Call for Collaborators

Hi, I'm Paras. I've been learning and performing tabla since I was 7 years old. The instrument has been with me through different stages of life, sometimes as a daily discipline, sometimes as a quiet companion I'd return to after long breaks. Over the years, I've realised how vast and beautiful the repertoire is, but also how scattered it remains: tucked away in notebooks, old recordings, or passed on orally in lessons that vanish if they're not written down.

I'm a software developer by profession, and tabla has always been my passion. Now I'd love to bring the two together, to create something that makes it easier for students, teachers, and enthusiasts to find, learn, and preserve compositions with proper attribution to the masters and gharanas that gave them life.

This led me to explore a new project: a digital library and learning platform for tabla.

The idea is to create a living database of compositions and lessons. Kaydas, Relas, Tukdas, Thekas, Uthaans, Parans, and more, each tagged with taal, bol, laya, gharana, and composer attribution. Think of it as a structured, searchable, and media-rich archive that's easy to browse and learn from, backed by a membership model to keep it sustainable.

Why?

  • •Much of our tradition is scattered in books, recordings, and individual Guru's knowledge.
  • •There's no single structured platform that preserves compositions with proper attribution and makes them easily searchable.
  • •Learners today (and tomorrow) need accessible, respectful, and accurate ways to explore this heritage.

What it will include

  • •A growing library of compositions with bol notation, gharana lineage, and source references.
  • •Media support – audio/video demos, slow-down loops, notation.
  • •Lessons & practice tools – guided learning pathways, metronome/lehara integration, practice logging.
  • •Community-driven curation with composer credit at the centre.

What I'm looking for now

I can build the app, but I'd love to bring in others for:

1. Validation

Does this idea resonate with you? What would make it most useful?

2. Content

Teachers, performers, or students who can share and attribute compositions, lessons, or practice methods.

3. Early users

Players who'd be keen to test, give feedback, and help shape the platform.

How to get involved

  • •Register your interest below if you'd like to chat or contribute compositions, recordings, or feedback.
  • •Share this with anyone in your circle who might be interested.
  • •I'll keep a simple list of names/emails of people who'd like to stay updated.

If this resonates and you'd like to be part of it, I'd love to hear from you - please fill and submit the form below.

This is NOT a commercial pitch. Instead, it is an invitation to co-create something that preserves and grows our tabla knowledge for the digital age.

- Paras