The Development of Indian Music and Its Influence on One’s Life. (Draft 1)

Music, a form of art, can be defined in various ways. According to the Webster Dictionary, music is defined as “the science or art of ordering tones or sounds in succession, in combination, and in temporal relationships to produce a composition having unity and continuity; vocal, instrumental, or mechanical sounds having rhythm, melody, or harmony.” Music can be used for entertainment, religious purposes, to keep someone’s mind off an issue that is bothering him or her, or it can even express a culture’s values and beliefs. The type of music that is part of a particular group of people can define who those people are and what they believe in.
When studying Indian music, it is quite difficult to trace back the exact origins of how it all began. The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, and classical music, a very important type of music. The earliest texts of Indian music are the Natya Shastra, Dattilam, Brihaddeshi, and the Sangita-Ratnakara. The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of scriptures, which are part of the Hindu tradition, known as the Vedas. The Sama Veda, one of the four Vedas, describes music in great detail.
The classical music of India has its origin as a meditation tool to attain self realization. All the different forms of these melodies (raagas) affect various “chakras” (energy centers, or “moods”) in the path of the “Kundalini.” There are specific physical, mental, biological and spiritual results associated with activation of these centers.
According to the traditional teaching, sound is God (Nada Brahma). Through music, human consciousness can be elevated to a degree which allows one to understand the eternal essence of the universe. Indian classical music has “an unbroken history of development, and above all it is a living tradition that still is in the process of evolution,” says Ravi Shankar, who became the guru, or spiritual guide of George Harrison in the 1960’s. He also helped to shape the Western perception of Indian classical music.
India’s classical music tradition, which includes Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and, developed over several eras, remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of religious inspiration, cultural expression and pure entertainment. The Hindustani or North Indian style of music developed after the subcontinent was invaded by the Moguls from the 13th century onwards. In the Mogul empire, cultures derived from Persia and elsewhere merged with local traditions. The original music of India, with its intricate systems of raagas (melodies) and taalas (rhythms), continued uninterrupted and has become the Carnatic, or South Indian style, which is dominant in the areas that were never conquered by the Moguls. Whereas in the North, musicians from Persia and India influenced each other and experimented with each others instruments.
India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects. Alongside distinctly sub-continental forms there are major influences from Persian, Arabic and British music. Indian genres like filmi and bhangra have become popular throughout the United Kingdom, South and East Asia, and around the world. Indian pop stars now sell records in many countries, while world music fans listen to the roots music of India's diverse nations. American soul, rock and hip hop have also made a large impact, primarily on Indian pop and filmi music. Other popular forms of Indian music are ghazals, qawwalis, kirtans and bhajans (religious songs).
Indian classical music has one of the most complicated and complete musical systems ever developed. Similar to Western classical music, which has eight basic notes, Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do, Indian music also has eight basic notes, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. Originally, all Indian music was sung in Sanskrit. But after the two systems divided, Hindustani music was centered around Hindi and its dialect Brajabhasha, whereas the Carnatic system was mainly influenced by Telegu as well as Kannadese and Tamil.
Mastery in this musical art requires years of sincere, near-sacrificial devotion to its intricacies. Being a student of Indian music for ten years now, I can attest to this statement. Just as learning in general is a continuous process for everyone, the same idea applies to learning music. I am now a teacher at the East Indian Music Academy in South Ozone Park, Queens. One thing I see that happens frequently is that when parents register their children into the school to learn music, many of them believe the child will learn every thing over-night. As mentioned before, it takes time because learning is an incessant process and no one can know every single thing.
Personally, I believe that by learning to play Indian instruments (the Harmonium and Sitar), singing, and also learning Hindi, has shaped me into a better person. Indian music has influenced my life in many ways, such as enabling me to become closer to my religion and inspiring me to always want to learn more and more about my Indian culture. Also, I would consider my music school as my second home. My music teacher, who is originally from Trinidad but obtained his Masters Degree in Music in India, along with his wife and two sons, are like my second parents and brothers. Any student that is a part of the East Indian Music Academy knows that these people are more than just teachers. Their simplicity is something that I admire very much. If ever I have a personal problem, I know for a fact that I can go to them for help.
Learning Indian music has numerous benefits. As I mentioned before, it has improved my whole life. During this process, I also met other students that would remain my life long friends. I don’t consider myself as a great musician. I believe it is important to give back what I learn to the community. As a teacher now, I look forward to sharing what I have learned with the younger kids and also adults. Think about it, we don’t live forever and in order to keep my religion alive and prosperous, I believe it is important to let the younger generations learn from an early age and help to improve the religious and musical beliefs.