Industry-based popular music education: India, college rock festivals, and real world learning

Abstract

Until recently, opportunities for formal music education in India were few. Music education at large universities concentrated on Indian classical music. Interest in western popular music had been significant throughout the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, but this had mostly been in the form of cover bands. The largest area of popular music was the domain of Bollywood. With the increase of the Indian middle-classes in the 1990s, due to Manmohan Singh’s important economic policies, more Indian families began sending their children to school to study a range of disciplines. Music, however, was not regularly considered because of the lack of financial reward in a developing country. Gradually, major Indian colleges began to host rock festivals for student rock bands; however these were almost entirely covers bands. These festivals became so successful, that organisers gradually added requirements for originals, and a songwriting element became part of popular music in India. Today, nearly every significant rock band in India originated in these festivals.
 
 Our research aims to investigate the development, cultural significance, and educational importance of college rock festivals. We conducted interviews with established and emerging independent musicians, educators, and music industry professionals in order to understand this phenomenon further. Our findings suggest that, despite the recent emergence of popular music education in India, college rock festivals continue to educate young Indian musicians on technique, performance, songwriting, and music business.
 
 Our findings suggest that the experiential learning college rock festivals provide, lead to the development of epistemic communities of teachers, academics, students, musicians, and industry. We find that such festivals draw similarities with college radio and student record label initiatives in other parts of the world. It is this process of connecting an informal underground of creative individuals with formal institutions that will continue to provide not only rich learning environments for students but viable platforms for launching music careers.