Who is instrumental?

Published in DNA April, 2007

One has noticed the odd article or news item in the recent past drawing the reader’s attention to musicians patenting their inventions. Some musicians have also made it a point to include such information in their bio-sketches, a move prompted more by the need to ‘safeguard’ against any contrary claims from others in the fraternity than by any business motives. While this may even be an inevitable ramification of the professionalism that a global economy demands, one can’t ignore the fact that it would have been impossible for musicians to construct new instruments or make structural changes in existing instruments without vital contribution from instrument-makers.

Admittedly, the extent of the instrument-makers’ role depends upon the nature of the innovation desired. Lessening or increasing the number of sympathetic strings would require a different level of expertise than would be demanded of the instrument-maker when experimenting with a completely new body for the instrument. Then again, some innovations would perhaps require a more physical but less intellectual role, but others may require a high degree of sensitivity about tonal variation and tuning.

Whatever be the case, it is quite clear that instrument-makers have played a crucial role in crafting Indian instruments. It is well-known among musicians that instrument-makers have at various points of time suggested or made alterations to instruments in a bid to achieving better sound and making instruments more amenable to the needs of musicians. In most cases, they have not articulated their role in this regard, but this does not in any way lessen its significance. This is obvious from the fact that certain manufacturing peculiarities have made the makers’ names inseparable from some instruments. Take the case of Hiren Roy’s sitars, Hemen Sen’s sarods, Limaye’s flutes, Vishnu Sutar’s tablas or the Mirajkar tanpuras. One has to only do a Google search on some of these names or read through the Indian music newsgroups on the net, to find the avid interest among musicians and students in good quality instruments crafted by these instrument makers.

In sharp contrast, while awards for instrument-makers have been instituted through non-government organisations, they still remain far from the limelight that performers enjoy. One has yet to come across important awards at the national level going to instrument-makers. Far from them making zillions out of the business, they are even discouraging their progeny from taking to the same vocation. In cases where there is no conscious effort at discouragement, the next generation has chosen to steer clear of this vocation and to pursue more steady means of supporting themselves.

We need to take a cue from this state of affairs and discuss possible ways of recognising the contribution of instrument-makers, which they so richly deserve. We can continue writing about the need to patent innovations and inventions, but we need to equally make sure that instrument-makers are made partners in the process. They will retain their importance, so long as acoustic hand-crafted instruments are the mainstay of Indian music. But discussions need to be held with instrument-makers, to evolve ways in which their work can move a step further from looking at short-term benefits to a more professionally managed business that would make it a more attractive proposition for the next generation.