Paint a Raga (2023)
How can the cross-cultural learning barrier between Hindustani and Western classical musicians be bridged?
The final outcomes aims to teach users how to play the notes within an Indian raga. Using two MIDI keyboards connected to a piano and sitar, 1 or 2 participants can play the labelled Western keys that depict their own reactive, Indo-Western musical artwork while learning the equivalent Indian notation on the screen.
Research Phase:
As an Indian-American musician exposed mostly to Western music theory, I began studying Hindustani classical music to connect more with my roots. Struggling to understand the theory & notation, 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
