Ann Arbor Public Schools students experienced the artistry of two internationally acclaimed Indian classical musicians this week, as sitar master Pandit Partha Bose and tabla virtuoso Pandit Samar Saha performed at Pittsfield and Pattengill elementary schools and led a masterclass for Community High School jazz students.
The three-day residency, coordinated by AAPS music teacher John Churchville in partnership with the Michigan Humanities Council Touring Grants program and Dave Sharp of the Blue LLama Jazz Club, introduced students to one of the world’s great improvisational music traditions.
On Monday, Bose and Saha performed at Pittsfield Elementary School, sharing the expressive melodies of the sitar and intricate rhythms of the tabla, before bringing the program to Pattengill Elementary School that afternoon.
On Tuesday, they led a masterclass for students in the Community High School Jazz Program at the school’s Kresge Theatre. The session explored connections between Hindustani classical music and jazz, including improvisation, melodic development, close listening, and complex rhythmic structure.
Churchville has been studying Indian music for the past 30 years and teaches the tabla through Rec & Ed.
“And so this is just a wonderful honor to bring my teacher, and Pandit Bose, to our Ann Arbor Public Schools to show the students what the world of music has to offer. And so bringing some of the top exponents of the Indian classical music genre is just such a joy and pleasure.”
He noted that this school year, he’s been teaching his students about Indian music, the roots, rhythms, and melodies.
“And so it’s just a joy to have the real thing here,” he said.
Trained in the legacy of Ustad Allauddin Khan, Bose has performed on prestigious stages worldwide, giving AAPS students a firsthand introduction to a musical tradition that is ancient, spontaneous, and continually renewed through performance. Saha, one of India’s foremost tabla players, provided the rhythmic foundation and counterpoint to Bose’s sitar.
Between performances, the musicians answered students’ questions.
The elementary school concerts introduced younger students to unfamiliar sounds and instruments, while the Community High masterclass offered student musicians a closer look at the discipline, listening, and creative risk-taking behind world-class improvisation.
“The session at Community High was extraordinary,” Churchville said. “Beyond experiencing a world-class performance firsthand, the students engaged directly with the masters—asking pointed questions about discipline, creative risk-taking, and their own growth as musicians. Community High has such a vibrant, creative culture, and watching the jazz students discover common ground with Indian classical improvisation was deeply moving.”
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