“Listening to intricacies in music will make you appreciate the art form it is,” remarked Dr Sadhana Shiledar, Professor and Head of the Department of Music, as she opened her workshop ‘Appreciation of Indian Classical Music: Listening Beyond the Ears’ on Day 3 of the Orange City Literature Festival 2025. Her session set the tone for a day defined by powerful ideas, cultural depth and engaged conversation. Dr Shiledar guided the audience through the foundations of Hindustani classical music, explaining how one can learn to understand rather than merely hear it. She introduced the varied forms within the classical traditions, from the introspective elaboration of Khayal to the brisk, syllabic patterns of Tarana and the distinctive structure of Carnatic music, emphasising their differences while celebrating their shared cultural lineage.

 

Dr Shiledar also spoke about the significance of attentive listening, noting that every raga carries an emotional architecture that unfolds gradually. Demonstrating short melodic phrases, she showed how taans, aalap and rhythmic cycles work together, helping listeners recognise the internal grammar of the form. This hands-on approach made the session more impressive and accessible for first-time learners. Dr Shiledar noted that music is not bound by time, place or mood. “One can listen while cooking, running, working out or even resting,” she said, adding that its power lies in its ability to transcend emotional states and bring calm and clarity. The audience engaged actively, responding to her question on identifying the difference between Indian and Western music.

 

While many offered observations, Dr Shiledar explained that although the two traditions stand far apart in structure and philosophy, instruments often reveal the distinction, even as film music frequently blurs the boundaries. In closing, Dr Shiledar encouraged listeners to carry the art of mindful listening into their daily lives. True appreciation, she said, comes from noticing subtleties, the glide of a note, a shift in rhythm, the emotional shade of a raga. “When you begin to hear these details, music stops being background sound and becomes a companion in understanding yourself and the world,” Dr Shiledar reminded.