The appeal in music

Indian music though having a profound technique of its own is more an art than a science. Its peculiarly melodic quality and the improvisations which are its life and soul cannot be rendered except by persons gifted with fine musical ears. In this sense music is an art, and unless a person is inherently musical, it is a waste of time for him or her even to attempt to learn this art. In western music good ears are not so very indispensable, and the knowledge of music can also be acquired without them. But only an extremely sensitive ear can catch and render the delightful microtonic values of Indian music and can cope with all the niceties of the classical style. Then again, the artist has ample scope for originality; even an amateur can be left to himself to build up the melody with his own limited knowledge and imagination.... [read full story]