The show must go on

Indian artistes are trying out new ways to not just sustain themselves but also engage with their audience

Due to the novel Coronavirus, Covid-19, life has come to a standstill. While we wait for this pandemic to get over, Indian artistes are trying out new ways to not just sustain themselves but also engage with their audience. One such artiste is Kala Ramnath, one of India’s foremost violinists. Kala has created a two-week module for e-learning. Titled Together at Home, she has been covering various aspects of the violin such as how to tune a violin, technique for the violin hand, correct use of the bow in the bowing hand, etc.

Kala Ramnath

She says, “This is the first time I am doing something live on social media. I usually take classes where people are sitting in front of me. I also take one on one lessons online but hadn’t taught and interacted with so many people at once with the help of social media. The responses have been phenomenal, there are about 200 people learning at the same time.”

The learning sessions are followed by Q & A where the audience/viewers ask Kala their questions. Kala says that in India, violinists do not have ‘good technique” and therefore her approach is a “structured” one. “I give the students two-three exercises to practice and try to focus more on the techniques so people learn good technique and playing the violin will not be a challenge,” she adds.

Each session is about 45 minutes long and people who join the live sessions comprise both violin players and amateurs. “Not only from India, I have people from Pakistan, Greece, Canada and more places, joining in.”

Kala who was supposed to be on a tour to the United States along with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain, says the entire tour got cancelled because of the pandemic scare. When asked why she decided to teach the violin online, she says, “I started these sessions from April 1, and I wanted to keep people away from all the gloom that has surrounded the world right now, and everyone’s worried about their futures so this is perhaps a good way to keep their minds off. People can keep themselves occupied, and engaging in something like this might also prevent them from venturing out.”