The Teachers' College of Music (Recognised by Govt. of Tamilnadu)
President, Treasurer and Secretaries are Ex officio members of all committees.	Principal Sangita Kala Acharya Chingelput S. Ranganathan
Committee Members Mr.Habibullah Badsha Dr. Chithra Madhavan Smt.Kala Ramesh Rao Kripa Subramaniam Mr. S. Raghavan Mr. S.V.Ramaswamy Mr. P.Vasanthkumar	Lecturers Smt. Vasantha Sankarraman Dr. R S Jayalakshmi Dr. R. Hemalatha Mr. C R Vaidyanathan Mr. T P Nishant Ms. Latha Ranganathan
Convenor /Correspondent: Dr. Malathi Rangaswami

 

The College was started in 1931. One of the major activities of the Academy is the maintenance of a Music College, where students aspiring to become music teachers are offered training under a three-year course syllabus prepared by the Tamil Nadu Government. The students are taught theory and practice of Indian music on sound and correct lines.

In 1937, the College was granted recognition by the Director of Public Instruction, Madras. Its course of studies and syllabus are framed in consultation with the Department of Education. Experts supervise the selection of candidates for admission.

The Teachers' College of Music had the privilege of having eminent Vidvans like Sangita Kalanidhi Tiger Varadachariar, Sangita Kalanidhi Gayakasikhamani, Dr. L. Muthiah Bhagavatar, Sangita Kalanidhi Mudikondan C. Venkatarama Iyer, Sri K.C. Thyagarajan, Sri Sandhyavandanam Srinivasa Rao, Sangita Kalanidhi T.M. Tyagarajan, Sangita Kalanidhi B. Rajam Iyer as its Principals. Sangita Kala Acharya Chingelput S. Ranganathan is the present Principal.

The College has now three classes viz. first-year Pre-certificate, second-year Pre-certificate and the certificate classes. In the first two years, students are given sound training in the theory and practice of music and in the third year they are taught Pedagogy.

A final qualifying examination is held and certificates are awarded to successful students by the Government.

Special classes for a two-year 'Advanced Course' are also conducted to prepare the students for giving concerts. After the completion of the course successfully, they are awarded the title 'Sangita Ratna'.

For the benefit of the students, excursions to places of musical importance and interest are arranged from time to time. Guest Lectures and demonstration are arranged every week by eminent musicians and musicologists.

Candidates who have the necessary basic standard in music are generally admitted. Preference is, however, given to those who are already employed as music teachers.

It is a matter for gratification that the students who have passed out of the College have secured employment as teachers of music in various educational institutions in the Southern States and a few of them have gained a place among performing artistes.

The working hours of the College are 9.30 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. The "Diamond Jubilee" of the Teache rs' College of Music was celebrated in 1991. A compact brochure with a brief history of the College and its growth with some photographs of the Principals, Staff and students of the College, was brought out to mark the occasion. The College is located in the new building constructed in 1994.

The college from the academic year 2006-2007 has switched over to the Tamilnadu Government Diploma Course Syllabus. This is a 4-year course consisting of a 3-year "Isai Kalai Mani" course and 1-year of Diploma in Music Teachers' Training. We are happy to report that at the very first year of switching over to a new syllabus, the college has secured a 100% pass result in the Isai Kalai Mani examinations.

The students rendered a concert at the Narada Gana Sabha in November 2006 on the invitation of Dr. Rukmini Ramani, Musician and Composer.

The students are invited to perform in concerts by other organisations and they also take part in various competitions and quiz programmes held outside the Academy.

Instrumental Classes
Apart from Veena Classes conducted by the Academy for the last several years, classes in Violin and Mridangam have also been started from July, 1995. These classes are proving to be popular.
Sangita Kalanidhi Umayalpuram Sivaraman, Director of Thanjavur Vaidyanatha Iyer School of Percussion assisted by Sri Madurai B. Sundar, Sri P. Srinivasan and Erode Sri K.S. Nagarajan is conducting Mridangam Classes.

Tri vandrum Sri R Venkataraman, Head of the Department, Veena is conducting Veena Classes.
Both for the College and for the instrumental classes, the Academy is creating a corpus for which various institutions and well wishers have made substantial donations. The Academy is deeply thankful to them.

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations of the Teachers' College of Music

The Platinum Jubilee of the Teachers' College of Music were held on November 24th and 25th, 2006 at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall. The celebrations were inaugurated by Sangita Kalanidhi Sri B. Rajam Iyer who was Prinicipal of the College for 16 years, serving with distinction. The programme included welcome by Correspondent Mrs. Malathi Rangaswami, entertainment by Staff and Students of the College, interaction by students with Vidvan Sri T.M. Krishna on 24th and on 25th, Prayer by the Staff Members of the College, speech by the President Sri N. Murali, honouring the Correspondents, Principals and Staff Members of the College, past and present, Quiz programme by Sri P. Vasanth Kumar, Kummi and Play by students of the College.