Ali Akbar College of Music

Founded in 1967 by Padma Vibhusan Ali Akbar Khan, Ali Akbar College of Music (AACM) teaches novice and experienced students in the traditional practice of North Indian classical music. Over the past four decades the AACM has trained thousands of students in the intricacies of raga (melody) and tala (rhythm) and educated a large, world-wide audience through public concerts and releasing recordings of Ali Akbar Khan. In the summer of 2009 Mr. Khan passed away depriving the organization of its artistic leader and the public face of the organization. In the wake of Khan’s passing the organization is changing its pedagogical model to create tiered-levels of instruction and, in addition to retaining veteran tabla and sarod instructors, Mr. Khan’s son is taking on a greater teaching role and touring internationally to sustain the visibility of their family’s music and their organization too. With renewed support AACM will continue to offer four sessions of training annually at its San Rafael campus, present concerts and will continue to digitize an extensive collection of one of a kind recordings of concerts and classes, and historical materials preserving the legacy of Allauddin Kahn.(Renewal, $135,000/3; 6% of organization budget)