Technology-Mediated Hindustani Dhrupad Music Education: An Ethnographic Contribution to the 4E Cognition Perspective
Education Sciences February 23, 2024 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.3390/educsci14020203 via DOAJ
Summary
Teaching Hindustani music, which traditionally relies on live demonstration and imitation between teacher and disciple, is moving to video-mediated platforms. Interviews with Dhrupad music practitioners reveal that while this adaptation increases access, it reduces opportunities for multi-modal engagement and interaction. Limitations in transmitting non-verbal, embodied, multi-sensory cues, along with visual and acoustic disruptions of shared spatial context, hinder effective interaction and immersion. These findings raise concerns about conventional videoconferencing platforms and offer insights for developing alternative technologies that better support the embodied demands of music pedagogy.
Study at a glance
| Design | qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Population | Dhrupad music practitioners |
| Key finding | Video-mediated distance pedagogy reduces opportunities for multi-modal engagement and interaction, limiting transmission of non-verbal, embodied, multi-sensory cues and disrupting a sense of shared spatial context. |
Abstract
Embodiment lies at the core of music cognition, prompting recent pedagogical shifts towards a multi-sensory, whole-body approach. However, the education of oral music genres that rely exclusively on direct teacher–disciple transmission through live demonstration and imitation is now undergoing a transformation by rapidly adapting to technology-mediated platforms. This paper examines challenges in embodied facets of video-mediated synchronous distance Hindustani music pedagogy. For this, it takes an ethnomusicological stance and showcases a thematic analysis of interviews featuring Dhrupad music practitioners. The analysis is driven and organized by the 4E Cognition principles, which stress the intimate relationship between body, mind, and environment. Findings indicate that while this adaptation aims to make music content more widely accessible, it comes at the cost of reducing opportunities for multi-modal engagement and interaction among participants. Results reveal limitations in transmitting non-verbal, embodied, multi-sensory cues, along with visual and acoustic disruptions of a sense of shared spatial and physical context, that hinder effective interaction and a sense of immersion, elements that are deemed vital in music education. They prompt concerns about the suitability of conventional videoconferencing platforms and offer key insights for the development of alternative technologies that can better assist embodied demands of the pedagogical practices involved.