Zakir Hussain: "Have the confidence to be able to jump into thin air without a parachute … Take chances with your music. Go places where you haven't gone before."
We continue our Summer School blog series with a lively introduction to classical Indian music, followed by a focused look at one specific technique. Led by tabla maestro Ustad Zakir Hussain, this Professional Training Workshop invited experienced classical, jazz, and folk musicians of any instrument—from the bassoon and marimba to guitar and congas—to apply the format of classic Indian training to their own work.
In our first video, you'll get a snapshot of Hussain's vibrant methodology for learning, practice, and improvisation. In the next installment, Kala
Ramnath guides participants through the opening section of a Raga
performance, while introducing the sliding ornamentations (meend) and their importance in giving authentic nuance to the sound of Raga music. Viewers are welcome to practice along with participants.
"You get to a certain age and you think, you're done learning new things … [The techniques I've learned here] will blossom in my playing for the next 10, 20, 30 years."
—James Shipp, participant
For more of this series, explore:
Summer School: Musical Intention and Communication
Summer School: Establishing a Musical Career
Summer School: What is a Teaching Artist?
Summer School: The Journey from Workshop to Stage
Summer School: "Let the Performers Be Themselves"
Summer School: "Music is the Star"
For more of this workshop, watch:
The full workshop on our Online Resource Center
For more information about applying for an opportunity to work with renowned artists such as Emmanuel Pahud, Marilyn Horne, John Adams and David Robertson, and the Takács Quartet, visit:
Professional Training Workshops