As everyone around the globe has shifted gears in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Berklee India Exchange (BIX) is focusing on content creation and delivery. In part, this content is specifically for coping with and getting through quarantines and lockdowns, but we hope our offerings will prove to be valuable materials for post-COVID-19 life as well.
Our four focal points are the following:
Education
Entertainment
Inspiration and mental health
Engagement and participation
Webinars: The Explore Series
BIX is offering webinars to the general public on various topics, ranging from konnakol (Indian rhythmic solfege; the art of performing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian Carnatic music) to music theory basics.
Events
Explore: Konnakol: Receive a comprehensive introduction to konnakol with legendary mridangam and konnakol maestro B.C. Manjunath.
Explore: Konnakol 101: Learn and practice the basics of konnakol in a three-part webinar series. Open for sign-ups now.
Explore: Music Theory: Discover fun and relatable ways of learning and applying basic music theory in your writing and life, coming soon.
If you have requests or ideas for other topics you'd like to see, please email us at indiaexchange@berklee.edu.
Due to popular demand, our sold-out Explore: Konnakol webinar is being made available for our global community of musicians. With a minimum amount of $10, you can access the recording of the webinar with mridangam and konnakol maestro B.C. Manjunath. Study materials and a link to the recording will be sent to you within a week of signing up.
BIX has released a new music video to support ongoing COVID-19 relief work in India. The video features a new version of the hit song “Dil Chahta Hai,” performed by the Berklee Indian Ensemble with Bollywood singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan, who cowrote the original song. It also includes an introduction from Aamir Khan, one of the lead actors from the film Dil Chahta Hai and personal messages of hope from 112 musicians, actors, and Berklee students.
The collaborative effort features 85 Berklee musicians from 21 countries, including current students and alumni from BIX. The goal of the video is to galvanize global philanthropic support for Indian arts and artists.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the BIX team has connected with several musicians in India and the United States to come up with ways to support working artists, folk musicians, and instrument builders on the lower end of the economic ladder and in need of immediate financial assistance.
T-Series, the record label that owns the rights to “Dil Chahta Hai,” agreed to donate all of their proceeds from YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, and other streaming services to Salim-Sulaiman’s Zariya Foundation and T. M. Krishna’s Sumanasa Foundation. Both organizations were identified by BIX for their support of grassroots relief work for artists.
Once their fundraising goals are met, different organizations working with other artists will be identified by BIX for support.
#TakaDimiTuesdays
Every Tuesday, BIX airs an episode of #TakaDimiTuesdays, a series we developed in 2018 to celebrate India's rich rhythmic tradition. If you look up #TakaDimiTuesdays, hundreds of videos pop up where people from all over the world are reciting either konnakol or tabla bols (the parallel tradition in North Indian Hindustani music).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, BIX decided we would take #TakaDimiTuesdays a step further and create short weekly tutorials that allow students to be exposed to this rhythmic system while also being able to analyze, attempt, and master short compositions or rhythmic tools and ideas. The series includes tutorials by several master Indian rhythm gurus as well as Berklee alumni and faculty. Students can learn to internalize simple or complex rhythmic patterns and involve both body and vocalization. This is also an excellent tool for composition, arrangement, phrasing, and metric modulation. Often, we use #TakaDimiTuesdays patterns as brain games to energize students during long classes.
Celebrated Indian vocalist Shreya Ghoshal presented a one-of-a-kind master class at the Berklee Performance Center. Moderated by Annette Philip, BIX's artistic director, this multifaceted master class is part interview, part demonstration, and part live student workshop. In this five series, each segment features one student workshop with input, stories, and demonstrations by Ghoshal.
Episode 1 covers attention to detail and learning how to bring drama into your performance.
Episode 2 addresses diction, expression, and evoking an emotion in your audience.
Episode 3 talks about making a song your own, and the importance of interpretation and authenticity to your own personal style and artistry.
Episode 4 covers telling a story through your voice.
Episode 5 includes a Q&A with audience about specific experiences in the Indian music industry.
#BIXPicks Playlists
The world turns to music for everything from solace and comfort to home workouts. BIX students have curated playlists for various needs, from relaxation to high-energy music to get you moving. We're also adding a Spotlight playlist featuring original music by BIX's community and a Discover Monthly series that helps our audience expand their listening palate.
This brand-new BIX interview series includes a live audience Q&A that highlights the myriad pathways musicians can explore in the global arts and entertainment industry. From touring musicians and entrepreneurs to music therapists and YouTube sensations, Chai Time with BIX grants listeners an intimate look into the journey, struggles, and learnings of young Indian and South Asian artists, many of whom are Berklee-affiliated, who have often carved out a niche for themselves in DIY, non-formulaic ways.
