STATEMENT OF TEACHING AND RESEARCH INTERESTS

                                                                                                  - Dr. (Smt.) Neeta Mathur

Learning is a never-ending process as it starts at the cradle and ends at the grave. Therefore, a teacher must be a passionate and dedicated learner and should constantly endeavour to enhance and update his or her learning as well as teaching skills.

Music is a specialized subject, which requires a lot of individualistic or personalized attention of teacher on his students’ day-to-day performance and learning assessments.

With the advancement in electronic communications, technical expertise and media awareness, the teacher’s task has become all the more challenging and demanding. Now, education is no longer a one way process of transmitting knowledge from teacher to the students therefore the traditional lecture method is inadequate for effective learning.

Inter-active learning and teaching is based on pupils’ response, reaction and modifications. The inter-active method of teaching can be implemented through the following ways: -

(1). Project work for students such as attending seminars, musical concerts, collecting valuable information from music web sites, books, established Artists, conducting workshops and lecture-cum-demonstration of reputed and knowledgeable musicians and musicologists, listening of audio-video music material.

(2). The traditional classroom set up is not adequate to acquaint the students about the current musical happenings taking place in the Music World. Therefore, the efforts should be made to encourage students to inter-act with Music Industries and develop various technical expertise in the specific area of their musical interest i.e. background score (music) composing for films, documentaries or ad films, orchestra or band making, recording, dubbing, editing, music journalism etc.

(3). Group discussion among the students on various topics related to the subject should be held regularly.

(4). Music rooms should b computerized along with audio-video equipments.

(5). Teaching at the higher education level is required not only to impart update and in depth knowledge of the subject but also to develop it. It should be a teacher’s effort to make his students more curious, explorative and innovative instead of being his or her carbon copy or spoon-fed pupil.

In today’s world where moral and ethical values are fast deteriorating, specially among younger generation, a teacher can play a pivotal role in shaping and influencing the students’ domain of attitudes, character, values and developmental concerns.

Music is essentially a performing art having rich oral as well as shastric traditions. Apart from higher education from Delhi University, I am extremely fortunate to have received personalized training under the Guru-Shishya Parampara and learnt classical Music (Khayal, Tarana and other rare forms) for years under the tutelage of eminent musicians. Under their valuable guidance, I have always endeavored to explore and exhibit the possibilities of innovative skills without compromising the purity and classicality of our traditional music.

Indian Classical Music has a vast scope for the improvisation and emergence of new concepts within the framework of our music system.

Our music has the multi dimensional value and is closely inter linked with other disciplines such as Philosophy, Psychology, History, Literature, Science and Mathematics etc.
Therefore I strongly assert that an inter disciplinary approach and an analytical understanding should form the basis for all kinds of researches to be carried out in the theory as well as performance in Music.

My research interests range from the pure classical forms (Khayal, Tarana, Dhamar etc) to the other rare varieties of compositional forms i.e. Holi, Thumri, Ragmala, Haveli Sangeet and Sufiana mystical compositions. I wish to explore and document the oral traditions of our temple music (Particularly Haveli Sangeet or Vallabh Sampradaya Sangeet) which needs greater attention and an in depth research. Also, there is immense scope for research and experimentation in the field of Music Therapy and the effect of Music on human mind.

In the end, I wish to state that as a musician and performing artist, my mind revolves around the finer nuances of melodic progressions and rhythmic cycles of this divine and mesmerizing art form, where as the musicologist within pushes me to revisit the ancient texts and do the in-depth and analytical study of the facts pertaining to the theoretical aspects of this wonderful subject.

Over and above, the teacher and the learner in me always inspire me to awake, arise and stop not till the goal is achieved

“Indian Music is divine in origin and hence endowed with great powers. Music brings order out of chaos. In today’s materialistic world, where age-old ethical norms and moral values are fast deteriorating and a man is under constant pressure of mental as well as emotional stress, music can work as an effective tool for solving many of our problems related to hyper tension, stress and other disorders ” 

- Dr. Neeta Mathur