an interactive choral Indian music workshop series for children

What is 'Beyond Seasons'?

Beyond Seasons is a wholesome musical educational workshop series, conceived and directed by Kanniks Kannikeswaran, . 'Beyond Seasons' is targeted towards the children of the Indian diaspora. It is a set of music workshops that are geared to stimulate young minds and take them on a journey through the seasonal changes of the year, in tune with the ancient raagas associated with the same.

'Beyond Seasons' is a historic event in the United States as it represents the first ever coming together of an Indian community children's choir. It also represents an innovation from composer Kanniks, where he brings into the experiential domain - the idea of raagas associated with seasons.

The group of children participating in these workshops will be joined by the Cincinnati Children's choir towards the end of the series and the entire session will culminate in a grand concert 'The Sound of Seasons' in collaboration with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra.  

About the music: Indian musical systems are ancient. The melodic concept of raaga is unique to Indian culture and it forms the basis of Indian classical music. The rhythmic framework of Indian music is centered around the idea of taalas. Raagas are expressive and are tied to feelings, emotions and also associated with the different times of the day as well as the changing seasons of the year. Beyond Seasons is a gentle introduction to some complex features of Indian music in easy steps that make the whole educational process a fun filled experience.

What will children gain out of these workshops? Children will become familiar with the idea of raagas related to seasonal changes and will get comfortable with the classical music vocabulary. They will gain an appreciation of the intimate relationship between Indian art and nature. They will gain the ability to sing a select set of taranas with proficiency. The choral setting enhances the learning ability and the awareness of raagas and their historic significance provides a terrific boost to the knowledge base of children, supporting them with the cultural base that positions them as balanced citizens in today's and tomorrow's globalized world.

This workshop series concluded in May 2007 with a grand concert 'The Sound of Seasons' performed in collaboration with the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and the Cincinnati Children's Choir.

For more information contact kaniks@kanniks.com