Join us on a unique musical journey...
From Sarali Varisai to Keerthanams & more with the most trusted Carnatic music experts
You are welcome to talk to a Stray Songs Vancouver expert on Carnatic vocal music and create your learning journey to find out what works best for you.
I really like to learn songs quickly. I like that my teacher knows me really well and always makes sure I'm learning at a pace that keeps me excited. She makes sure to send me recordings and karaoke tracks so I can practise well during the week before my next class
- Aatmika, age 11, student
It's nice to see my daughter enjoying herself while also practising consistently. She gets individual attention and feedback from her teacher, which helps her.
- Nisha, Stray Songs Vancouver Parent
Carnatic music is one of the two forms of classical music in India, along with Hindustani music. Till the 13th century, India had a common music system. While Hindustani classical music developed with Arab and Persian influences in the North of India, Carnatic classical music developed along the original lines of the old Indian classical system mainly in South India. The Chennai Music Season is a striking barometer of the immense pull of Carnatic music in India. However, its popularity has ensured that it has travelled well beyond its roots as Carnatic singers and musicians perform in different parts of the world today.
With its rich history, technical base, and unique elements (such as gamakas), Carnatic music is more than just a style of music, it is a means to understand the evolving face of India.
The Carnatic vocal music classes curriculum includes both theoretical and practical elements of Indian classical music. At Stray Songs Vancouver, we start with teaching you how to read notations and symbols of Carnatic music and the basic exercises - Sarali Varisai and Janti Varisai and you move ahead in a structured manner at a pace that suits you - towards varnams and keerthanams. We also have resources available in the form of textbooks with audio material so you can refer to the songs at a later time.
We would recommend that your child be at least 6 years old before they join Carnatic vocal classes. This will enable them to understand and progress at a pace that they will find interesting and inspiring. But, we do acknowledge that children younger than six years have great capacity and inclination for music. For this, we have other programmes that will promote their understanding and learning of music till they are ready to learn this popular discipline.
We conduct our one-on-one classes online while our group classes (with small batch sizes of maximum five) are held at our centres at Sanjaynagar and Rajajinagar.
Stray Songs Vancouver will connect you with the appropriate Carnatic vocal music educator based on your requirements. Don’t worry; all our teachers are qualified and friendly. You will have a great learning experience!
Once you have signed up for the course, a Stray Songs Vancouver representative will reach out to you, after which the classes will be scheduled by Stray Songs Vancouver on platforms like zoom or skype.
Given the situation, we have had to shift to teaching Carnatic music online along with other music courses like everyone else. However, our students enjoy their online music classes and look forward to them as it gives them a feeling of a second home. Our teachers ensure that students are ‘enjoying while learning’ which reflects Stray Songs Vancouver’s vision of music.
We recognise that there may be emergencies that necessitate rescheduling of classes and we do accommodate such requests. If possible, we would like to request that you reschedule 24 hours in advance.
Don’t worry. There is no such thing as being too old to learn Carnatic vocal music! :) Or any music for that matter. We currently have learners from older age groups as well.
No, any device with audio and video features and good internet connection is sufficient for a class.
Absolutely, we offer tips and training to understand all about stage performance - from posture and holding a microphone to stage presence and stage fright.
