Shastra Summer Collaborative

A summer program for western composers and Indian singers…

This year Shastra launches the newest version of our yearly summer program: the Shastra Summer Collaborative, where composers and Hindustani singers will be working alongside and build their knowledge of each other’s traditions through a series of masterclasses and collaborative assignments, culminating in the creation of a new arrangement of a traditional Hindustani bhajan, written by the composer and performed by the singer. The intensive will start online, through a series of remote sessions, and culminate in three-day in-person residency in Los Angeles, where the arrangements will be read and recorded.

Vocal Curriculum:

• Receive an intensive course in Western classical music theory (no previous experience required)

• Receive instruction on practical skills for working with Western classical musicians and ensembles, following a conductor, communicating with Western musicians et al.

• Collaborate with a composer on weekly assignments leading up to the creation of a new work for Hindustani voice and a string quartet.

• Workshop and record this new work with the composer and string quartet during the residency in Los Angeles.

Composition Curriculum:

• Receive an intensive course in Hindustani music (no previous Indian classical training required)

• Receive instruction on best practices for working with Hindustani musicians, and incorporating elements of Indian music organically into the music you write.

• Collaborate with a Hindustani singer on weekly assignments, leading up to the creation of a new work for your Hindustani vocal collaborator, and string quartet.

• Workshop and record this new work during the residency in Los Angeles.

How to Apply:

• Composers are not required to have any previous training in Hindustani music. However, they must have a working knowledge of Western composition, at least at the undergraduate level.

• Singers need to have a minimum of 7 years of Hindustani music training to apply.

• The subsidized program fee is $650 and covers all materials, tuition, and live professional recording. *Scholarships available for composers.