General expo.r&different kinds which master-composers have created to body forth
those ragas and talas. These raga-forms, each with its distinct physiog-
nomy and aesthetic impression, have to be evoked correctly without
intrusion of traces of allied forms ; certain pairs or groups of these are
very close and sometimes out of the identical notes, two distinct forms
are called forth. There are also rare raga-forms, old and full of melodic
delectation (rakti), in which pieces are extremely rare. To imbibe all
these from old teachers through systematic grinding and mastery of the
definitive, descriptive and illustrative compositions, lakshafla-gitds, jra-
bandbas, and the like, to make one’s musical erudition as full as possible,
the time-honoured Indian way of intimate teacher-pupil relationship,
the gt/rz-kzda method, is the most suited. The deterioration that is set-
ting in in the professional field and the poor results of any other or
short-cut method evident today only bring to our attention, with in-
creased strength, the need for the upkeep of this ancient method of
high-class musical education. To enlarge upon this theme would be to
anticipate the theine of your forthcoming session at Salzburg but this
cannot be kept out of view in the discussions of this meeting as you
have yourself indicated by mentioning among the subjects the role of
the professional musician in music education. Without recruiting his
services, as I shall show again presently, music education in schools,
colleges and universities becomes a queer, lean, lopsided phenomenon.
It is therefore necessary even in the interests of music at the educational
level, to safeguard the professional and build up for him a secure and
authentic foundation. Inadequate initial grinding, disregard for main-
taining proper attunement, failure of voice to move freely in all the
registers, reduction of repertoire, imperfect grasp of the raga-forms,
a general lack of life and soul in the exposition-all these symptoms
of decadence already showing out, should be remedied. A mediocre
professional will have his third or fourth carbon copy in the music
teacher, and he in his turn will give rise to a generation of music
students and graduates who are his third or fourth carbon copy. If this
failure at the very source is to be prevented, an all-out scheme for the
preservation of the music tradition in India should be undertaken with-
out any more loss of time. I do not propose to enter, at this moment,
into the practical ways and means for conserving this tradition, but
would not like to miss an important occasion like this to appeal to the
education ministry of my country which has recently established an
academy of music, dance and drama, and more specifically to this inter-
national organization set up for the salvage of art and culture in a world
rendered all the more callous and mechanical after the last war, to help