The School of Music at the University of MN, will once again 
be offering a course in Hindustani (North Indian) vocal music.

Please note: If you have questions about REGISTERING for this 
course please call the U of M School of Music directly. All 
phone numbers can be had by going to: 
http://www.music.umn.edu/about/info.php

For more information on the course please call: 
Pooja (612-709-1263) or Pavan (612-508-3716) 
pooja.goswami74@gmail.com

or email: goswa005@umn.edu

MUS 5950 Topics in Music

"Introduction to North Indian Vocal Music"

3 credits, 5:00 - 6:30 P.M., Tue & Thu (09/02/08 - 12/10/08), 
Ferguson Hall 107

Instructor: Dr. Pooja Goswami

Brief description:

This course in elementary Hindustani (North Indian) vocal music 
exposes the student to the foundational concepts of raga and 
tala in historical and cultural context, through hands on vocal 
lessons and exercises, audio/video material, concert 
experience, 
classroom discussions and writing assignments. My effort will 
be 
geared towards teaching the rudiments of Indian classical music 
using voice as the principal instrument. Through this course I 
will attempt to convey the essence of one of the most ancient 
and complex musical systems of the world. This course aims at 
turning the learners' eyes and ears to the source of true
enjoyment and understanding of the fantastic heritage of North 
Indian raga music. – Pooja Goswami

Class Time: 30% lecture, 20% discussion, 50% singing

Work Load: ~10 pages of reading per week, 15-20 pages of 
writing 
per semester, 2 paper(s), 3 written quizzes and one vocal quiz

Grade: 25% written report(s)/paper(s), 15% quizzes, 20% class
participation, 40% for vocal quiz

Exam format: multiple choice and short answers

MORE DETAILS BELOW:

University of Minnesota's School of Music offers course in 
North 
Indian Vocal Music

The course will be taught by Dr. Pooja Goswami, master vocalist 
visiting from Delhi (see instructor bio below).

"Introduction to North Indian Vocal Music" is a one-semester 
course in Hindustani vocal music for beginners, that also 
includes elements of history, culture and theory as 
appropriate. 
The course is now listed on the U of M Course Registration 
Website and is open for registration.
Please visit:
http://www.onestop.umn.edu/onestop/registration.html 

Please note: If you have questions about REGISTERING for this 
course please call the U of M School of Music directly. All 
phone numbers can be had by going to: 
http://www.music.umn.edu/about/info.php

Registration is limited to 20 seats for Fall 2008. Course 
number 
is MUS 5950.

No prerequisites are necessary for the course except the 
ability 
to carry a tune and keep a steady rhythm.

This is a detailed description of the course:

Learn the cornerstones of North Indian Classical Music from a 
master artist. Along with lectures and readings in the history 
and theory of Hindustani music, students will also learn 
rudimentary exercises in singing and spoken rhythms.

This course examines the classical music of Northern India in
relationship to Indian culture and history.

Students will learn the tenets of voice culture and foundational
concepts of rhythmic practice in Hindustani music through 
intensive listening and hands-on practical exercises. These 
musical fundamentals will be contextualized through a study of 
their relationship to aesthetic and philosophical concepts, 
cultural practices and historical developments in the region. 
Through this combination of practical training and academic 
study in India's unique brand of musicology/ethnomusicology, 
students should gain new perspectives on music, its meaning and 
place, and a greater understanding of the diversity and 
possibilities of human expression.

Prerequisites:

This course has no specific prerequisites. However, prospective 
students will be expected to exhibit an appropriate level of 
musical aptitude. The ability to carry a tune and keep steady 
rhythm is necessary.

Grading Option: A-F
3 credits (= 3 hrs per week)

Expected enrollment: 20 (~ 40% undergraduate, 60% graduate)
The course is intended for both majors and non-majors.

Graduate students enrolled in this class will be expected to 
produce a 15 page final research paper in addition to the 
coursework expected from the rest of the students.

Course Outline:

I. VOICE CULTURE IN HINDUSTANI MUSIC

1. Musical voice and its cultivation
2. Vowel equalization
3. Foundation notes
4. Exercises for flexibility of voice (Sargam and Alankar)
5. Exercises of yoga and morning practice

II. RAGA: THE MELODIC FRAMEWORK

1. The musical alphabet: notes, their combinations, Shrutis 
(microtones)
2. Introduction to the Khayal: the principal vocal genre in 
Hindustani music 
3. Study of Khayal compositions in basic Ragas: Yaman, Bhairav,
Bhairavi, Bhoop, Kafi 
4. Treatment of the Raga in various genres:classical, semi-
classical, folk and light-music

III. TALA: THE RHYTHMIC FRAMEWORK

1. The foundations of the Hindustani rhythm system 
2. Study of basic Talas: Teentaal, Ektaal, Jhaptaal, Dadra, 
Keharwa etc.
3. Treatment of the Tala in classical, semi-classical, folk and 
light-music 
4. Introduction to compositions of rhythm: Kayda, Tihaai, Tukda 
in Teentaal

All of the above will involve a significant amount of listening 
to music - live in class, on audio/video recordings and via the 
Internet.

IV. LISTENING TO INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC

1. Typical concert format of vocal music (Khayal) 
2. Typical concert format of instrumental music (Sitar/Tabla)
3. Listening assignments
4. Concert attendance assignments
5. Live demonstrations in class when possible

Text Book:

Sharma, Swatantra, Fundamentals of Indian Music, Pratibha 
Prakashan, 29/5 Shakti Nagar, Delhi, India, 1996. The 
instructor 
will provide copies of this textbook for a nominal fee.

Evaluation of student achievement:
There will be periodic quizzes on the lecture material and 
readings. Students will also be given exercises in singing and 
spoken rhythms, which they will be expected to practice daily. 
They will perform these assignments in every class. The final 
will consist of a written portion, based on the lectures and 
readings, and a performed portion, drawn from the daily 
exercises.

About the instructor:

Pooja Goswami, Ph.D. (Music)

Dr. Pooja Goswami was born in a musical family and received her 
early training in Hindustani (North Indian) classical music 
(vocal) from her father Sri. Surendra Goswami.

She received her M.Phil from the University of Delhi and 
completed a Ph.D. in Music in 2005, also from the University of 
Delhi. The subject of her Ph.D. thesis was the life and music 
of 
Pandit Amarnath, the foremost disciple of Ustad Amir Khan - an 
icon in Hindustani vocal music.

Dr. Goswami is also trained in semi-classical music from the 
eminent vocalist Smt. Shanti Hiranand, the reigning queen of 
Thumri and Ghazal (semi-classical vocal genres) and the 
universally acclaimed successor of the legendary vocalist, the 
Late Begum Akhtar. The versatility in Dr. Goswami's repertoire 
is evident in her ability to sing Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal, Bhajan 
and various folk genres (e.g. Chaiti, Kajri) besides Khayals.

Dr. Goswami has received the prestigious National Scholarship 
awarded by the Ministry of Human Resources. The many 
prestigious 
venues she has performed at include the India Habitat Center 
(New Delhi), the Sopan festival (New Delhi), Vietnam 
International Tourism Festival (Hanoi) and the Sankalp music 
society (Jaipur). Dr. Goswami recently co-composed the
score for Pangea World Theater's "The Partition Project"
staged in June 2006 in Minneapolis. She has performed widely 
within the USA, including performances at the University of 
Minnesota - Minneapolis (MN), Indian Music Society of Minnesota 
(IMSOM) - Minneapolis (MN), Amherst College - Amherst (MA), 
East 
Indian Music Academy - Queens (NY) etc.

Presently Dr. Goswami is a visiting faculty at the School of 
Music, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, teaching courses 
in 
Indian music and culture.

Please note: If you have questions about REGISTERING for this 
course please call the U of M School of Music directly. All 
phone numbers can be had by going to: 
http://www.music.umn.edu/about/info.php

For more information on the course please call: 
Pooja (612-709-1263) or Pavan (612-508-3716)

or email: goswa005@umn.edu