By Avichal Jha - SPK Academy of Music Student Guru Purnima, literally translated as "Teacher's Full Moon" in Sanskrit, is a celebration of the one who dispels ignorance. For his students, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is a true guru, a masterful teacher, and a guide on the never-ending journey called "music." He turns this path into a celebration with every step we take. Guru Purnima is an event that provides us, the students, with an opportunity to offer our respect, show our gratitude, and celebrate our guru. This event occurs once a year, making it special. However, in 2023, the occasion was not ..read more

By Subranil Sarkar for The SPK Academy of Music Many listeners often mistakenly believe that only words and sentences (ie. the sahitya) of a composition allow a vocalist to express deeper Rasas like Karuna, Shanta-rasa, Bhakti. It is true that words sung correctly could highlight the above-mentioned Rasas. However, that also brings up a very important question - How are instrumentalists able to create the same impact even though their instruments do not use a spoken language to express emotions? Pandit Kishen Maharaj had beautifully said: ““Jab koi achche Guru se shiksha praapta kartaa hain ..read more

When starting sitar, people have lots of questions about the instrument, about tuning, and especially about Indian words relating to music. Here is a primer on all of these things and a little more. Please note that this document is meant to be used as a reference guide, not a substitute for instruction. While the definitions included here are exact, the results may not be. Please don’t expect to be 100% in tune, for example, after following this guide, as other factors like ambient humidity, your ear and skill level, the raga being played, etc., all affect sitar tuning. Wearing a Mizrab: A mi ..read more

Many music academies exist, but few that rigorously uphold the tradition of the guru-student relationship, or guru-shishya parampara; here at SPK Academy, this is the foremost pillar of our foundation. Though Ustadji uses a variety of more modern techniques, such as Skype, to impart his musical knowledge, the tradition itself remains intact. However, no amount of online lessons can replace the experience of in-person lessons, for it is not only material being taught, by observing the guru, how he lives apart from music, his philosophies, personality, only then can his music be more deeply und ..read more

A warm southwest greeting from Phoenix and The Shahid Parvez Khan Academy! As Thanksgiving and the holiday season begins, I am especially grateful this year that I can officially announce that The SPK Academy is now a 501c3 charitable organization! In the five short weeks leading up to the New Year, the Academy hopes with your generous support to reach an inaugural goal of $25,000 to support two specific goals that I have long waited to realize. 1) To expand and diversify the Academy's student body worldwide, and, 2) To establish and digitize a complete archive of Ustadji's music. Your financi ..read more

“Riyaaz or sadhana which often starts early in the morning, is taken seriously by students for it requires intensity, discipline and commitment for years and forms an important component in the Guru - Shishya parampara (teacher-student tradition).”   - excerpt from Sitar Practice and Performance Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan in a lesson with his shagirds - SPK students However, many individuals learning music have differing objectives. Some may wish to become professional performers while others are learning simply as a hobby. The intensity, rigor and depth with which music practice ..read more

At age five Anusri attended her brother’s tabla lesson but was powerfully drawn to the melodies of sitars being played nearby. Four years later, in 2010, she found the SPK Academy and began to learn sitar in the Etawah tradition. She was nine years old. However, there was a major obstacle to overcome, as her family moved to China that summer. Thus she became the Academy’s first Skype student, waking up at 6 in the morning to accommodate the time difference. When Anusri finally got the opportunity to study with Ustadji in person at shibirs and workshops, she had yet another obstacle to overcom ..read more

SPK Academy student, Louis Natale is a notable Canadian composer and multi-instrumentalist. As a budding hippie when Pandit Ravi Shankar splashed onto the Western music scene, Louis was instantly attracted to the new sound. With an eye for unique instruments, upon his journey to India in 2013, he acquired his first sitar. Fast forward a few years and his relationship with the sitar has deepened his bond and perspective of music as a whole. After a trusted friend recommended Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan as the only teacher to learn from - fate stepped in. Ustadji was holding a worksh ..read more

Being an online sitar school, our 3-day music camps or shibirs present a very special opportunity for our students at SPK Academy to meet each other, study together and have unprecedented access to Ustadji. 3 day music camps are held all over the world but such camps through SPK Academy are hardly comparable, as many of our students will attest.  Its isn’t just about the music that a student learns or is taught…the experience of attending a shibir, albeit exhausting, is nothing short of a spiritual awakening. Some of the SPK students at the Winter shibir in Phoenix This past January shib ..read more

The heart of our ancient system, known as the guru-shishya-parampara - the continuity of musical tradition from master to disciple - can be found in 3 simple words, guru, vinaya and sadhana..."  excerpt from My Music, My Life by Pandit Ravi Shanker. Most people understand that "guru" means master or spiritual teacher where in essence this individual personifies the divine on earth.  This representation places great importance on this person and therefore a student's choice of his/her guru must not be taken lightly. Pani piye chhanke Guru banaye janke One of Ustadji's favorite sayings ..read more