Q: Where do you perform? What are the charges?
A: I perform ONLY in concerts, held at concert halls, educational institutions and religious places. Charges depend on amount of time/location. I DO NOT perform in restaurants/bars/marriages or at any place where people eat and drink during performances. Please do not send inquiries for performing at such places. Very humbly, we do not respond to such inquiries. We respect the artistic abilities of all, performing at various places, and appreciate their contribution in the field of music. I feel my music is different, and not meant for the above mentioned places. The live music which we (including our students) perform is NOT for background music purposes.
Q: What do you teach?
A: I teach Indian Classical Music as per the age old “Guru-Shishya Parampara”; as it was taught in "Guru-Kul"s. I DO NOT teach film music/songs/rock/pop or any other form of music. Bhajans which we teach, are classical based only, with main emphasis on the raag.
Q: Which instruments do you teach? Do you teach vocal?
A: I teach Indian Clasical Music, on all instruments and voice. Our instruments of specialization are Sarod, Sitar & Tabla. I have students who learn Sarod, Sitar, Tabla, Guitar, Violin, Flute etc. I expect my students to learn the basics of Tabla along with their instrument of choice. A typical senior student lesson consists of 45 minutes of instruction on their instrument of specialization, out of which 10 minutes would be of Tabla instruction.
Q: Do you hold personal one-on-one lessons? Do you teach online?
A: Yes. It depends on several other factors. Time is limited due to my commitments at UNC Greensboro and CPCC. Senior students are given preference. I encourage new students to register at UNC Greensboro if they can.
Q: Do you allow video/audio recordings of lessons?
A: No. Generally everything is written down.
Q: Are there any conditions for me to perform/not perform at certain places?
A: A student can perform at any place. However, the traditional compositions, which I teach,should not be played at bars, restaurants or any place where people eat and drink during performances. I strongly encourage students to perform at concerts, and at educational institutions. I give them opportunities to perform, during my concerts and hold special student concerts, to give them exposure to live audience.
Q: Are there any pre-requisites for being a student?
A: Yes, there are. I do not allow our students to play our traditional compositions at some places mentioned above. If you are intending to learn our music for that application, ours is not the right place for you to learn. I interview every student personally before accepting them as a student.
Q: Can all students participate in the orchestra?
A: No. Participation in orchestra is through invitation only.
Q: Is there an age limit? Do I need any prior experience with any other instrument?
A: I accept students in our “junior” section after 10 yrs of age. No prior experience is needed. However, mostly I prefer students with minimum 3-5 years prior experience with any instrument or vocal singing. (Except when a student is starting to learn “Sitar” or "Tabla") I believe in taking our students to the “next level” of their current area of expertise. For learning “Sarod” experience with vocal singing or any other instrument is mandatory.
Q: I want my child to start learning early. What do you suggest?
A: We appreciate the opportunities and intention of providing exposure to your child at an early age. However we also feel that there is a age for everything. Our recommendation is parents should at least learn slight music themselves. Its like school; we all send children to school for learning Maths/Science; but we also help them at home since we have studied those things. The second benefit is personal enrichment. We are not a commercial school with interests in just head counts and fees. Our primary interest is to preserve the purity of Indian Classical Music.
Q: I need to go for shopping nearby. Can I leave my child and pick him/her up after 45 minutes?
A:Absolutely NO. For a child who is not driving, parents needs to be with the child during the entire 45 minutes of lesson. No exceptions.
Q: Can my child perform in India Fest?
A: India Fest is generally outdoor event, and it is like a festival where people eat, drink, walk & talk during performances. I cannot allow students to perform our art at such places. However they are free to do dances etc which they have learned somewhere else.
Q: What are the schedules? Do I need to register for fixed number of sessions? Can I start anytime?
A: Please check personally, as they change. Currently we follow a monthly fee structure, during which four 45 minute lessons are given to a student. Monthly lessons ensure that committed students get ample time at a discounted rate. We teach ONLY during Friday-Sunday. Please ask for a copy of rules before registering. Generally for a new student, there is a waiting of 3 to 4 months, however there may be openings occasionally. I encourage students to register at UNCG if possible. I do not teach for the months of June and December and there are no fees for those two months.
Q: Is there a dress – code?
A: Any “decent” attire. (Western or Eastern) Looking to the depth of our music, shorts are not permitted. Sleeveless T shirts should be avoided. The above do not apply to children under 12. J
Q: Fees/Registration fee/Time needed to learn
A: Please contact personally for fees. One time registration fee is $50. (This does not apply to people coming only for orchestra)
We follow fixed monthly fee structure which is highly discounted for regular committed students, and an hourly fee structure for students willing to come once or twice a month. Under the monthly structure, Four 45 minute lessons are offered per month.
Q: Do you buy / sell musical instruments / strings?
A:We are always in need of Sitars/Sarods/Tablas for our students. Occasionally we have gently used Sitars/Sarods/Tablas for sale which would be displayed on our merchandise page. We offer best quality strings for Sarod and Sitar.