FAQ: frequently asked questions

When does the course start?

What is e-learning?

E-learning facilitates continuous learning, the delivery of multimedia contents, personal interaction and self-evaluation without limitations in terms of physical or cultural distance.

For a more general definition, please refer to "Electronic learning" in wikipedia.

In the context of Carnaticstudent.org, e-learning offers the opportunity to explore South Indian classical music in any part of the world. It has all the flexibility needed to make South Indian music a pursuit that is both enjoyable and rewarding as part of your personal or professional life.

How is privacy safeguarded without compromising smooth interaction?

The Moodle course management provides participants and tutors with several modes of interacting with one another. In this course, forum discussions and internal messaging are the preferred modes rather than direct email messages. The "Email display" option in a user's profile include "Hide my email from everyone" which is preferable for reasons of privacy.

Subscribers to a forum discussion receive copies of responses posted by others. Subscription / unsubscription is available in every discussion forum.

Direct messages received from other registered users (fellow participants or tutors) are seen in a personal messaging window that appears after logging in. The messaging preferances in a user's personal profile include the option to enable / disable "Email messages when I am offline" at any time.

Similarly, the automatic email forwarding ("Forum auto-subscribe") service can be deactivated / reactivated at any time in a user's personal profile.

How much prior knowledge or musical experience is required in order to participate?

You are welcome to enroll even without any prior knowledge of Carnatic music or practical music experience of any kind.

Whatever your background or primary reason for joining this course as student, teacher, music lover or scholar interested in Indian culture: this course is open to all members of the global community devoted to a meaningful intercultural dialogue through the arts.

For more background information, please check the course tutor's interview for the SundayHerald Art & Culture, 29 March 2009 (pdf printversion).

Is reading from a computer screen convenient enough for effective learning and full comprehension?

This course is not about reading long texts. All the essential concepts of Carnatic music are explained with the help of multimedia contents and discussed within special online forums.

As a course participant you are supplied with a textbook authored by Ludwig Pesch (course author and tutor) and rhythm expert T.R. Sundaresan (co-author): the critically acclaimed The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music. In order to serve as a "companion" in the true sense of the word, this reference work has been indexed and cross-referred throughout.

What are the technical requirements for participation?

If the computer or handheld device you can access to e-mail and websites with multimedia contents, you are able to participate in any type of webforum, nothing stands in the way of instant participation. This includes the three main operating systems, Windows, Mac and Linux as well as those supplied with modern internet enabled handheld devices.

For handheld and smartphones devices, a screen of at least 480 x 320 pixels is recommendable to ensure proper viewing (e.g. on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch).

Where and how can I participate?

You may participate from home, an internet cafe or any institutional library geared to deliver audio and video files.

To make good use of your time, please ensure that your multimedia computer or handheld device, is equipped with a fairly recent internet browser. Access to a fast internet connection (e.g. wifi or adsl) is strongly recommended for most of the media contents.

This course is designed to facilitate additional input and personal assistance by experienced teachers and musicians in and outside India. See also special and compact courses for more options.

How much time will I spend on this course?

Do you enjoy learning together with others, anywhere in the world? If so, consider setting aside about half an hour per day over the entire course period for active participation; and a little more for an in-depth exploration of the course topics you are most passionate about.

As in any educational environment and learning process, the rewards for your participation in this course will be commensurate with your personal involvement. Experience shows that regular participation is most effective as regards long term effect and self-motivation.

The more you get immersed in the subjects covered the more you'll enjoy discovering new facets, listening to Carnatic music, and interacting with others during and beyond this online course.

What is the nature of the course work?

Course participation here denotes a variety of activities: listening to music, watching online videos, reading text assignments, taking notes in your private course blog, sharing your ideas or doubts in the course forums, and participating in quizzes for self-evaluation.

The privacy of several course forums helps you to interact with others effectively, be it with fellow participants or any one of your tutors. As a result, the course evolves around your personal involvement in a particular subject in a gradual manner. Your interest in Indian music and culture in general will make a difference too.

Tutors vocalist and vainika Sreevidhya Chandramouli vocalist Vijayalakshmy Subramaniam, and percussionist T.R. Sundaresan have graciously agreed to share their experience with participants ; they are prepared to offer advice to all those who, like themselves, cherish the intrinsic value of all Indian music, be it at home or in the arena of world music; be it in the contexts of musicology, general or special education.

May I extend the period of course participation for a reduced fee?

You are welcome to extend your participation without assigning any reason if you cannot complete all the assignments you are interested in within the stipulated period.

Extension without re-enrolling or rejoining the course: please informing your tutor at least 2 weeks before the end of your current course; the reduced participation fee per course round is found here (contribution excluding textbook).

For participants wishing to rejoin and in need of another copy of The Oxford Illustrated Companion to South Indian Classical Music as textbook, it can be supplied at a concessional rate.

Is this course being "sponsored" or depending on advertisement?

No, this e-learning course is free from open or indirect advertising of any kind nor does it receive any private or public sponsorship.

The costs for hosting this course on professional world-class servers is entirely met by the modest contributions made by participants. Whenever needed, it is backed up by private funding on the part of the course author who is committed to its independence as well as ensuring the privacy for all participants and tutors throughout.

What about my questions not covered here?

You are welcome to contact carnaticstudent.org any time by email if you have any specific question or doubt. For comments or suggestions on musical and cultural subjects covered by the course itself, kindly use the course forums and personal communication within your course journal – just log into the course and express yourself with the help of these convenient features!