About Us

The South Asian Music Committee (SAMC) is the overarching body responsible for developing music curricula and examination frameworks rooted in South Asian traditions. SAMC sets the direction, approves the creation of new exams, and appoints curriculum committees to carry out detailed development work.

SAMC is committed to inclusivity and balance, aiming to represent a broad cross-section of the music community. By doing so, we ensure that no single school or tradition has undue influence over the curriculum, and that our work reflects the richness and diversity of South Asian musical heritage.

The SAMC is led by its directors, Dr. Harjinder Singh Lallie and Harminder, with Dr. Lallie also serving as Chair of both the SAMC and its curriculum committees.

To develop genre-specific syllabi, SAMC appoints specialized sub-committees. Currently, there are two dedicated curriculum committees:

Sikh Sacred Music Curriculum Committee

The Sikh Sacred Music Curriculum Committee is responsible for developing the syllabus and examination framework for the Sikh Sacred Music program. This committee is led by Dr. Harjinder Singh Lallie, a renowned scholar of Gurmat Sangeet and digital heritage. Under his leadership, the committee includes some of the world’s most respected and accomplished ustads, scholars, and educators in the field of Sikh sacred and classical Indian music.

Together, this team brings both academic excellence and deep-rooted musical practice, ensuring the program remains spiritually authentic, pedagogically sound, and globally accessible.

Tabla Curriculum Committee

The Tabla Curriculum Committee develops the syllabus and assessment framework for the Tabla exam. This committee is composed of internationally recognized tabla performers and educators who are known for their technical mastery, performance excellence, and commitment to teaching.

This distinguished team ensures that the tabla curriculum reflects the depth, discipline, and artistry required for a comprehensive music education, while remaining accessible to learners at all levels.

The development of each syllabus is a collaborative effort. Once SAMC agrees to introduce a new exam, it appoints a Curriculum Committee to carry out the in-depth work. These committees are the nuts and bolts of the process, responsible for designing the content, structure, and examination criteria of each program.

Every curriculum committee is carefully selected to represent the diversity of traditions within South Asian music. We actively avoid dominance by any one school, instead fostering inclusive and balanced representation to reflect the full spectrum of the musical landscape.

Through this structure, SAMC ensures that all curricula meet the highest standards of authenticity, depth, and accessibility—supporting students worldwide in their musical and spiritual journeys.