Of Norwegian tunes and Indian classical notes

For over three years, students of the

Norwegian Academy of Music

, in association with

Subramaniam Academy of Performing Arts

(

SaPa

), have been part of a cultural exchange programme that allows them to experience Indian culture in many forms, but mostly through music.
The entire experience, says

Brit

Ågot Broske, senior lecturer at Norwegian Academy of Music, has been enriching every time they are in India. “Every year we have new students, who come here and learn about Indian

classical

music and also teach music to Indian students. It is important for our students to have an inter-cultural experience,” says Brit, adding that she has been in awe of how warmly they are received here. “We love the generosity and the hospitality we receive when we are here, and how can we not love the weather, given that we experience sub-zero temperatures back in

Norway

,” she further adds.
Through the exchange programme, students are exposed to the nuances of Indian Classical music and at the same time they teach others a lot about Norwegian and Western music. “My students are training to be musicians and teachers. Currently, they are also teaching music in schools in Bengaluru in the form of workshops. As music teachers, it gives them a better understanding of the students, which helps them become better teachers,” says Brit.
The collaboration will culminate this weekend with solo and group performances by the students of the Norwegian Academy of Music and SaPa, at the Vijayashree Auditorium. When asked how collaborations like these help students, Brit says, “Students learn a lot about India through food, music and culture. When you meet different people, it is a different experience, which we believe is a very important step.”
At the performance, Brit adds, the audience will experience an amalgamation of Indian classical and Norwegian music. “Audiences will be treated to some Indian classical and Western tunes, along with folk music with elements of jazz and rock. There will also be a performance in which half of the group will play traditional music and the remaining will play jazz. It will be a crossover of tradition with jazz,” Brit sums up.