Musical Thoughts - Shubha Mudgal

"How hard is it to transition from recording an Indiepop song in the morning to performing a Hindustani concert in the evening?" When you have a stalwart musician such as Shubha Mudgaltalk to a class of undergraduates good things happen. My own concern whether the students in my class Musical Traditions of India - an Introduction at Ahmedabad University might be daunted were allayed by their interesting questions. In a 90 minute session Shubha Mudgal covered an immense breadth of topics. From her own musical journey, to the changing scenario in the music scene all the way to the economic & social impact of music, few topics were spared. "Do we think about instrument makers?" she asked the students while speaking of the challenges artists face. She also cited the example of kirtaniyas (temple musicians) who have suffered greatly during the pandemic. What began as hesitant queries soon turned to a flood of questions from the students and she answered them all. She reminded the students that they'd soon be the decision and change makers. "You can speak up, you can help shape policy" was her message to the students. What an amazing session with Shubha ji who gave us all much food for thought.

#music#traditions#agentforchange