During 6th grade chorus, we introduced Indian music to students and started the presentation with a brief history of Indian music. Interestingly, music in India began as an integral part of the socio-religious life. It developed over several geographical locations spanning the sub-continent and owing to India's vastness and diversity, Indian music encompasses numerous genres. 
 
The traditional Classical Indian music originated 6,000 years ago when religious chants formed the basis of introducing a system of musical notes and rhythmic cycles. Over time, different styles of music have evolved in India. We saw some videos that brought out these differences—Classical (traditional music), Bollywood (the Indian Hollywood cinema), Westernized pop (adaptations from Western music), and Folk music (from different States in India).
 
After discussing some theory, we did a practical demonstration of basic Indian notes that are the foundation of Indian classical singing. There are 12 total notes in the Indian scale consisting of 7 basic notes, 4 flat notes, and 1 sharp note. Several permutations and combinations of these notes form the basis of practice for Indian vocal training. The students found striking similarities between some Indian and Western notes, especially when sung as a sequence. “Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa…” have the same sound frequencies as “Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do...” We also heard the sounds and saw pictures of the traditional Indian instruments used in classical singing—“Tanpura” (for scale) and “Tabla” (for rhythm). Chorus students sung the 7 basic Indian notes and also heard some patterns and combinations of those notes into delightful patterns called “Alankars.” We ended the session by watching a video on “Wake Me Up When September Ends” with an Indian fusion, using some of these classical notes.
 
Story submitted by Music Department Co-Chair Elizabeth Cruz