Edited
By Lucy Green (Book Chapter: Continuity and Change By Sophie Grimmer)
Introduction
The
bond between the master (guru) and disciple (shishya) plays an important role
in the training of the arts in India, particularly the Indian classical music.
The guru-shishya parampara has
enabled the oral transmission of
knowledge through generations in both the Carnatic and the Hindustani forms
of music. The word parampara
literally means ‘uninterrupted
succession’. According to gurukulavasam traditionally the
disciple becomes a member of the guru’s household, living with him, practicing
his art and also running errands. Typically, they are ranked higher than the
biological parents, the guru becomes a metaphysical
entity representing God. The central idea behind this ancient pedagogical
model is that the student imbibes the
atmosphere of art and imitates the disciplined lifestyle of the guru thus
internalizing the knowledge and the contextual information. The student
emulates the guru by ‘becoming absorbed in him or her’ (Weidman 2006: 276).
Quoting Naresh, a student from the study,
The
guru never used to tell the shishya, “come ill teach you”….You live the music
and after a point of time, you literally live
the music.
Thus,
it also provides a social context for the two modes of transmission, cultural
and cognitive. (Booth 1996) The author argues that although ethnomusicology has
contributed enormously to the structure and the cultural context in Indian
music, why is it still problematic to implement such knowledge in the field of
music education? The process of training in India has invariable undergone
significant modifications with time, in response to dramatic societal changes
and diverse pedagogical approaches in modern India. However, the guru shishya
parampara still persists among independent teachers in a modified and much
adaptable form, holding on to the essence of the apprenticeship model.
Musicians learning this traditional art still believe in the model, the relationship
between the guru and the shishya, their bond, adapting to the lifestyle and
practice habits of the guru and emphasize that all of the above combined, help
in creating successful performers. Thus the fundamental principles are kept
alive in spirit if not in practice.
An
ethnomusicological study of investigating the process as an insider, by
becoming participant observers in the field, brings much insight into music
pedagogy. In this process the not only the structure of music is apprehended
but also the socio-cultural context of learning, performance and teaching in
future is addressed. In the present scope of the study, the researcher chose to
adapt a ethnographical methodology to facilitate a broader understanding of the
bonding relationship between the teacher and the student in the Carnatic music
context. Here the textual content is predominantly religious, emphasis is given
on ornamental material and improvisatory boundaries are defined more prominently
in the renditions of the compositions. This has given rise to different
pedagogies and associated networks.
The
shishya embodies the music of a particular bani
(school, style or lineage) through blind imitation of the teacher, over an
extended period. The lyrics (sahitya) forms one of the structures while the
ornamentation (gamakas) forms the individual rendition styles. Through the
study the researcher found that in most of the cases the learners are seduced
by the intoxicating qualities of their guru’s style that gives the learners an
intense thirst for the art. Thus, the trust comes naturally, implicitly and
wholeheartedly which leads to absolute surrender. They do not question the
instructions or the process, aim for perfectionism, keep high expectations,
develop meticulous attention to details, develop careful organizational skill,
and meticulously plan exercises all of which becomes a part of the teaching
learning process. Talking about the emotional attachment, the students find it
extremely difficult to explain in words. The process transcends in them a
spiritual yearning of the becoming one with the other, an intense love or the
sense of belonging, be it the art or the guru that then appears one and the
same. Students reach this point of their educational path only through
unquestioned and complete devotion and trust. Their sole purpose is not to
contribute to the art but rather to preserve the uniqueness of the art through
complete and holistic understanding of its content, form and structure. Post
this stage comes a time when the student is essentially on an autonomous
journey, gradually becoming an identity of the artform, taking a step ahead
towards contributing to the form and practice improvisation when the guru is in
a position to guide, mostly relayed vocally, now having intimate knowledge of
the student personally and musically. These lessons are personal to the extent
that the same content is improvised for two different students, depending on
their understanding.
While
dialogues during lessons are essentially sung, the social relationship outside
the class is mostly informal, the subjects touching the art, stories of their
origin, other musicians of their art form, their mannerisms and techniques, habits
and practices of the guru’s guru and so on.
The
changing times and pace finds few students ready to dedicate the duration and
intensity of training through this method. However, the process is preserved in
the hearts and minds of the present gurus while they are constantly trying to
find a balance and improvise on the pedagogy of the apprenticeship model to
suit the present time and requirements. The contemporary student is encouraged
to feel a part of the ongoing history of teaching and learning and become a
part of the broader cultural picture of oral tradition.
- coutd