Ali Akbar Khan's concert sarode is a rare exception. He still plays the one his uncle, Ustad Ayet Ali Khan, carved for him sixty-three years ago. Made of teak and, by now, quite fragile, its goatskin head is replaced regularly, and it has been repaired several times by Brian after the mishaps which go with the hazards of frequent airline travel. Nor are the old instruments necessarily more beautiful than their modern counterparts, for this is one of the few fields in which true craftsmanship has survived. The structure of the instruments is still evolving as, generation by generation, musicians explore subtle nuances of this 4,000 year old tradition that, to this day, is transmitted orally via the guru-disciple relationship.
Antique instruments are, therefore, mostly for display in museums or in a connoisseur's home.
In addition to the instruments, the Store carries a fine and full collection of CDs, tapes, and LPs of all the great exponents of North Indian Classical music. Open daily, except Sunday, you are welcome to come in to browse or buy. You are also welcome, during school hours, to take off your shoes and go upstairs to listen to the vocal, instrumental and drum classes of the Ali Akbar College of Music. Jan Haag, writer, poet, painter and textile artist, has created a series of works which incorporate the beauty and complexity of North Indian Classical music patterns into the intricacy of improvisational Needlepoints . A retrospective of Haag's textile art was exhibited during the summer of 1996 at the Seattle Asian Art Museum.