Up, close and personal with Hindustani

Gurnaaz Kaur

Music has a universal appeal. It’s a source of catharsis. But do we listen to understand it or we listen to just listen? Wouldn’t it enhance our experience if we knew the aesthetics and philosophy of the genre we so enjoy. This is what a young girl of 24 believes in and is doing her bit to acquaint people with Indian classical music. Meet Anuja Kamat, a YouTuber who has a channel called Out of the Shruti Box, where she posts tutorials on Indian classical music.

“The idea of starting this channel came to me four years back when I was pursuing a diploma in music. Millennials watch YouTube videos everyday and refer to Google for literally everything. At times, even I look up online for matter related to Indian classical music. Though there is plenty of written material, there are not many videos. This made me want to do something about it,” Anuja tells.

Having trained in Hindustani, she decided to bring awareness about the nuances of the music form among its aficionados. “I come from a regular Indian family with no background in music and I know the stereotypes people have about classical music. While some feel it is really abstract, most think it is only about the highs and lows of alaap. My tutorials aim at letting listeners know the depth of this genre. I want them to understand the difference between swar and taal and know the ragas.”

If numbers are anything to go by, she seems to be on the right track. There are over 87,000 subscribers to her YouTube channel and close to 4,000 followers on Instagram. “I just knew I had to introduce people to the beauty of our rich musical heritage. I never had a very broad vision; didn’t connect it with commercial gains, likes or views. It’s a personal project, a passion that I am living. What has come with it is overwhelming. The positive reviews prove to be a motivation. There are people who have no connection with music but wait for my next video; it motivates me.”

Anuja does it all — the scripting, recording, editing, etc. — herself. And she says she is in no rat race. “If you look at my channel, I am not a typical YouTuber. I don’t post on regular intervals; I do it when I have the resources, topic and time. My focus is good content.”

Other than the YouTube channel, there is a lot that she does. “I do concerts, demonstrations, teach music at home and online and do live music.” Be it through the tutorials or otherwise, she thoroughly enjoys teaching and thinks she has got it from her mother who runs a school. So, is that her course for future? “I want to establish myself as an independent artiste.” She is on the track.