Karaikudi S. Subramanian: veena performer, scholar, and educator

Karaikudi S. Subramanian: veena performer, scholar, and educator

Academic Year:
2012 - 2013 (June 1, 2012 through May 31, 2013)
Funding Requested:
$500.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
Overview of the Project:
Students and faculty of the Musicology and Composition departments at the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance joined together to bring legendary Karnatak (South Indian Classical) musician Karaikudi S. Subramanian to Ann Arbor for a five-day residency at UM. During his stay, he visited classes during which he conducted workshops with students, he held private meetings with faculty and students, he gave a public concert at the Britton Recital Hall in the E. V. Moore Building, and he conducted a lecture-demonstration open to students, faculty, staff, and members of the community.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:

The objectives of the project were to introduce students, faculty, and community members to South Indian classical music; to give students hands-on experience using new conceptual frameworks; to provide participants with a moving and inspiring aesthetic experience; and to increase interdisciplinary and multicultural interchange at the University.

Project Achievements:

This project: - brought an eminent performer, pedagogue, and thinker to the University of Michigan - exposed over 200 students and faculty, and close to 100 community members, to South Indian classical music - provided a meaningful, inspiring experience to those who participated - introduced students and faculty to new pedagogical techniques and philosophies - fostered dialogue between disparate interest groups and disciplines on campus, as well as between University affiliates and community members

Continuation:
The project is complete.
Dissemination:
Activities were advertised through widespread email announcements, public flyers distributed in several departments on campus, facebook and other social media efforts, as well as word-of-mouth.
Advice to your Colleagues:
Enlisting the energetic support of interested faculty in multiple departments was crucial to the success of the project, both in terms of raising sufficient funds to make it possible as well as making sure all organizational challenges and bureaucratic hurdles were divided and conquered. The help of extra-departmental sponsors, such as CRLT and arts@Michigan, was also vital to the project. This diversified approach, without which I do not believe the residency would have been possible, also created the primary challenge of the project; many different interests had to be kept track of and satisfied. Altogether, though, it went very smoothly and effectively.