Museum prides itself on exhibits, music courses

With sprawling premises and intricately designed buildings, The Indian Music Experience, is the only one of its kind in Asia.

The first thing visitors will see when they enter the premises is the Sound Garden, which features musical sculptures and introduces visitors to what the museum says are the “principles of sound”.

You move ahead to see the exhibit halls, where a quote from Pandit Ravi Shankar sets the mood: “Different types of music — vocal or instrumental or pop or folk — can be spiritual; all it needs is to have the power to stir the soul and transcend time for the moment”.

The IME brings together a variety of music genres from across India, from traditional to contemporary.

The museum is the brainchild of the Indian Music Experience Trust, a non-profit charity, supported by the Brigade Group.

Brigade’s chairman and managing director M R Jayashankar, talking to Metrolife, said “I have been building homes and communities successfully for decades and realised communities flourish when people, especially children, have an access to arts and culture.”

“IME is our way of connecting with the community and preserving the vast musical heritage of our country and helping people know more. We have great exhibits and interactive elements to inspire a new generation. It is our way of giving back to the society, encouraging the next generation of music lovers and documenting music history for the future generations,” he says.

Manasi Prasad, IME’s project director, is also an accomplished classical musician herself and a recipient of the Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi.

The museum also offers courses in vocals, musical instruments, Bharatanatyam and even a five-year educational programmes in multiple disciplines.

As part of an outreach programme, underprivileged children are given free entry, while differently-abled children are given special importance.

The programme is headed by Suma Sudhindra, veena expert and the founder of the Bangalore International Arts Festival. She is a recipient of the Karnataka Rajyotsava award and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.

The exhibits in the museum include memorabilia from multiple Bharat Ratna-winning musicians like Bismillah Khan, Bhimsen Joshi and M S Subbulakshmi.

It expects to receive artefacts donated by Lata Mangeshkar and Ravi Shankar soon. There is even a costume that Daler Mehendi once wore on display.

The museum is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, even on public holidays, from 10 am to 6 pm.