As a reminder, this competition is to encourage students and amateur performers of Hindustani Classical Music in North America (US and Canada), to showcase their sadhana, talent and accomplishment. Our distinguished judges are Performing Artists from India.
Categories: Classical Vocal (Khayal, Dhrupad, Thumri/Dadra, Tappa, etc.), Classical Instrumental (Sitar, Sarod, Harmonium, Violin, etc.) and Classical Rhythm (Tabla, Pakhavaj, etc.), and under 2 age groups: Juniors (5-12 years), Youth (13-18 years).
Final round details:
As a Final Round participant, you will perform live on Zoom in front of our esteemed judges, who will connect from India.
Vocal Round Judges: Gauri Pathare and Samarth Nagarkar
Instrumental/Rhythm Round Judges: Sanjay Deshpande and Sahana Banerjee
The session will also be streamed live on Ragamala’s YouTube Page.
We will publish the participant order a few days before the Final round so you can be ready before your performance begins. Make sure to look for additional 'day of' instructions via email from the Raga Sadhana team, in the week prior.
When / Where:
Rhythm Junior and Vocals (Junior and Youth): September 18th, 6 PM PST - 9:30 PM PST.
Join Zoom Meeting at 5:45 PM PST to see the final performance sequence and get acclimatized with the Zoom session.
The Zoom link will be emailed to you from the Raga Sadhana team in advance.
Rhythm (Youth) and Instrumental: September 25th, 6 PM PST - 9:30 PM PST.
Join Zoom Meeting at 5:45 PM PST to see the final performance sequence and get acclimatized with the Zoom session.
The Zoom link will be emailed to you from the Raga Sadhana team in advance.
What to perform:
Please come prepared with a sharply timed performance (3 min for Juniors, 5 min for Youth) of your best piece. You are welcome to repeat/extend the same piece you submitted for the Screening Round.
Respectful Engagement:
Please arrive early and make sure you are fully set up in time for the Competition. Important announcements will be made in the beginning, and may not be repeated in the interest of time. *Rename yourself to <First Name, Last Name - Raga Name>. Eg., Bhimsen Joshi - Multani*
When you are performing, make sure your accompaniment is audible (especially the taal, if you are singing or playing an instrument) so the judges get assess you for your laya
Please stay muted unless you are performing. Minimize movement on the video screen, to avoid distraction for others.
Please keep an eye on the chat window for real-time updates and adjustments to the schedule. We will be cue-ing next ~5 participants here.
When the video control is passed on to you, accept it, and start performing. No announcements are necessary.
*Please strictly adhere to the time limit.* You are welcome to set up a local timer at your end to help you wind down your presentation comfortably within the allotted time. The video control will pass to the next participant, after a grace period of 15 secs.
The judges will tally scores, give concluding remarks, and announce the prizes at the end of the session.
How to prepare for the Final Round:
You can perform with either live accompaniments (Tabla or Tanpura only) or use software such as iTablaPro. Live accompaniment should be fully visible on the screen and not render any cues/help beyond accompaniment.
Make sure your sound (vocal or instrumental) is in sync and balanced with that coming from your accompaniments (live instrument or software like iTablaPro) during your performance.
Based on our experience, a stationary mic helps for live streaming but it is not mandatory.
Make sure that your laptop mic and camera are working properly.
Make sure the laptop is connected to a power source or is fully charged to make sure the computer has enough charge during the performance
We suggest having the set up as close to the wireless modem/router as possible if you are using WiFi.
Have a simple, plain background. Overcrowded background draws attention away from the performer and is not pleasant for the viewer's eyes.
When you are not performing, make sure to mute your mic to avoid unintended interruptions to the performer. Use your performance sequence sheet (to be published on this page below) to be ready before your performance.
Finally, don’t forget to stay relaxed and enjoy the competition. The goal of Raga Sadhana is to help you deepen your practice and get feedback from the judges. The outcome of the final round is just a step towards your life-long learning of music.
Computer and Zoom audio settings for optimal performance
Make sure your computer is connected to a power source
Make sure your computer is connected to an ethernet connection to avoid wifi connectivity issues.
Make sure you have the latest version of Zoom.
Ensure your Audio Settings are optimized for a music performance. To do so, in Zoom, please go to Audio Settings and set your settings as shown below:
Recommended self-served rehearsals:
We highly recommend that you rehearse your performance by creating your own Zoom session from the same laptop you will be doing for the live session. And follow all the instructions above during your rehearsal. You can record your rehearsal session so you can listen to it and adjust any settings accordingly. Additionally, you can ask a parent or a friend to listen to your session and give feedback on your video/audio settings. Make sure you rehearse your performance fits within the allocated duration for your category.
Participant sequence for the finals
September 25
Rhythm youth - start time: 6:10 PM PST
Aryaman Ranjan
Tanmai Nimmagadda
Kabir Gokarn
Varun Shirtekar
Jaysheel Pandya
Vibhor Purohit
Pranav Kannepalli
Arvind Satyavolu
Shashank Sreepathi
Sharvani Kondamudi
Ishaan Shete
Instrumental junior - start time: 7:20 PM PST
Srikaran Sriperumbudur
Avni Murarka
Akshara Battepati
Chinmay Vinodh
Sanvi Kadam
Neil Tendularkar
Ojas Kulkarni
Archishman Bhattacharjee
Arya Bhat
Sharannya Shilamkar
Dhaiwik Mummidi
Akanksha Ayyadevara
Aalay Shah
Agam Shah
Annirudh Raman
Instrumental youth - start time: 8:20 PM PST
Sanshray Cherukumilli
Arya Thompson
Anoushka Ayyadevara
Neha Joglekar
Achintya Agrawal
Anuj Krovvidi
Kaira Soin
FAQ
What accompaniments am I allowed?
You can perform with live accompaniment (Tabla or Tanpura only) or with software like iTablaPro. Live accompaniment should be fully visible on the screen and not render any cues/help beyond accompaniment.
How will I be judged?
You will perform live before the judges. Your performance will be judged across the following criteria: Vocals & Instrumentals: Sur, Taal, Raag, Presentation.
Rhythm: Bol/clarity, Taal, Laya/speed, Aesthetics.
If I have a technical difficulty during the performance will I get another chance?
If the judges were not able to see or hear you clearly, you might be asked to perform again at the end of your category. However, Ragamala reserves the right to decide if we really need a repeat performance.
How might I get disqualified?
If you ignore the buzzer and continue to perform, if you have external help or inputs during your performance, if your presentation is not classical music - these may be grounds for disqualification.
How can I make sure I participate respectfully?
By muting your mic before/after your performance, and by being fully ready to perform when it’s your time. Watch for the Judges’ feedback on the Zoom chat window after your performance.
How can my friends and family watch Raga Sadhana?
The Zoom links are for participants only. Given Zoom session limits (100), we invite your family and friends to watch and enjoy the live stream on Ragamala’s YouTube Page.
When will the winners be announced?
We will announce the results at the end of the same Zoom session, shortly after all performances have concluded, and judges have had a chance to discuss and tally the scores.
Other questions?
Please write to us at seattleragamala@gmail.com. We will be happy to assist you.
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