“TaTenTenTa. – NaGeGeNa – …” While our hands are busy hitting the right parts of the tabla in the right moment, our lips are moving alongside the rhythm. Reciting is something we have trained up until perfection in the course of the last months. 10 weeks, one whole quarter, I had the privilege to join classes with Nabin Shrestha twice a week for a one and a half hour practice session each. Starting with the very basics, we worked on the many different strikes you can play on the tabla and which each deliver a unique sound. From there, the next step was a good coordination between right and left hand while reciting the words continuously.
Understanding the way Indian classical musicians play together, how they improvise and accompany not only other instrumentalists but also dancers, has been an insightful journey. For me as a drummer and percussionist, as well as a singer, it was very interesting to understand the patterns and different meters, Indian classical music plays with. “9 and a half” or “16” – beat patterns suddenly start to feel completely natural and I wonder why the Western music is so often fixed on 4 in music or 8 in dance.
After my experience in place in India, producing a documentary about sustainable practices behind the scenes in Bollywood, and attending classical plays as well as Music Nights, it was an amazing learning experience which in addition to playing and having fun, gave me insights in the music education system in India, including the importance of Gurus and lineage in the sector.