On Oct. 11, Middleton High School (MHS) orchestra students had the opportunity to play at the 25th anniversary of the Melharmony Festival at Vel Philips Memorial High School. Students were able to experience and play a different style of music that combined melody-centered Indian classical music with harmony-centered Western classical music: Melharmony.

Developed by Chitavina N Ravikaran, Melharmony is defined as harmonic and vertical layers of music with an emphasis on 12-tone melodic systems. A 12-tone melodic system is a way of organizing all 12 notes of the chromatic scale in Western music. It includes all notes in western music: notes A to G, and all natural, sharp, and flat pitches in between.

Melharmony also draws inspiration from the South Indian music structure, raga, to develop complex and expressive melodies. A raga is a special pattern or framework, similar to a scale but with key differences. Like a scale, a raga has a specific set of notes, but it also has rules about how those notes are used, with each note helping to convey a unique emotion. 

By blending these two musical traditions, Melharmony has opened exciting creative possibilities, allowing composers, orchestras, and audiences to explore an entirely new musical landscape. 

The combined group of students conducted by MHS orchestra teacher Steve Kurr performed “Bay of Bengal,” composed by Ravikiran. The festival also featured over 150 other musicians and artists, including the Vel Philips High School band, and Ravikiran himself. 

The festival also featured many instruments often seen in South Indian music such as the chitravina, ghatam, mrdangam, and more. After a successful performance, students had the option to stay and watch the rest of the festival and enjoy samosas. The festival and being able to perform on stage was a great opportunity for students to experience a new musical genre. Students look forward to even more opportunities in the future.