World Music in the Schools India

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Semester Results for this Program

As in the previous Bali program at the Museum School, there were not only gratifying results with the children, but learning on the part of the Indian teachers, the classroom teachers, and administrators. At the end children were able to perform group singing of a composition in Malkouns raga with noticeable improvement in their sense of pitch and rhythm compared with the first weeks. They pleased one another with their singing of the small compositions and ensemble playing of the mardal drum. Shalini Patnaik devised an Odissi dance piece appropriate to their level of expertise.

Although difficult to quantify, it was clear--again resembling the experience of the Museum School children--that there was a general increase in the ability to concentrate and to work together as a group amongst most of the children. Their knowledge of other cultures and the opportunity to interact with the Indian teachers supports one of the most important goals in teaching young people to find their way in the modern world, and their affection for the teachers was constantly evident.

The Indian teachers gained confidence in their ability to connect with the American children, and devised new ways to modify traditional teaching methods that would work with large groups of young children from another culture. As the program moves into a second semester, and after having provided basic training for the entire group, it is possible that a smaller number of motivated, interested, and talented students will be the ones to continue, as happened with the Bali program at the Museum School. It is a natural phenomenon in the study of music and dance that this should occur, and it provides the opportunity for those children who wish to continue, to advance more rapidly in their studies of the performing arts.

Finally, the Center for World Music has gained important experience as it develops the World Music in the Schools program, due to the very different nature of the first part of the program, which focussed on Bali. The group approach to gamelan music and Balinese dance contrasts dramatically with the high musical and physical demands of Indian performing arts, with their emphasis on the highly trained individual artists as the eventual goal. At the same time, the group approach in the beginning stages has again provided the opportunity for socialization and cooperative endeavors, and at the very least opened many new cross-cultural experiences.

Final Event

Since the Indian Music in the Schools module was experimental in nature, the final event of the semester went through many transformations, from the idea of a high level concert to reinforce appreciation of the artistic heights of Indian music and dance traditions, to an event at the school that would bring together teachers and students with the parents, to an idea whereby the children from the Bali module and the Indian module would come together to perform for one another and share their accomplishments as a peer group. The latter idea finally prevailed.

The children from all three schools came together at the Children's Museum for a catered Indian lunch, carefully planned so that the children were clearly enthusiastic about trying something as new and strange as authentic Indian cuisine.

After the lunch, which was served in a nearby park, the children performed for one another at the museum. The host school, which is a charter school attached to the Children's Museum, impressively presented Balinese music and dance. The students performing Balinese music and dance wore their ordinary clothing, which made it less intimidating for the visiting students of Indian music. The latter all got a chance to show what they had learned of Hindustani singing, Odissi dance, and Odissi drumming. It is safe to say that not only were the Museum School children impressed by seeing contrasting traditions of dance and music performed by their peers, but the Indian teachers, classroom teachers, principals, and a scattering of parents were pleasantly surprised to see how well the children in the Indian program rose to the occasion and "showed their stuff." It turned out to be an ideal way to end the semester's program and a satisfying experience for all.

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Modified: June 8, 2006