Indian Ragas with Michael Harrison
Winter 2025
January 8 - March 24 (11 weeks) | Virtual Program
"For there is nothing in this world which can help one spiritually more than music. Meditation prepares, but music is the highest for touching perfection." – Hazrat Inayat Khan
Musicians in any genre, working at any level from amateur to professional, are invited to join this welcoming community where we'll learn by doing. Join in with your voice or your instrument (and feel free to mute your own singing/playing) as Michael Harrison shares the Kirana lineage of Khayal singing he learned from his Gurus Pandit Pran Nath, Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan, Terry Riley and La Monte Young. Together, we'll experience the basics of raga, from structural principles to the building blocks of basic rhythmic cycles, improvisation, and ways of combining raga with Western musical approaches. In addition to the weekly class, weekly supplementary workshops and practice sessions on various topics and techniques will be shared by Sasha Bogdanowitsch, Rose Okada, Irene Kurka, Elliot Cole, Mir Naqibul Islam and Raya Chatterjee. Come explore the beauty and the techniques of raga in this nurturing environment, and learn how these rich traditions can illuminate your own musical voice.
This winter series we will continue to focus on ragas in the family of Raga Bhairav, which is considered as one of the most important ragas for serious students. Through the winter, and possibly also the spring, we will go in depth into ragas such as Nat Bhairav, Bairagi Bhairav, Ahir Bhairav, and Hijaz Bhairav.
11 Classes led by Michael Harrison - Wednesdays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm ET
11 Supplementary Classes - Mondays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm ET
1/13 Elliot Cole: Introduction to the Basics of Indian Classical Music
1/20 Irene Kurka: Flexibility with the Chest Voice
1/27 Raya Chatterjee: Paltas Part 1
2/3 Rose Okada: Review and Introduction to Tanpura and Sarangi
2/10 Listening Non-Critique with David Gersten & Michael Harrison
2/17 Irene Kurka: Singing Better through Relaxation of Neck, Shoulders and Jaw
2/24 Mir Naqibul Islam: Most Used Taals in Raga Music
3/3 Michael Harrison: How to Listen and Follow Musical Developments in Recordings of North Indian Classical Vocal Music
3/10 Mir Naqibul Islam: Tabla Rhythm Practices
3/17 Raya Chatterjee: Paltas Part 2
3/24 Sasha Bogdanowitsch: Review of all Bandishes and Taans
About The Program
Classes:
Wednesdays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm ET
January 8, 15, 22, 29;
February 5, 12, 19, 26;
March 5, 12, 19
(11 classes)
Supplementary Classes & Practice Sessions:
Mondays 11:00 am - 12:15 pm ET
January 13, 20, 27;
February 3, 10, 17, 24;
March 3, 10, 17, 24
(11 sessions)
Classes and practice sessions will be recorded and sent to everyone on the same day shortly after they end.
About The Program Director
Composer and pianist Michael Harrison occupies a unique place in the world of music. His works are a blend of European musical traditions and those of North Indian classical music, forging an entirely new approach to composition through tunings and methodologies that employ and extend the ancient concept of “just intonation.”
Harrison earned international recognition when Revelation, his 75-minute work for piano in his own “just intonation” tuning, was selected as one of the Best Classical Recordings of the Year by The New York Times, Boston Globe and TimeOut New York, and Time Loops, with cellist Maya Beiser, was selected in NPR’s Top 10 Classical Albums of 2012.
Equally at home writing for voices (Roomful of Teeth), chamber orchestra (Alarm Will Sound), and Indian classical musicians, his music defies classification; yet many composers and critics confer that he is one of the most innovative artists of his generation, including Philip Glass, who called him an “American Maverick.” Inspired by both the Beatles and Bach, post-modern and jazz, Harrison blends Renaissance beauty with minimalist methodology, Eastern aesthetics with modern technology. The result is a body of concert music, interdisciplinary collaborations, and acclaimed solo albums.
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Enrollment in this program is open through till the beginning of the program.
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This virtual program will be using Zoom for the classes. Reliable internet access is required for participation in the program.
Participants can choose if they want to participate through singing or if they would want to play their instruments.
Everyone participating in an Arts Letters & Numbers program is expected to treat each other with care and consideration as well as be mindful of each other’s time and space.
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Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis until the deadline. Any questions regarding the application can be sent to: programs@artslettersandnumbers.com
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Limited scholarships are available. Scholarships are only considered for applicants for whom this is crucial for their participation in the program, and require a separate application (link below).
The scholarship application should be submitted once the program application has been submitted.
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The fee covers the following:
• 12 classes led by Michael Harrison
• 10 supplementary classes led by co-facilitators
• A session to introduce ourselves and facilitate building a community of musicians from diverse backgrounds.
Indian Ragas with Michael Harrison (12 classes + 10 supplementary classes).........……… $400