Prof. Reddy’s first lecture on ‘Indian music: Interplay of Classical and Folk traditions’ began with a moment of silence, symbolically capturing the importance of ‘mounam’ (silence) in ‘sangeetam’ (musical performance). He explained how it is important to break away from perceived binaries between different forms of knowledge and see it as a composite. Throughout his two lectures, Prof. Reddy underscored the need to see the complex arrangements that constituted Indian music and to break away from our tendency to see music as a disembodied, static entity. In addressing a rather tricky area, Prof. Reddy suggested that Indian ‘classical’ music itself needs to be placed at the intersection of theory and practice. Even instruments speak of this interaction! Prof. Reddy described how the harmonium, today popularly recognised as an accompanying instrument in Hindustani music was banned from All India Radio for being a ‘western’ instrument incapable of producing Indian sounds. However, it was brought back upon the insistence of musicians and practitioners of the craft. While in theory the harmonium was not a classical instrument, in practice it was! The Margi (classical) and Desi (folk) may appear to be polar opposites in style and delivery, but their roots intersect and their styles borrow from each other. Folk music is not just a celebration of everyday lived experience but also a call to self-discovery–an elevation to the spiritual, as in the case of Manganiyar music. Prof. Reddy constantly drew comparisons between language and music to emphasise this point. A native speaker of a language may not be able to explain its grammatical conventions, but has experienced the language and can speak it fluently. Someone who learns from the grammar books can recite all technicalities but has a completely different conception of the language. So, while the Manganiyars may not know the technical aspects of raaga theory, they recognise ragas and their intricacies through the songs they sing and the meanings they hold. On the question of the disappearance of folk traditions and classical music due to the rise of popular music, Prof. Reddy suggested that this was not to be lamented. “Cultures also evolve by loss”. He explained how the concept of Classical musicians performing on stage is a modern concept that was not known a hundred years ago, but is widely known today. It involved a loss of a certain exclusivity to Classical music which was performed in religious or courtly settings. Hence, while it may appear that something is being ‘lost’ in the present, it may signal a necessary transformation in the broader scheme of things. After all, the “Indian” way of conceptualising knowledge is to embrace change and innovation while respecting all that has been offered by tradition. Wrapping up, Prof. Reddy offered some decisive consolation, “There is no way this raaga music is going anywhere, not while certain people are alive.”