Colloquium - Presenters

ABSTRACT

There is an instrumental bias in cross-cultural studies of instrumental improvisation and
pedagogical approaches to instrumental improvisation, to the detriment of vocal-specific
improvisation and pedagogy. Jazz and Indian classical music are two genres rooted in
improvisation that have been compared and contrasted in ethnomusicology for decades. The
focus in such studies, however, has primarily been oriented towards instrumental music, even
though Indian classical music is inherently a vocal tradition (Arya, 2015). This paper draws
comparisons between jazz and Indian classical vocal improvisation - Hindustani (North Indian)
vocal improvisation - by investigating the pedagogical practices utilized in both musical
traditions.

As a vocalist trained in both jazz and Hindustani vocal styles, I have noticed both
similarities and differences in the training techniques I was exposed to. My research will

contribute to the disciplines of ethnomusicology and music education because of its cross-
cultural nature and its focus on vocal as opposed to instrumental approaches to improvisation. I

use autoethnography that draws on my own experiences with jazz and Hindustani vocal
improvisation, respectively, and analyze the pedagogical methods I was exposed to and expand
upon these comparisons from a cross-cultural perspective. I also use historiography to critique
the lack of information available for vocalists to fully understand vocal improvisation as both an
art form and musical language (Arya, 2015). It is imperative to acknowledge the voice as an
instrument within discourses surrounding improvisation, for the lack of information provided to
vocalists about the function of the voice itself is a detriment to both their pedagogical journeys as
well as their development as musicians.

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KEYWORDS 
Hindustani Classical, Jazz, Music, Pedagogy, Vocal.

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BIO

Ashiya Singh is a jazz vocalist and musical pedagogue from Toronto, Canada. Having
performed at various academic conferences and non-profit organizations across the Greater
Toronto Area, including the Decolonizing Conferences, Canadian Mental Health Association and
FIRST Robotics NPO, Singh has extensive experience as a genre-bending vocalist and
bandleader. Singh also specializes as a vocal and multi-instrumental educator. She instructs
students of all ages and various disciplines, including special needs and blind students.
Singh received her Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts from York University, and is currently
completing her Masters of Arts, specializing in Ethnomusicology. She has also trained as a
Hindustani classical vocalist and integrates her knowledge of Hindustani musical practice within
her jazz performances. Her research explores concepts of Jazz and Indian classical
improvisation, women in music, and how patriarchy has negatively affected musical spaces for
women and minorities. She currently resides in Toronto, Canada.