Indian classical music can lay claims to pre-dating the modern world. With time, its practitioners have adapted new technology, tecnhiques and styles to enhance the art form. Singer Priya Purushothaman’s new podcast, Music and masti, is part of this ongoing evolution that seeks to formulate the lessons from the tradition to capture the attention of a younger generation.

A student of the Agra Gharana, Purushothaman learned Carnatic vocal music and Western classical violin for 12 years before spending 15 years learning the Hindustani classical form.  In that, she is more than familiar with the personal attention and involvement that is at the core of the education in Indian classical music. “But in the pandemic, it became very apparent that technology was going to be a very important part of how we move forward in the future,” she says, adding that despite its evolution the traditional school of Indian music remains a little hesitant towards the use of technology. As an educator and writer, the pandemic sparked in the singer the idea for a podcast that could take these lessons to children. “We sought to create a podcast, particularly for children, with a fun and engaging dialogue about music,” she adds.