Study in India

[dweezil]

I am saving money to visit India (it will be at least a few years), and would like to study music while I am there. How much money do you think it would be reasonable to spend per month while studying in India? I know my question might be vague, but I intend to go as more of a student or budget traveler in order to increase my time in India, if that helps.

Also, is this realistic? Can a foreigner go to India with a respectful attitude and reasonably expect to find decent music instruction without having a connection?

I just started looking for information on this, so I apologize if the answers to these questions are common knowledge. Thanks!

[Gundakriya]

It is nice to know that you want to 'study' music in India. One may need a lot more detail from you to suggest/advise any further. There are different schools and traditions spread all over the country. It is important to fix your goal in this respect. There are music colleges and numerous 'gurus' who teach music. May be you should listen to a lot of music and zero down on to what exactly you want to learn. It does take years to achieve some level of proficiency in music of any tradition.

As to cost of living it is possible to live and pursue your studies with anything over 300 usd a month depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

[dweezil]

So, is there a drastic difference in cost between the cost of living in Benares (including the cost of tabla lessons in what?. . . perhaps the Benares baj?) and the cost of maintaining an approximately similar standard of living in, say, Thiruvananthapuram (including a qualitatively similar level of instruction and a quantitatively similar amount of time spent on mridangam lessons)?

I "apologize" for not being more specific in my post, but travel to India is perhaps for me a once-in-a-lifetime trip and I simply do not have the means to make an exploratory trip there just so I can ask more specific questions about it. Yes, yes, I can imagine being advised that I should start studying Indian music before I go to India, but instruction in Hindustani or Carnatic music just isn't there in many places. That includes places I have been and the place I am in now. Even taking lessons locally (if they were available) would not necessarily be enough to base a decision on. In order for me to determine where I would want to spend an extended amount of time studying, I would have to take lessons for brief amounts of time in different locations with different teachers and in different styles of music before I could make that decision.

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"As to cost of living it is possible to live and pursue your studies with anything over 300 usd a month depending on your lifestyle and spending habits."
Ah, this part is very useful. Thank you!

[friendinchennai]

Good evening,

There are private tutors as well as music colleges. For instance I know there is a music college in chennai, where you can learn vocal as well as instrumental carnatic music and even other themes. Admissions usually start around May/June. Varieties of courses and specialisations are offered. Cost of living USD 300 should be OK provided you take a single accomodation and have a two wheeler for travel.

All the best, if u need any specific clarifications, do post a message.

friendinchennai

[hraghav]

Hi:

Yes you can Especially if you're going to Chennai --- (where I'm from and love it, btw) Look at this URL for options:
www.kutcheribuzz.com/resources/schools.asp

All the best!