such as Music Appreciation (history of music and its evolution), Essentials Music Skills (a course in musicianship and music making), Harmony/Vocals (a course designed for aspiring vocalists), Rhthym Studies (an analysis of the application of rhythm, and contemporary global rhythm in song-writing), Breathing and Voice Training, Jazz Studies, Improvisation and Harmony, Choral Training, Ear Training, Music Technique Development sessions, Song-writing and more.
What: With hands-on, courses based on the doing and learning format, the study courses at One World College of Music ae "designed based on developing applicable skills."
Fee: Fee for the exposure program is Rs. 1,56,00 per term and the Performance program is Rs. 24,000 per term. Study courses are available at Rs. 1,80,00 for a term each. These can be combined with the exposure or performance Program.
Highlight: The College offers schemes to provide select scholarships. A few sessions are provided as subsidiary study work for supporting students' primary study work at college. Free access to resources including recording studios and performance and jam rooms are available 24/7 to all students and faculty.
To know more: http://oneworldmusic.in/