Dr. Anil Rai has been a long-standing stalwart of the BITS family. After post-graduate degrees in Sanskrit, Tabla, and Sitar, he taught at two Allahabad schools before joining BITS in 1989. Dr. Rai comes from a family of musicians, and so he picked up music at a very early age. He then decided to pursue a formal education in music. However, he said that formal education is never a barrier for adept musicians, citing the example of many rural artists. This, he emphasized, is because music is a “listening vidya”.
Dr. Rai enjoys teaching at BITS, and will complete 30 years at the institute this December. He mentioned that the courses he takes allow him to practice and stay in touch with music. He runs four courses, covering different aspects of music, with both theory and practical sections. “It might be Indian, Western, Egyptian, or Arabian music, but what matters in the end is that it is a universal language,” he said about the vast spectrum of music. Dr. Rai was full of interesting facts and stories, such as the Mughal influence over the origin, development, and division of Hindustani and Carnatic music.
He expressed great happiness over the fact that interest in Indian music has been increasing over the years. He noted a rise in the number of students enrolling in his courses, which he emphasized multiple times over the course of the interview. He also said that it helps that many of the BITS staff are adept musicians. “It is an art”, he said, “to develop the taste and interest for music in students.” He said that his teaching experience has played a major role in acquiring expertise in that art.
Dr. Rai was around for the founding of two of the three major music societies: Raagamalika in the early ‘90s, and Gurukul around ten years later. Both clubs were focused mainly on classical and light classical music, spreading out from the pre-existing Music Club’s more Western-centric interests. He noted how the clubs have given fantastic performances in the institute’s many events like Republic Day, Independence Day, conferences, and a plethora of Nites. Talking about the quality of music performed by all three clubs, he said, “If it is audible, if it is good to listen, it is good.” He mentioned how although the music in movies has changed from the ‘50s and ‘70s to today, people still take an interest in old songs. “That is because they (old songs) touch souls”, he said, “with good lyrics, good themes, and good tunes”. He did, however, also mention that there has never been a dearth of good music.
Dr. Rai fondly remembers his students, many of whom keep in touch with him even after having passed out from the institute. He revealed that many students, after obtaining an engineering degree, chose to make a career in music instead. He made mention of Shruti Nayak, who became a singer, and C. Phillips, who became a professional drummer in a band. He also talked about his performances at various Nites and events, saying that practice has always been essential. “If I have to perform for 15 minutes, I will practice for at least 15 days before it.”
Towards the end of the interview, he observed that the BITS environment is very unique, in that there are very few “disturbances”, as he put it, for students. He recalled an incident when the Ram Mandir issue was ablaze in the country, and while students at other universities were embroiled in protests, BITS was busy organizing Oasis. He reminded students of their freedom to pursue both academics and extracurriculars, and expressed hope for the future of Indian music and BITS in general.