Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

their guru, the shishya is connected
Through
and belongs to a recognized and reputable
to
lineage, called gharana, which grants
musical
legitimacy as a performer.
them
the guru–shishya paramapara, knowledge
In
transferred orally from one generation to
was
other, through the authoritative teaching
the
the gurus. The different gharanas—or
of
and preserved diverse
lineages—developed
knowledge and practices, and only
music
them with trusted disciples. Attached to
shared
this knowledge was a responsibility
receiving
eventually pass on what is learned, and
to
successfully carry the tradition forward.
to
was essential that the material was passed
It
precisely and remembered exactly. To
on
end, students participated in talim, or
this
musical training, differentiated to each
formal
based on their ability and their guru’s
shishya
for their musicianship. Students were
vision
expected to take part in riyaz, a form of
also
individual practice, demanding
dedicated
and regularity. The specific qualities and
rigour
of both the guru and the shishya
responsibilities
embedded in a centuries-long intellectual
were
tradition.
the 20th century, with the influence of
In
globalization and a nation-building
colonialism,
in India, the role of the guru–shishya
project
as the primary method of transferring
parampara
in Hindustani classical music began
knowledge
shift. Changing social, political and economic
to
to draw waves and the
Learning
Buddha
to the quote we opened this section
Contrary
Hokusai Katsushika, the artist of the
with,
Wave off Kanagawa, the iconic Japanese
Great
print, wrote thefollowing.
woodblock
around the age of six, I had the habit
“From
sketching from life. I became an artist, and
of
fifty on began producing works that won
from
reputation, but nothing I did before the
some
and reformers who sought to
musicians
and democratize this music tradition
modernize
turn it into a matter of national interest and
and
Where we previously see an exclusive
pride.
community propagated through
knowledge
Tradition, individual instruction based on
Oral
and authority, and a diversity of styles
trust
the different gharanas, a new approach
through
transmitting and acquiring knowledge
to
to take shape. Among the reforms
began
a notational system, a standardized
were
and teaching methodology, and
curriculum
institutionalized conventions of theory
new
practice suitable for mass music education.
and
these, notation—which allowed Hindustani
Of
to be written down—was intended to
music
it to the dignity of a “classical” music
raise
asserting its sophistication and
tradition,
and putting it on par with Western
complexity,
music. Hindustani musical texts could
classical
travel further, independent of the one-onone
now
in-person oral transmission between gurus
lot has been written about how these changes,
A
with technological advancements
combined
a global South Asian diaspora, affected
and
reach of this musical tradition. What do
the
imagine was gained, and what was lost,
you
terms of knowledge in the course of this
in
Can some forms of knowledge
transformation?
be transferred and shared in specific ways?
only
how did this allow more diverse knowers
And
have access to this knowledge?
to
explore this idea of mastery, consider these
To
examples.
two
terms:
Search
of Tibetan Proportions
Book
terms:
Search
book
Japanese
wave and ripple Public
of
Review
Domain
III. Methods and tools
III. Methods and tools
and shishyas
circumstances gave rise to non-hereditary
For discussion
Public Domain Review
age of seventy was worthy of attention.”
305