A concert by the Anirudh Varma Collective (AVC), a contemporary Indian classical ensemble from New Delhi, India. It is led by pianist, composer & producer, Anirudh Varma.

Alan P. Merriam once remarked on the presence of a few scattered teachers in SEM working at the cusp of ethnomusicology, and had referred to them as “sandbox ethnomusicologists.” More recently, there appears to be change of heart within the field of ethnomusicology that includes attention to (1) the musical agency of children (and as such, children as important contributors to the study of music in cultures and communities), (2) teachers as collaborators with ethnomusicologists in school and community work, and (3) research by ethnomusicologists and educators together on pedagogical approaches to the development of intercultural understanding in and through music. I offer observations of ethnomusicology’s evolving commitment, often through collaborative efforts with teachers, to understanding and activating on questions of music, education, and culture for learners of every age, experience, and circumstance.

Carnatic and Gaana music scenes in the southern Indian city of Chennai circulate starkly distinct political ideologies through different meaning-making practices about caste and the role of politics in music.