KM Music Conservatory

KM Music Conservatory
Motto	"Become the Future of Music"
Established	2008
Type	Public
Academic staff	15
Undergraduates	150
Location	Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India 13°02′46″N 80°13′05″E / 13.046186°N 80.217968°E / 13.046186; 80.217968Coordinates: 13°02′46″N 80°13′05″E / 13.046186°N 80.217968°E / 13.046186; 80.217968
Campus	Urban
Website	kmmc.in

KM Music Conservatory (KMMC) is a higher education institution founded in 2008 by the A. R. Rahman foundation. Located in Kodambakkam, Chennai, in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the Conservatory offers a range of part-time and full-time courses in Hindustani and Western classical music and music technology. Composer A. R. Rahman serves as Head Principal of the Conservatory and Fathima Rafiq as Executive Director.

Courses

KMMC offers two higher education qualifications in collaborative partnership with Middlesex University, UK. The Foundation and Diploma courses combine study of both the Hindustani and Western classical music traditions, and provide students with a range of solo and ensemble performance opportunities.

The Foundation Certificate in Music is a one-year comprehensive course designed to equip students with fundamental musical skills and prepare students for the study of music at degree level. The course comprises units in Academic Skills, Music History & Analysis, Music Theory, Performance, Composition and Audio Technology.

The Diploma in Higher Education: Music is a two-year programme including units in Indian Music Traditions, Western Music History & Analysis, Performance and Musicianship, and Applied Audio Technology. In the second year of the course students choose to specialise in either performance or composition. As well as forming an independent qualification, the Diploma course forms the first two years of an undergraduate degree in music, and students completing the course are automatically admitted to study a third year at Middlesex University, London, UK, to complete the BA in Music. The first cohort of Diploma graduates from KMMC travelled to London for 2012–13 academic year.

KMMC also offers a range of part-time Preparatory music courses, designed as one-year programmes for all music enthusiasts over the age of 5 years. Providing practical music lessons and music theory classes, the curriculum consists of weekly private and group sessions that develop students' musical skills at their own pace. Current Preparatory courses include Western and Hindustani vocal, piano, strings, percussion and guitar. Offerings include Chatterji's Piano Studio, run by renowned pianist Surojeet Chatterji, the Certificate in Vocal Performance and Electronic Music Production.

KMMC is affiliated with Audio Media Education, India's first Apple authorized training centre, which provides students with certification from Apple Inc..^[1]

Faculty

Courses at KMMC are taught by an international group of full-time and part-time faculty from India, Europe and the U.S.A, specialising in musical performance, music theory and analysis, music history, musicology and music technology. Faculty experience includes professional work in the music industry as well as academic expertise in teaching and researching music in higher education.

The conservatory's guest faculty and advisory panel includes musicians Dr. L. Subramaniam, Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, opera tenor Matthew Smith, percussionist Srinivas Krishnan, pianist/composer Pushkar (Ricardo Carlotto), voice trainer and composer Wendy Par and violinist Ladislav Brozman.

KMMC is developing a newly founded symphony orchestra, to serve as resident studio orchestra for AR Rahman's compositions and to perform for the general public in Chennai and elsewhere in India. ^[2]

In 2009 Sri Lankan composer Dinesh Subasinghe and Bangladesh composer Emon shah became the first international students to join KMMC.

KM College of Music and Technology

KMMC became a full-fledged college offering degrees and diplomas in 2013. ^[3] Students of KM have participated for the great composer and its founder A.R.Rahman's many movie scores, concerts and Audio CDs. Their first-ever official release was Rhyme Skool with Katrina Kaif with Sa Re Ga Ma Productions and Katrina Kaif.^[4]

References