Music paves way for collaborations between MSU, UK university

Vadodara: Love for Indian classical music is making way for collaborations between M S University, United Kingdom’s University of Sheffield and University of West Indies – Trinidad and Tobago.
Since the beginning of this year, a group of students, all of them young artists led by John Ball, world music performer in residence and a member of teaching staff at the Department of Music of University of Sheffield, are learning the art of Indian classical music to add on to their existing skills from MSU’s Faculty of Performing Arts.

The Department of Indian classical music (vocal) in fact has turned into a melting point of cultures as these students and their teacher have not only given a performance on ‘Indian music on western instruments’ but have also joined the local students in their regular recitals.

“This visit is in a way beginning of a collaboration between Sheffield and Baroda. We are looking forward to opportunities for joint performances so that we can compose, create music together,” said Ball.

The undergraduate students – Kate Griffin, Alexandra Lyons, Manon McCoy, Josie Canham-Williams and former student Ford Collier themselves are artists trained in British folk traditions.

“They are multi-instrumentalists with their own set of skills. If Kate plays banjo, Manon plays flute and Alex saxophone. But they have for the first time come to India to create something new that is inspired by Indian classical music,” said Ball.

“The music department here has transformed. There is lot of work going here to develop good artists in a disciplined and structured way. A successful collaboration with Vadodara will create a template for others to showcase,” he said.

Like the troupe from UK, Shivannand Maharaj, professor from University of West Indies was also in the city to take part in the international seminar hosted by the department.

“We are hoping for a long lasting collaboration to take place between Vadodara and our university as the department here is outpouring with classical music,” said Maharaj, who has also been invited by the UP government to stage a vocal performance during a cultural programme organised on January 12 at the ‘Kumbh Mela’.

Interestingly, the University of West Indies not only has a Indian classical music department but it is also compulsory for students who seek a music degree to learn the classical music of India.

“So far, our collaborations have been going on informally but now we are looking at a formal collaborations,” said Dr Rajesh Kelkar, head at MSU’s department.