Coimbatore: A group of city-based parai (drums) enthusiasts has been working to take the instrument to the public by creating a formal diploma course.
When members of Nimirvu Kalaiyagam, a city-based arts forum, had gone in search for a formal course structure for parai, they couldn’t find one. This drove them to frame a syllabus for teaching parai and enlisting it as a formal diploma course.
Gnatppan Siva, the organizer of Nimirvu, says they also issue a certificate at the end of the course. “As we wanted to add value to the certificate, we would bring professional parai artistes as external examiners and would get the certificates signed by them,” he says.
“When we searched for formal parai courses, we found it was present as an optional course in government music colleges, but there were no teachers for it as there was no common notation for playing the instrument,” Siva says. “So, we gathered the literature on the instrument and the notations as given by prominent parai artistes and we created a syllabus with the help of professor T Kanagasabai of Bharathidasan University, Trichy,” he says.
T Kanagasabai, professor, department of performing arts at Bharatidasan University, says the university had a diploma and degree for folk arts. “When Sakthi, a member of Nimirvu Kalaiyagam approached us, we framed a simple outline for their course, which they said they would strengthen. They are also working on it,” he said. With the help of Seer Valarseer Kayilaigurumani Samudhaya Kalloori, which got the course formalized under the Bharathiar University, the forum has been conducting the course.
Members of the forum say they gathered everything which was written on parai and had formed a study material. “The book ‘Parai’ written by M Valarmathi was the basic text for us,” says K S Kirupasakthi, 21, who had enrolled for the course last year. She adds that the diploma would add authenticity when they go to schools or colleges to teach the instrument.
The one-year part-time diploma course has both theory and practical components. While practical elements such as adi (beats), adavu (steps) and group performance are taught by the members of Nimirvu at Thavathiru Santhalinga Adigalar Arts, Science and Tamil College, Perur, they rope in professors from other institutions to teach theory. The theory class is held once in a month, while the practical classes are held in Coimbatore and Chennai on alternative Sundays.
More than 20 people – a mix of working professionals and college students – had enrolled for the course last year. They would be receiving their diplomas this year, says Siva.
Tough there is as an increased interest in the instrument, the patronage for the course is still low, says Siva.