Paint a Raga (2023)
How can the cross-cultural learning barrier between Hindustani and Western classical musicians be bridged?
Indian and Western music exist in different hemispheres and the project is an evolving work-in-progress that bridges the cross-cultural learning gap.
Research Phase:
As an Indian-American musician exposed mostly to Western music theory, I began studying Hindustani classical music to connect with my roots. I encountered many tutorials and forums of musicians teaching to translate between Hindustani and Western music notation and concepts. To my surprise, I found no proper online or digital tools that address this concern.
Misleading Online Translators or Conversion Charts
only consider a C major scale when translating.
same regardless of the type of Western scale. Meanwhile, the Western notes depend
on the type of scale or key signature. This causes a lot of confusion for
Hindustani or Western musicians trying to learn the opposing genre’s notation.
Consultation with various musicians further confirmed the need for a tool that addresses this concern:
Guru & PhD graduate in Hindustani classical music (left); Berklee College of Music Graduate trained in Indian & Western music (right)
Throughout all stages of the project, I worked consistently with Tanushree Kashyap, a Young Classical Vocalist, Subharti University Assistant Professor & Delhi University BA Hindustani Classical Music Graduate.
Technical Execution:
Challenges with using Hindi/Devanagari scripts & fonts
within Javascript library (error boxes shown above)
Understanding User’s Journey & Lofi Wireframes:
Exhibition at the Royal College of Art’s “Intertwine” Show
1) Start Screen
2) Musical Artwork Screen
3) End Takeaway Screen
