Indic Musicology

In India, cultural and ritual authority is often assigned to, or derived from, what is heard; namely sound. As a result it is not uncommon for sound to be privileged as the mode preferred in the transmission of traditional knowledge. Not surprisingly, over time India has developed a deep and profound engagement with sound, onethat resonates deeply in its philosophies and religions, in its many and varied oral traditions, and of course in its music. While sound occupies important and sometimes central positions in so many aspects of cultural life in India, it is arguably not as well represented in academic inquiry as it perhaps could be. The study of India through its sounds can conceivably contribute, at an interdisciplinary level, to a richer understanding of a range of historical, sociological,political and cultural phenomena. This is so because such an approach has the potential to identify, analyse and interpret the audibility of events and in so doing reveal an essential dimension of their nature that might not be otherwise considered. Music is certainly one such avenue which can meaningfully contribute to this wider objective.