Nuances of Hindustani Classical Music

I am extremely delighted to receive the news that Dr Hema Hirlekar’s book ‘Nuances of Hindustani Classical Music’ has been published recently. I am happy not only because I know how she has laboured to write the manuscript during the last few years, but also because it is the kind of a book lay people like me need.
 

It is for the people interested in understanding and enjoying Hindustani Classical music. The lovers of Hindustani Classical music may find the writing too basic, but it will benefit those who want to take the first step in making Hindustani classical music an inalienable part of their lives. I have not yet read it but the publishers, Unicorn Books, tell me that the Nuances of Hindustani Classical Music is organised for extremely easy understanding of the terms, the music, the genres, the gharanas, and the concerts. Anecdotes she has written about add a human touch. She has provided with the book a CD illustrating the finer points of the music.
 

I know Hema as a PhD scholar who completed her study at the Department of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune in 2007. Her topic for the thesis was new to our area of studies: ‘The Role of Communication During Change Management in Infotech industry’.
 

I was amazed to notice her enthusiasm to keep herself engaged even after the tedious thesis writing was over. Immediately after the coveted degree was awarded to her, she had began meticulously collecting data for her new venture that turned out to be this book.
 

Hema has worked within media and communications for well over two decades in a multitude of roles. Her literary experience includes a book co-authored with Dr. Prachee Sathe, Head ICU, Pune’s Ruby Hall Clinic on intensive care and critical medical cases. This book was translated into Marathi and has won the prestigious 'Maharashtra Sahitya Sanskriti Mandal' award in the Vidnyan Lekhan Category, in 2008. She has also translated a Marathi book on Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj into English, which is now in its fifth year of publication.
 

She had told me that the Hindustani Classical Music has been her lifelong passion. She is an avid listener of classical music and has gained her knowledge on the subject by extensive research, reading music literature, interacting with top music scholars, and talking to other classical music enthusiasts. Her interest in writing this book is to share her knowledge and passion and in turn help others interested in music to enjoy it fully, with a good understanding of its roots and background. 

Hema has a Bachelors in Science, a Masters in Chemistry, a Masters in Fine Arts and a Doctorate in Communication. She lives and works from Pune, India and can be contacted on: hemahirlekar@gmail.com.
 

More details about her present work can be found at http://www.unicornbooks.in/books/book/nuances-hindustani-classical-music-hema-hirlekar/isbn-9788178062068/zb,,484,a,0,INR,0,a/index.html

Briefly about the book
Format: Paperback
Language: English
ISBN: 9788178062068
Code: 9704D
Pages: 200
Price: Rs. 395.00
Published: 2010
Publisher: Unicorn Books