Teaching Music

Poovalur Sriji's teaching started in the late ‘70s, assisting his father P.A.Venkataraman. Due to his father's sudden incapacity due to a medical condition, he inherited his students in a traditional way.   When revered Musicologist Robert E. Brown visited Chennai, India, he was looking for an instructor for his program at the San Diego State University. He attended one of Sriji's concerts and offered a position at San Diego State University in the year 1986. Sriji taught there until 1990, at which point he was offered a position at the California Institute of Arts, located in Los Angeles.   The environment at the California Institute of Arts suited experimental music and casual teaching style, due to a small population of music students, paved the way for new thoughts.   John Bergamo, who was the Professor teaching percussion at California Insitute of the Arts, was an inspiration and guide to implement a new style of teaching by Poovalur Sriji. Realizing a semester -or even a year is not enough to learn fundamental techniques of the instrument, Poovalur thought about passing the concept of Indian Music through the instrument where the student had proficiency. This paved the way for the Cross-Cultural Ensemble. Enthusiastic students furthermore got involved and wrote compositions using Indian Idioms, a necessary step to fuse Indian and Western music.  Poovalur composed several compositions and through them, the students learned Indian Music, which otherwise would have taken them many years to master. No matter how much effort one puts into learning Indian music, musicians from India had an advantage since they learn from as early as four years old. Musicians native to India start performing around the age of fourteen, some as early as six years old, termed "Child Prodigies". This is a contrast to the West, where students discover the music system at the age of twenty when they are in college. Since most of the instruments are made or adapted in a way to sit on the floor cross-legged, flexibility is required to play the instrument.   The exposure to other Cultural Music during Poovalur's time at the California Institute of the Arts was vital. The Balinese and Javanese Gamelan, directed by Nyoman Wentin, African drumming by Ladzekpo Brothers, and proximity to the legendary Tabla Maestro Swapn Chaudhuri were invaluable to Poovalur Sriji's musical development.   The group "Hands Onsemble", after John Bergamo's retirement, had his position rotating among several guest artists. Particularly, Randy Gloss was very instrumental and a catalyst to keep the group together for several years. He was kind enough to record Poovalur Sriji's pieces in several of the albums. Though Poovalur’s compositions are merely a tool to understand Indian musical idioms and concepts, Hands Onsembles' arrangements made it delightful for the audiences.   Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Schietroma from the University of North Texas, who was proficient in North Indian Music, wanted to learn about South Indian Music during his sabbatical leave. He approached Poovalur Sriji and then flew to Los Angeles. It was an intense lesson session for over sixteen hours a day. The introduction of computers and the music software Dr. Shietroma was using inspired Poovalur Sriji to learn western notation. When Dr. Robert Schiteroma resumed his teaching at the University of North Texas, he invited Poovalur Sriji to teach his ensemble. 1996 April 15th UNT percussion ensemble performed at the prestigious Meyerson Symphony Center and was well received by the audience. Robert Schietroma introduced Jamal Mohamed who teaches at the Southern Methodist University, a middle eastern music expert with whom Sriji travels and performs.   For two years, Poovalur Sriji was shuttling between California and Texas and made a decision in 1998 to make Texas his new home. Since then, a new composition is composed every semester to make students understand the process. This journey led Sriji to be commissioned by Taipei Chinese Orchestra to write a composition for the orchestra and a chamber group. Poovalur has also composed music for Balinese Gamelan, which was featured at the Percussive Arts Society conference, directed by Ed Smith, a colleague, and an incredibly good friend. When Robert Schietroma retired, Mark Ford became the percussion coordinator. He was furthermore encouraging and just listening to Sriji's cross-cultural ensemble "The Bridge", and wrote a piece titled "My friend Sriji" for a single mallet workbook.   Apart from this, he has instructed many students from Indian Community in the traditional way that lasts for over seven years of learning. 

Teaching Music

Inspirations

Together in the Music Journey

John Bergamo

Robert E. Brown

Robert Schietroma

Nyoman Wenten

JamAl Mohmed

Mark Ford

Ed Smith

Randy Gloss