Melbourne student tops high school music exam in Tabla

Updated on: Wednesday, December 21, 2011

An Australian student, who wowed the examiners with his mastery over traditional Indian classical music, has become the first youngster in the country to top the high school music exam in Tabla playing.

Vincent Dodd received the highest grades in the Victoria state after appearing for the Victorian Certificate Exam (VCE) in Tabla at high school level, his teacher Sam Evans of the Melbourne Tabla School said.

"Vincent wowed the examiners with his performance of traditional Indian classical music including a solo piece, a raga performance with a sitar player, a world music composition and a jazz piece and his mini thesis on the tradition of tabla playing," he was quoted as saying by The Age newspaper.

Evans, who established the tabla school to promote growing interest in the instrument, had persuaded the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority board to have it accepted at the VCE level. "The tabla comes from an extremely complex form of percussion, but the trouble was proving that to the board because it comes from an aural tradition rather than a written tradition," he said.

However, Evans, who himself has a master's degree in notating tabla music, was able to satisfy the board that the tabla could be compared to other instruments. "You couldn't have a tambourine in VCE, you need to have an instrument that has a certain level of repertoire and skill associated with it," he said.

Melbourne student tops high school music exam in Tabla

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