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RESEARCH & TRAINING CENTRE FOR MUSICS OF THE WORLD
A non-profit organisation founded in 1989 with the vision of making Karnatak music education accessible to all
Every sincere music student and guru should vow to shed falsehood, self-promotion, pride and prejudices of sorts and persevere for ‘Art for Art's sake’.
Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian
Founder of Brhaddhvani
BELIEF
Music is part of life with its power to connect and spiritually transform...
VISION
Building musical intelligence towards harmony and unity in diversity...
MISSION
Explore music traditions and create methods to make them available to everyone...
If you think...
“I want to learn music, but I don’t think I have that gift", you are mistaken. Brhaddhvani was created to make you understand you, too, have that gift. We as a team have the will, patience, tools, expertise and dedication to reveal to you step by step the gift that is hidden within you. We will help you uncover it. We believe that if you can make a sound you can make music. We believe that if you can speak any language you can sing. When speech is decorated it becomes song. You will be able to decorate when you realise the "sound within". Once you realise this, you will start your journey in the realms of music. Become strong-willed to learn music. Without fanfares, you will grow in the wisdom to pursue the divine in you. Your notions about music will go through a sea change through our developed method COMET.
We can help...
If you think you need help in making a choice in where to start learning music to move towards excellence, we have the proven ways. We focus on generating your best musicianship which will last a lifetime, rather than focusing on speed of learning or quickly going on stage. When you spot the musicality in your child, or seek to learn music as an adult, the person needs to be nurtured slowly and effectively. We emphasise a thorough foundation in the fundamentals of music. We combine an objective, analytical approach to understand your strengths, with a caring mind and heart to instil music in a student in a way that is suitable to the individual’s requirements. Our objective method, COMET, is an effective resource to teach anyone – we work step by step with everyone on the basics, taking care to uncover their strengths so they learn without boredom. Practice (sadhana) is very important. We think it is more important to foster the student’s creativity so that as you understand musical concepts, you explore and create your own niche in the vast space of music. The discipline we teach students in learning music will serve them in any other learning endeavour.
Karaikudi Subramanian is doing what should be really done to music and education.
Lalgudi Sri Jayaraman
Dr. Karaikudi Subramanian’s contribution to music education is a pioneering attempt in music pedagogy.
Dr. Sripada Pinakapani
KARAIKUDI VINA
At Brhaddhvani, we give you the essence of the traditional practices on the vina as intensely experienced by Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian during his 'gurukulavasa' (1957-1958) with his adoptive father and grand-uncle, the legendary maestro Karaikudi Veenai Sambasiva Iyer (the "Karaikudi Vina Brothers"). The Karaikudi Tradition is a composite style of vina playing and fundamental practices shared by all members of the Karaikudi family tree, collectively known as 'Karaikudi Vina Bani'.
I am deeply impressed by the new and scientific approach to the great tradition. I pray for even greater achievement for Brhaddhvani.
Pandit Ravi Shankar
COMET
Correlated Objective Music Education & Training
COMET is an interdisciplinary approach in music education developed by Dr. Karaikudi S. Subramanian. It has imbibed the essence of the gurukula way of learning while giving room for creative and meaningful interactions and applications. COMET is thoroughly traditional in its content, but contemporary and global in its reach and hereby provides a fuller understanding of music. It is a system of training that allows all to climb up the ladder of learning at his or her own pace.
Brhaddhvani is like a door for people from outside to enter the world of Karnatak music, but also for Karnatak musicians to enter the musics of the world.
Eero Hämeenniemi
CROSS CULTURAL
Brhaddhvani’s cross-cultural program aims to open the doors of various musical traditions to each other, fostering a unified and progressive world music culture with mutual respect. The program emphasizes that all musical skills and styles complement one another. Brhaddhvani's vision embraces diversity and recognizes the value of intercultural dialogue in the realm of music education.
Brhaddhvani is more than the gravitation centre of COMET. It is an intellectual centre and a meeting point of artists, scholars, and intellectuals from all over the world. And it is, above all, the personality of its founder and head, which attracts them.
Hans Neuhoff
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Craftsmanship is often neglected in the field of music. We honour musicians but we seldom honour craftsmen without whom there will be no instrumental players. The craftsmen not only suffer due to limited patronage but also because of a lack of education. The younger craftsmen are less and less. They need to be supported so that this craft continues to improve.
