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Varnams are generally composed in popular raga-s which helps the learner to understand the nuances of that particular raga. There are number of varna-s are composed in raga-s like Todi, Kalyani, Sankarabharanam, Bhairavi, Dhanyasi, Begada, Abhogi, Purvikalyani, Sahana, Nattakuranji, etc. Post Trinity period was emerged with several new composers. Musicians shown their enthusiasm in doing experiments such as creating new raga-s, trying to sing rare raga-s mentioned in the various ancient Musical Treatises. Some of them composed music to varnam-s by tuning old poetry or literature and render it as varnam-s. Some musicians, who are get trained in both Carnatic and Hindusthani music systems, introduced Hindusthani raga-s to Carnatic music and composed varnam-s in it. This paper is intended to highlight some Apoorva raga'Tana Varnam-s', which is composed in rare or apoorva raga-s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indian classical music has 72 melakartha ragas that are typically arranged in a wheel-like format, popularly known as mela chakra. We have modified this wheel format into a simplified table form that is inspired from the periodic table of elements widely used in the chemistry community. We have called the new form the periodic table of melakartha ragas. We have assigned each raga a symbol that was proposed by the ancient Katapayadi number system. The musical notes of each raga are explicitly shown in the new tabular format. The similarities between the periodic table of elements and the newly accomplished periodic table of melakartha ragas are discussed. We believe that the new format will inspire musicians and teachers who want to pursue research/teaching in the field of Indian classical music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Aging is a natural process and is often associated with an increased incidence of cognitive impairment. Physical exercise, diet, and leisure activities (music, dance, and art) are some of the lifestyle factors that contribute to healthy aging. The present study aims to explore the differences in cognitive functioning between aging individuals involved in musical activity throughout their lifetime and the ones who were not. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one healthy elderly individuals (50-80 years of age) residing in an urban locality were selected for the study from the Tata Longitudinal Study of Aging cohort. Participants were divided into two groups: Active musicians trained in Carnatic music for more than five years (n = 18) and age-matched non-musicians (n = 33). Addenbrooke cognitive examination-III, Hindi mental status examination, and trail-making test-B (TMT-B) were used to assess cognitive functioning. A Generalized Linear Regression Model was performed including covariates such as gender, age, and years of education. We also looked at the available brain magnetic resonance imaging data of a subset of our study population to inspect the volumetric differences between musicians and non-musicians. Results: Our results showed that musicians had significantly better visuospatial abilities as compared to non-musicians (P = 0.043). Musicians (130.89 ± 45.16 s) also took less time to complete the TMT-B task than non-musicians (148.73 ± 39.65 s), although it was not a statistically significant difference (P =0.150). In addition, brain imaging data suggested that musicians had increased gray matter volumes in the right precuneus, right postcentral gyrus, right medial and superior frontal gyrus, right orbital gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus, left cuneus, left fusiform gyrus, and bilateral cingulate gyrus. Conclusion: Our findings are indicative of music being an important attribute in improving cognitive reserve and predicting cognitive resilience. These findings pave the way to explore the utility of non-pharmacological interventions, such as Music Therapy (especially Carnatic music in the Indian context), as a potential factor for improving cognitive reserve in elderly individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Fantasy on Vedic Chants," a seminal work by L. Subramaniam, presents a unique fusion of Carnatic music and Western orchestration. Premiered at Lincoln Center in 1985, this composition integrates Vedic chants into a Western-style violin concerto, exemplifying a significant cultural and musical convergence. The concerto is structured in three movements, each reflecting different emotional aspects of the Carnatic raga system. This article highlights the piece's use of modal approaches and its impact on the performance. Through its integration of Vedic motifs and its exploration of spiritual and musical wisdom, "Fantasy on Vedic Chants" stands as a testament to Subramaniam's artistic vision and his contribution to global music heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present research investigated the effects of short-term musical training on speech recognition in adverse listening conditions in older adults. A total of 30 Kannada-speaking participants with no history of gross otologic, neurologic, or cognitive problems were divided equally into experimental (M = 63 years) and control groups (M = 65 years). Baseline and follow-up assessments for speech in noise (SNR50) and reverberation was carried out for both groups. The participants in the experimental group were subjected to Carnatic classical music training, which lasted for seven days. The Bayesian likelihood estimates revealed no difference in SNR50 and speech recognition scores in reverberation between baseline and followed-up assessment for the control group. Whereas, in the experimental group, the SNR50 reduced, and speech recognition scores improved following musical training, suggesting the positive impact of music training. The improved performance on speech recognition suggests that short-term musical training using Carnatic music can be used as a potential tool to improve speech recognition abilities in adverse listening conditions in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generating gamakas on an electronic music keyboard has historically been considered a challenging task. Fortunately, we can now benefit from the capabilities of computers and other technological advancements that facilitate the recreation of traditional Indian gamakas using Western instrument keyboards. This article offers a wealth of insights into the process of producing traditional Indian gamakas using music software, specifically Digital Audio Workstations (DAW), in conjunction with MIDI keyboards. It not only enhances the enjoyment and engagement for the next generation but also embodies a modern paradigm in the teaching of traditional music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is renowned for its deep cultural heritage and timeless morals. Every culture or art form here adheres to age-old traditions. Indian classical music was taught using the "Gurukul" method for a very long time. The Gurukula mode of instruction was gradually turned into institutional instruction as a result of evolution. The method that Carnatic music was taught, sung, and transmitted has taken on a new dimension as a result of technological advancement. Singers and teachers that specialize in classical music are showing their online presence on social media. Most sessions were moved to an online format, particularly during the 2019 pandemic. The post-pandemic boom was brought forth by online courses, digital performances, and quick films on social media. The study applies the Uses and Gratification theory and the Technology Acceptance Model to examine the evolving trends in classical Carnatic music instruction and learning. 20 classical music teachers and 100 students studying classical Carnatic music participated in the survey. This descriptive self-administered survey questionnaire primarily focuses on factors such as software usability, understandability, teacher-student relationships, student connectedness, social media presence, desire to study in a live or online setting, benefits and drawbacks of online music classes, and the teaching strategies used. Young classical singers have established online profiles and gain satisfaction quickly from posting on social media. The results of the study reveal that involving the hybrid mode of learning and teaching with both online and live sessions will enhance productivity and motivate the learners and it is also evident that technology and social media provide a great platform for budding musicians to showcase their talent. The quality of the music is not hampered much and it solely depends on the individual's involvement towards the art form. Though there are minor drawbacks like technical glitches, time lag, connectivity issues, and usability comfort, advancements in technology are certainly a boon for Carnatic music practitioners if it is used productively to enhance themselves and the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the relationship between the popular and the subaltern, using South Indian music as a lens to examine this connection. Scholars have previously questioned this association, challenging mainstream national historiography. South Indian music, emerging within India's changing cultural landscape, addresses subaltern issues and creates alternative narratives, disrupting the dominance of Bollywood music. It refers to artists who are reshaping Indian music.

A vital aspect of Indian classical music (ICM) is rāga, which serves as a melodic framework for compositions and improvisations for both traditions of classical music. In this work, we propose a CNN-based sliding window analysis on mel-spectrogram and modgdgram for rāga recognition in Carnatic music. The important contribution of the work is that the proposed method neither requires pitch extraction nor metadata for the estimation of rāga. CNN learns the representation of rāga from the patterns in the mel-spectrogram/modgdgram during training through a sliding-window analysis. We train and test the network on the sliced-mel-spectrogram/modgdgram of the original audio while the final inference is performed on the audio as a whole. The performance is evaluated on 15 rāgas from the CompMusic dataset. Two fusion paradigms, namely multi-channel and multi-modal frameworks, have been implemented to identify the potential of two feature representations. Out of the two approaches, multi-modal architecture reports a macro-F1 measure of 0.72, which is at par with the performance of the baseline sequence classification model. The performance is also compared with that of a transfer learning approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India has always been having music with spirituality at its foundation. Due to the medieval period of foreign invasions, the music system in northern India got influenced by the Persian Islamic rulers, which is known as the 'Hindustani music system' today. It is said that this system lost its connection with spirituality and 'Bhakti' Rasa was replaced by 'Śṛṃgāra' Rasa. However, the core of the Indian thought process could not be changed so easily; that is why the change is seen in the presentation and not in the intention or spirit. Khayal genre of vocal music, which evolved in the 15th century, was not an exception to it. The compositions in Khayal appear to be phrased as Nāyaka-Nāyikā Bhava (Hero-Heroin relationship), but they are just metaphors. They actually lead to Kṛṣṇa-Rādhā or Jīva-Śiva Bhava as the path of Advaita does. In Carnatic music, Vāggeyakāras (music and lyrics composers) were mostly saints, which was not the case in Hindustani music. They were kings, court musicians, and mainly Gurus. They did not take music as a path toward salvation. Still, the Advaita philosophy reflects in their works, which shows how it is deep-rooted in Indian culture. Though music went from temples to courts, the language changed from Sanskrit to Braj, Viṣṇupada changed to Dhṛvapada or Dhṛpada transformed into Khayal, Advaitic thought is invariably seen interwoven into it. It was certainly nurtured by alternative music systems from time to time, such as the Bhakti movement, Haveli Sangeet, Sikh Gurmat Sangeet, Sūfī music etc. The research paper aims to reveal the Advaita thought hidden in Khayal Bandishes (compositions). The research will span from the first Khayal composer 'Sadāraṃga' to contemporary composers. It will find which principles of Advaita are imbibed into them and analyze why so. The paper will deeply study Khayal lyrics to find expressions of Advaita. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep Learning methods achieve state-of-the-art in many tasks, including vocal pitch extraction. However, these methods rely on the availability of pitch track annotations without errors, which are scarce and expensive to obtain for Carnatic Music. Here we identify the tradition-related challenges and propose tailored solutions to generate a novel, large, and open dataset, the Saraga-Carnatic-Melody-Synth (SCMS), comprising audio mixtures and time-aligned vocal pitch annotations. Through a cross-cultural evaluation leveraging this novel dataset, we show improvements in the performance of Deep Learning vocal pitch extraction methods on Indian Art Music recordings. Additional experiments show that the trained models outperform the currently used heuristic-based pitch extraction solutions for the computational melodic analysis of Carnatic Music and that this improvement leads to better results in the musicologically relevant task of repeated melodic pattern discovery when evaluated using expert annotations. The code and annotations are made available for reproducibility. The novel dataset and trained models are also integrated into the Python package compIAM1 which allows them to be used out-of-the-box.

The article presents the discussion on Orchestra being a regular visitor to the Royal Albert Hall where it has premiered many films ‘Live In Concert.' Topics include Baahubali is not a Bollywood film, it is a South Indian film, and the fact of the existence of different cinemas within Indian cinema being something the wider audience in the Western world seems to have become more aware of after the worldwide success of RRR; and caused the film/music to lose some of its cultural specificity.

Subramanian supplies ample and detailed cultural context for Karnatic music performance and pedagogy. Music educators in the U.S. who wish to learn about, demonstrate, or teach Karnatic music have the responsibility to become as informed as possible about the social, historical, and political context of this music. To this end, Lakshmi Subramanian's book provides a compact and thorough background into relevant contexts of Karnatic music, offering any interested music educators a valuable "starting point" towards developing culturally situated and appropriate methodology. [Extracted from the article]

Gamakas, the essential embellishments, are integral parts of Karnatic music. Synthesising any form of Karnatic music necessitates proper modelling and synthesis of different gamakas associated with each note. We propose a spectral model to efficiently synthesize gamakas for Karnatic bamboo flute music from the notes, duration and gamaka information. We model three different components of the flute sound, namely, pitch contour, harmonic weights and time domain amplitude envelope. Cubic splines are used to parametrically represent these components. Subjective analysis of the results shows that the proposed method is better than the existing spectral methods in terms of tonal and aesthetic qualities of gamaka rendition. Hypothesis test results show that the observed improvements over other methods are statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the oktoec̅hos tradition, liturgical hymns are sung in eight modes or eight colours (known as eight 'niram' in Indian liturgy). In this paper, recurrent neural network (RNN) models are used for oktoec̅hos genre classification with the help of musical texture features (MTF) and i-vectors. The performance of the proposed approaches is evaluated using a newly created corpus of liturgical music in the South Indian language-Malayalam. Long short-term memory (LSTM)-based and gated recurrent unit (GRU)-based experiments report an average classification accuracy of 83.76% and 77.77%, respectively, with a significant margin over the i-vector-DNN framework. The experiments demonstrate the potential of RNN models in learning temporal information through MTF in recognising eight modes of oktoec̅hos system. Furthermore, since the Greek liturgy and Gregorian chant also share similar musical traits with Syrian tradition, the musicological insights observed can potentially be applied to those traditions. The generation of oktoec̅hos genre music style is discussed using an encoder-decoder framework. The quality of the generated files is evaluated using a perception test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]