Mohindar Brar Sambhi Lecture Series on Indian Musc

Lecture by Matt Rahaim, “Voice Cultures: The Transmission of Vocal Ethos.” 

Abstract: A sinner is converted upon hearing the voice of a saint; an upstanding citizen is ruined by the overwhelming lust induced by the voice of a courtesan; a Sufi aspirant is brought into a rapturous state by ritual singers.  Classical singers are praised not merely for having beautiful voices, but for virtues such as humility, gentleness, and openness that are tangibly evident in their musical disposition.  Thus children are sent to learn raga music not merely for technical mastery, but also for moral discipline.  The power of vocal performance, in these terms, lies not merely in its beauty but in its ability to transmit ethical values: to produce changes, for good and evil, in the listener's moral being.

Matt Rahaim is Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Minnesota.  His recent book, Musicking Bodies: Gesture and Voice in Hindustani Music explores the bodily disciplines of North Indian vocal music.  Other projects include the history of the harmonium in the Indian Ocean, a critical survey of intonational discourse, and analytical studies of vazn (rhythmic weight) in raga music.  His new project explores the interwoven aesthetic and ethical traditions of vocal action in South Asia.

1pm – Room 1344, Schoenberg Music Building

Open to the public and free of charge
Parking in Lot 2 — $11 (Hilgard and Westholme)
Information: (310) 825-5947

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The Mohindar Brar Sambhi Lecture Series on Indian Music presents a variety of lectures focusing on research and other issues important in the fields of ethnomusicology and Indian music.