Ali Akbar Khan: Music
Contributed By
PBS Learning Media
Ali Akbar Khan: Music
In his native India, Ali Akbar Khan is considered a national living treasure. This revered figure has passed down his musical mastery to more than 10,000 students worldwide. With a teaching style very distinct from Western classical musicians, Khan composes new "ragas" (melodies) on the spot as his students listen and try to play by ear. Even in the last years of his life, he considered himself a beginner in his art form. He went to class to teach the ragas that he learned from his father in dreams. In this Spark video sit in on a class at the Ali Akbar College of Music and watch Khan in concert to experience his unique melody-making.