15th May 2015, Mumbai : Pt. Suresh Wadkar, a highly renowned and respected Indian playback singer and also someone who has been instrumental in establishing Ajivasan Music Academy is all set to globalize music education.
Ajivasan Music Academy, which was started in 1932 by guruji Acharya Jialal Vasant from whom Suresh Wadkar learnt classical music, announces the launch of a new portal in the same name ‘AJIVASAN’ for online music education. The launch took place on 15th May on the auspicious occasion of guruji’s birthday. The objective of this new portal is to impart online music education for distance learning thus making it relevant even for students who cannot be physically present for face-to-face learning in traditional classroom settings.
Ajivasan provides scientific training in music where ancient method of teaching co-exist with contemporary method of institutional training that has made this 83 year old institution relevant even today. The academy provides training in Hindustani Classical Music in Vocal, Instrumental (Tabla, Sitar, Harmonium, Violin), Kathak (Certified courses in Affiliation with Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad). Beside classical music, the academy also provides training in Light Music, Western Music courses on Keyboard, Piano, Guitar, etc.
Ajivasan is the only institute that encourages children to learn music from the age of 2 years. Admission at Ajivasan is audition based and tests are conducted at the end of various levels. Besides, internal as well as University exams are conducted each year. Ajivasan gives out its own Certificates as well as the Allahabad University Certificates.
The new distance learning project undertaken by Ajivasan would include 3 models:-
- Two way interactive learning : Teaching 24 individuals or classrooms in different parts of the world simultaneously.
- One way live streaming : Sessions by Suresh Wadkarji, lecture demos, concerts held at Ajivasan and many such musically educational live activities will be streamed live online. They would be available on a pay per view basis. it can be streamed to unlimited number of subscribers worldwide.
- Recorded Lessons on Pay Per View basis: Courses and sessions will be recorded. various flexible subscription plans would be made available such as One-time, Daily, weekly, monthly to suit individual needs.
This decision of creating a new portal for online music education is a great step by Ajivasan Music Academy in expanding access to music education & training to a host of people as this mode of imparting education is highly flexible. At the same time, it also benefits students with physical disabilities who are unable to attend traditional school setting.
Speaking on the occasion Pt. Suresh Wadkar said “Ajivasan is my Guruji’s dream which we strive constantly to realise. As one of its many ventures I feel happy to announce the launch of our portal www.ajivasan.com The launch date coincides with the birth anniversary of my Guruji, Acharya Jialal Vasant. We are also introducing a new technology which will enable us to reach out globally. Interactive teaching with multiple students is one of the exciting tools that this technology should facilitate. Ajivasan looks forward to its legacy of Hindustani Classical Music being accessible globally.”
About Ajivasan –
Ajivasan, earlier known as Vasant Sangeet Vidyalay was founded in 1932 in Srinagar by Acharya Jialal Vasant under the patronage of Smt. Rameshwari Nehru. With about twenty-five students under his tutelage, Guruji started out on the musical journey of Sangeet Sandhana. The Institute had repute for providing scientific training in Hindustani Classical Music, and the students had the opportunity to perform with the master himself on several occasions. After his demise, his daughter Prem Vasant, along with his disciple Suresh Wadkar, decided to fulfill Guruji’s dream of establishing a Gurukul, a place where the music aspirants get the benefit of residing and learning music. Thus was born Suresh Wadkar’s Ajivasan Music Academy (the term Ajivasan was coined from ACHARYA JIALAL VASANT SANGEET NIKETAN in fond memory of Guruji).
Today, the institute trains about 400 students in Hindustani & Western Classical Vocals, Instrumental as well as in popular classical dance forms like Kathak and Bharatnatyam. The institute also houses a recording house by the name Ajivasan Sounds. Each of the three studios has state-of-the-art equipment for training students in professional singing and for recording music tracks, film songs, TV & Radio ads, promos, jingles and film background score.