
5 minute read
Striking A High Note: The Indian Music Experience
"Music fills the infinite between two souls. It cuts through the mists of our daily habits” - Rabindranath Tagore
Tagore was absolutely correct. Music puts the magic back into our life, lifts our spirit, and brings us back into our element.
Kandy to Kathmandu, music is a key element of South Asian culture. Whether it’s the deep resonance of the Bhutanese gong, the rhythmic strum of the veena, or the percussion beats tattooed on a ghatam, music has deep roots in the subcontinent’s cultural landscape.
When the Indian Music Experience↗ (better known as the IME) opened its doors in 2019 in the heart of Bangalore, it created a new degree of harmony under one roof. A traditional strong-hold of India’s Classical Carnatic musical

tradition, Bangalore was a natural choice. Located in JP Nagar, the IME traces the journey of music in the Indian subcontinent from its origins till today. A tough task, but one which it has achieved with ingenuity. Interactive displays, a vast array of listening experiences, and fantastic audio-visual effects bring the musical culture of this corner of the world to life, juxtaposing classical music with pop, film soundtracks with electronica, and tribal beats with jazz.
(And that’s just the overture, by the way.)
One of the things that the museum does best is to evoke the depth and overlap of music across
various aspects of society through the ages. From ancient kingdoms to the freedom struggle, the rise of motion pictures to the fusion movement, the IME effortlessly showcases the music’s penetration into our collective consciousness.
Founded by M.R. Jaishankar, who spearheads the Brigade Group in Bangalore, the seed of inspiration for the IME was sown when he visited the Experience Music Project in Seattle. When Jaishakar returned to Bangalore, he decided that Indian music deserved a museum that embraced the harmony and rhythms of the entire region under one roof, and so the Indian Music Experience was conceived. It soon took on a riff of its own.
India’s musical heritage is as old as time itself. A diverse cauldron of sounds and styles, beats and instruments. The IME’s main aim is to introduce India’s youth to this rich legacy, and to ensure that it endures over generations to come. Spread over 50,000 square feet, spanning four floors, the IME began to take shape. But its vision cuts through the walls of the museum. An array of exhibits on Google’s Arts and Culture Platform↗ takes Indian music to a global audience in a way that hasn’t been done before.
Beyond the exhibits, the IME documents and preserves various aspects of Indian music. From identifying the different gharanas to conserving musical instruments and traditions that are fast dying out, it plays an important role in the conservation of the region’s intangible cultural heritage.
Audience development is another key facet of the museum’s activity and it holds performances, workshops and cultural exchanges with other music programs across the world. Education and community outreach are key aspects of the museum’s work, to nurture and develop musical talent, particularly amongst those who may struggle to afford it.
Being Bangalore, there has to be a tech element, and the IME has aced it. Cutting-edge multimedia exhibits to online programs, the IME has harnessed technology to rejuvenate the entire music experience. And while the acoustics indoors are terrific, the outdoor Sound Garden is an equally delightful experience. From chimes to singing stones (reminiscent of the musical pillars and steps in Tamil Nadu’s ancient temples) the sound garden is full of serendipity, adding a delightful dimension to the visit.
The museum has another key mission and that is to bring the joy of music to children from socially disadvantaged and neurodivergent backgrounds.
Project Svaritha engages and educates children through music, offering them a much-needed creative outlet and empowering them to grow with music as a key element in their lives. The Yuva Culture program offers young students a fantastic opportunity to intern with the museum and learn about the importance of conservation of music and how to preserve intangible cultural heritage.
At the IME, music has no borders. It proactively seeks out and invites artistes, historians and conservationists to come and form their own residences within its premises, establishing a firm foundation for a co-creative ecosystem within the performing arts, not just in India, but across other parts of the world as well.
The IME is not just another museum. It’s a potent testament to the importance of rhythm in our lives. From the rhythms of our own breathing to the rhythms of the universe, it serves as a powerful reminder that we are all a part of something greater than ourselves. In harnessing the magic of music, the IME creates a structured platform to channel latent creativity into the world, curate a rich cultural tradition, and spark creative potential – a delicate balance that embodies the true meaning of harmony.