Making Meaning of Music at Indian Music Experience Museum
Music may be a panacea for our moods, but making meaning of music can be overwhelming. More so, when we talk of Indian Music. Over the centuries, its evolution has engulfed every facet of its creation. What started with traditional folk instruments and folk tales got embellished and improvised. Old gave way to new. Across regions, the styles carry their own flavours. When this knowledge encircles you, it is hard to make sense of the jigsaw. What happened where, and what changed when, is oh-so-confusing. This is where the Indian Music Experience Museum comes in.
Raaga (arrangement of notes), Rasa (emotion), Gharana (regional music family), Musical Kissa Goi (storytelling), songs from life, and sounds from nature – these shape the music of an era and a region. Indian Music Experience Museum sorts this sea of diverse data bits and helps the visitors make sense of the chaos. Here, you immerse and interact with the dimensions to see the whole. Let us see how.
Indian Music Experience Museum – A First-hand Account
The museum is in JP Nagar, just a stone’s throw from the famed Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru. By Indian standards, the ticket is pricey at Rs.250 for an adult (Rs.150 for senior citizens and kids), but well worth it. The booking executive directs you to start from the top floor and work your way down.
The first section is a wraparound theatre, a delightful experience. Here, a 5-minute audio-visual takes you through the history of Indian music. Further up, a couple of bright, painted autorickshaws invite you in to view a documentary on Indie Rock.
When you proceed, check out a kiosk where you can find your vocal scale by holding a note for 10 seconds. The next sections display the Carnatic music legends and the Hindustani Music Gharanas. Beyond this, you find an elaborate interactive display that has string puppets, illustrated folding windows with folktales, and some small screens where you can listen to the Indian music of festivals, rituals and stages of life. All displays are interactive and oozing with music Gyan.
Indian Instruments Gallery and Bollywood Music Showcase
As you take the stairs to the floor beneath, the double-height panoramic wall in front fills your eyes with a vast display of Indian musical instruments. A large touchscreen beckons you to interact and discover the names and sounds of these quaint and not-so-quaint melody and percussion creators.
Once you have done this exploration, the adjoining section brings forth the fervour of patriotism and how the medium of sound influenced millions to feel pride in our country.
Beyond this gallery, the floor is filled with the history, the musical journey, trivia, and jukeboxes from Bollywood from the times talkies began in India. Neat, well-marked sections help you interact and navigate through this vast section. From yesteryears to now, every section tells you stuff, some known to you, and some new. Here, classics rub shoulders with current hits. In a small, soundproof studio on this floor, you can pro-record a Bollywood hit with a karaoke track and mail the faux album, complete with a cover illustration, to yourself or to a friend.
Sound Garden
As you make your way out, you pass through the museum shop filled with souvenirs. Beyond the shop, you find yourself in the Sound Garden. Here, large gongs, bells, and marimbas offer you an opportunity to create your own music. There is even a singing stone.
A space for a sound exhibition on the theme of ‘Birds’ made for an interesting experience. It displayed rare instruments that resonate with the theme. One could also create music using the sounds of different bird voices here.
This half-day journey of notes, bars, and beats will enrich you, and make you nostalgic as you travel through the musical times. While I spent half a day there, this museum calls for many visits, for it offers a lot. Make time for it during your next Bangalore visit.
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