About
Dr. Subash Giri is an Assistant Lecturer of Indian Music Ensemble (IME) at the Department of Music, University of Alberta. He received his PhD in Music (Ethnomusicology) from the University of Alberta, Canada. He also holds degrees in Hindustani Classical Voice (M MUS) from University of Nepal and Music Management (M MUS MGMT) from University of Agder, Norway.
Dr. Giri’s research focuses on South Asian diaspora in North America, particularly Canada and the United States, and South Asia, particularly in Nepal and India. His research interests include music and minority; music, human rights, and social justice; music sustainability; music and community well-being; community-based and collaborative research; applied ethnomusicology; participatory ethnomusicology; music and diasporic identity; and music business, music industry, and copyright. His research articles have been published in several international journals.
Dr. Giri has more than 15 years of experience in music teaching. He has taught world music for undergraduate students at the University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway in 2015. Also, he worked as a college music teacher of folk music for 7 years (2006-2013) at the Fine Arts Campus (Lalit Kala Campus), Tribhuvan University, Nepal. While he was in Nepal, he also taught music in several international schools in Kathmandu from 2005-2013.
Along with teaching and researching about music, Dr. Giri is active as a performer and composer. He specializes in Hindustani classical voice. He has expertise in singing Hindustani raga, Bollywood music, Ghazal, Sufi, Bhajan, Chants, Ginan, and Nepalese classical and traditional music. He is also well-versed in playing the harmonium, tabla, sitar, Nepalese cylindrical hand drum ‘madal‘, guitar, and keyboard. He has performed extensively in numerous national and international music concerts and festivals in Norway, Canada, and Nepal.
Research
Music Performance
Academic Teaching
Subash is working on his doctoral research project titled “Traditional Music for Cultural Continuity, Sustainability and Community Well-Being: A Case Study of the Nepalese Canadian Community in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada”. The project centers on the minority Nepalese diaspora community residing in Edmonton as a case study.
Subash is a multilingual and multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, and songwriter. He has been engaged in his artistic practice for the past 15 years. Currently, he is residing in Canada and assisting in cultivating Canada’s flourishing diverse arts community through creating, performing, and sharing South Asian music and culture.
Currently, Subash is teaching Indian Music Ensemble (IME) at the Department of Music, University of Alberta as an Assistant Lecturer. He has also taught at University of Agder, Norway and Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Community Music Projects
Subash is extraordinarily active in community music and culture projects. He has led several successful projects that have brought community together in an artistic exploration benefiting cultural sustainability, community well-being, and social cohesion.
Cultural Heritage Festival Project
Traditional Music Teaching Project
South Asian Music Festival Project
Participants in the “Cultural Heritage Festival Project” performing “Panchae Baja” (traditional ensemble) at the Edmonton Heritage Festival 2018. As a cultural coordinator for the Nepal Pavilion in this festival, Subash showcased 40 different traditional and cultural performances of 20 ethnic and caste groups of Nepal; organizing 160 volunteers (6 to 80 years of age) from the Nepalese diaspora community of Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge.
Second-generation children and youth of the Nepalese diaspora community in Edmonton presenting diverse Nepalese music and culture in ethnic and traditional costumes.
Subash led a 5 month long traditional music teaching program aiming to pass culture and tradition to the youth and children. More than 40 youth and children learned singing and playing traditional songs and instruments. At the end of this project, participants sang and demonstrated instruments to their parents and members of the community.
Subash is currently leading this project. This festival project aims to showcase South Asian music and culture. The philosophy of the festival is to encourage the children and youth of our community in their artistic pursuits.
Subash Offers
Subash’s teaching profile extends far beyond the university into the communities, where he has established himself as an important pedagogical resource and teacher. His teaching objective is to enhance the quality of life of people by promoting the love and knowledge of music through professional teaching and service. He has first-class Master’s Degrees in Hindustani Classical Voice (M MUS) and he is also a registered music teacher with ARMTA (the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association). He offers the following music lessons for all ages and levels:
Voice
- Hindustani Classical Raga
- Bollywood Songs
- Ghazal
- Bhajan, Kirtan, Chant
- Sufi
- Ginan
- Theory
Harmonium/Keyboard
- Fingering
- Chord Techniques
- North Indian Notations
- Western Notations
- Bollywood songs, Bhajan, Chant
- Scales
- Chords
- Rhythms
- Basic Leads
- Chord and Rhythm Techniques for Bollywood Songs
Subash has a special knowledge and expertise of South Asian music and culture, particularly of India and Nepal. He is a Principal Instructor of Indian Music Ensemble (IME) at the University of Alberta, Canada. He taught two courses titled “Music Sustainability: South Asian Music in a Modern World” and “Origin and Historical Development of Indian Music” in spring/summer and fall 2019. He also taught a week-long topic in Introduction to World Music course fall 2017, centered on Music of Nepal. His segment consisted of an eloquent introduction to Nepalese drumming and dancing. His several other presentations and demonstrations are “Madal: The most popular drum of Nepal” at Sound Studies Initiatives, University of Alberta (2017) and “Performance and Instrument Demonstration” at Winspear Centre, Edmonton, Canada (2018). His upcoming drumming session is on “Madal: An Introduction to Nepalese Drumming” (continuing education series) at ARMTA (the Alberta Registered Music Teachers’ Association). Subash offers lectures and workshops on the following topics and areas:
- South Asian Music and Culture
- Hindustani Classical Music (Origin and Historical Development)
- Raga and Taal System
- Hindustani Notation System
- Singing Styles (Khayal, Dhrupad, Dhamar, Thumri, Qawwali, Ghazal, Bhajan)
- Nepalese Traditional music and drumming
Subash is an accomplished classical music performer, composer, and songwriter. He specializes in Hindustani classical voice. He has performed extensively in numerous national and international music concerts and festivals.
Music has been the focus of most of his life. He has been serving and enriching people and communities through sharing his love of music. In the recent years, Subash has started to perform in house concerts, corporate events, spiritual functions, and community events. He performs the following genres:
- Hindustani Classical Raga
- Ghazal
- Sufi
- Devotional (Bhajan, Chant, Kirtan)
- Ginan
Contact Subash
If you are interested in taking music lessons or booking Subash for a performance, lecture, or workshop please fill out the form below and Subash will respond as soon as he can!