An European musicologist analyses the Indian Music Experience

Andreas Meyer, a German ethnomusicologist, shares his thoughts on the Indian Music Experience and its relevance

When veteran German ethnomusicologist Andreas Meyer first visited the Indian Music Experience (IME) museum in Bengaluru, late last year, his initial reaction was one of familiarity.

The design aesthetic reminded him of museums across Europe and America, but as he spent time studying the museum’s exhibitions and engaging with visitors, Meyer discovered it was quite different from many European music museums he had analysed during his career.

“Indian music is presented as a treasure here and Indians should be proud of it,” Andreas says. This distinction marks a fundamental departure from European music museums, where the focus typically falls on composers’ biographies, the history of musical instruments or social issues surrounding popular music.

Andreas’ journey to Bengaluru is an extension of his research. Until his retirement from the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, two years ago, he was part of a project funded by the German Research Foundation, travelling across Europe to examine how music is presented in museums. After visiting several European institutions, he felt compelled to look beyond Western horizons and IME was among those that caught his attention.

MR Jaishankar, executive chairman, Brigade Group with Andreas Meyer | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

What sets the IME apart, according to him, is its ambitious didactic approach. The museum educates visitors about nuances behind Indian musical concepts, he notes. In the gallery devoted to Indian classical music, visitors encounter playful interactive stations that explain intricate systems such as the raga and tala, as well as different compositional forms.