The famous South Asian instruments such as the dilruba and sarangi are integrated into the syllabus and examination system
The first Sikh music examination of its kind will be introduced in the United Kingdom this week in a decision that was described as an “important step” in diversifying music education.
The Music Teachers Board (MTB) introduced the exams on Friday. Starting from Friday, the music known as Kirtan will become part of the universal eighth-grade exam system.
The idea was led by Dr Harjinder Lallie, the co-director of the Gurmat Sangeet Academy based in Birmingham, who stated the move would help students studying Sikh sacred music be recognized and appreciated for their talent.
He stated: I’ve felt that the music, the Kirtan, needs rigour, relevance and value.” “Rigour in the sense that the syllabus needs to be rigorous, coordinated, coherent … relevant to the world. We’ve got violin exams and piano exams, and Kirtan deserves to be the same.
“It needs to have a chair at the table. The complexity of what we do is actually comparable and it’s significant.”
Lallie studied Kirtan for over four decades and teaches about 130 students. He added: “We’ve got kids learning Kirtan all over the UK, all over the world. We want those kids to earn something out of it … to feel that what they’ve done has been valued.”
The examination will feature South Asian string instruments, including Saranda, sarangi, dilruba, taus, and esraj, in the MTB’s syllabus. The organizers say this will mark the first time a worldwide recognized grading system has been launched to grade students’ performance in Kirtan and such instruments.
Students who achieve grades 6 to 8 will gain Ucas tariff points, which, like other music examinations, will contribute to their entry requirements into UK universities.
According to the music website, the syllabus aims to introduce “students to different ragas, talas, and compositions as they progress through the grades,” with the exam available online for students worldwide.
According to Lallie, Sikh music can be traced back to the start of religion in the 15th century. He stated, “People recognize that this is a genre, a very important, complex genre, and hopefully, they are now wanting to know more and more.”
The managing director at MTB, David Kesel, also hammered on Lallie’s sentiments. He said: “Part of what we’re trying to do at MTB is to really diversify some of the cultural musical styles and genres that are available to learners around the world.”
“I think it’s really important for the progression of music education away from the colonial style of teaching … It’s important to us that people can actually be recognized playing music from their own culture and music that interests them.”
According to Lallie, the feedback to the examination launch has been “overwhelming.” Schools all over the world, including the UK, US, India, and many others, are willing to submit their students for exams.
“We’re struggling to keep up with all the messages, emails and communications that are coming in,” he said. “I just can’t believe how fast and wide this is going right now.”