The rise of AR Rahman, from the humble beginnings as a keyboard player “badly missing his education”, to that of an incredibly national institution himself sounds like a fairy tale. Yes. Truth is always stranger than fiction. Ever since the realization dawned on Rehman that – You’re working so hard, but still, in front of the people, you’re nothing – he began to sharpen his professional skills coupled with spiritual intuition.
After an arduous journey for more than two decades, Rahman has come to institutionalize his matchless vision. That is KM Music Conservatory - An International School of Music & Music Technology – set up at Kodambakkam in Chennai. With global admissions open from this month (July), the objective of the institute is to impart an education in music for the passionate seekers.
The faculty consists of expert faculty from Europe and America for the Western music departments, while stalwarts like Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan will lecture on the Hindustani Classical departments. Here’s Idlebrain’s brief insight into the phenomenon.
Herculean Task
Down the centuries, Indian music has passed through many a stage, still retaining its unique traditional entity. Monopoly of the few over years continues to persist. But, talent and drive are considered the primary qualifications of a budding musician. However, for a person who is serious about making music as a profession, it always remains a Herculean task. With all its hoary ancestral pride in music, this supreme of the fine arts still remains an unorganized (say not properly) segment. When you stir up the mind of any musician, he more speaks of individual gurus and his raw training from the scratch. Always the same story is heard everywhere.
Poor facilities dog Music Institutions
Though, music is forested as having academic value in a good number of Indian universities, its professional advancement is not encouraging. For instance, there were absolutely no takers (students) in the Music department of SV University for over a decade… for the sole reason that there was no encouragement. The faculty was forced to pass their time by doing all and sundry jobs like organizing extracurricular activities.
In many music colleges, mostly run by dharmic institutions, it always happens that students simply abandon their courses half way through… for the sole reason that there will be inadequate supply of instruments or absence of the concerned faculty. Private institutions are altogether a different case… being beyond the reach of the common career seeker with out and out commercial approach.
Art of Indian Music
Seen from the above perspective, Rahman’s KM Conservatory has certainly taken on a very tough task. Its avowed vision to give a facelift and sustenance to the art of Indian music deserves applause from all quarters of the elite and the layman as well. Projected as would-be deemed university in the making, its goals are formulated: Expansion of the horizon of Indian musicians by creating an awareness of Western and Music Technology with emphasis on the art of Indian music. This exercise comes as “redefining of contemporary music.” After all, AR Rahman is one and the only musician so far in the connotation of the modern music – to mix the terracotta between the South and North, besides conquering the realms of the West.
A Happy Beginning
Rahman’s decision not to market the music from the KM Conservatory speaks volumes about this hard-earned Music learning and wisdom. The mission sounds a promise to musician-aspirants; and that they can sprint from the filth of discrimination and lack of opportunities to a greener pasture of unending melody.
When you make business with an art form, particularly Music, it is a welcome sign that professional takes its roots. But, in the longer run, it only takes the form of formidable affectation. At a time when, India’s film music is drowned in suffocating holes of copying and unoriginality, KM Music Conservatory is bliss.
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