Dr Shyam Mohan "Ashok Singh"

Born and brought up in a middle class farmer family in Jehanabad district, Bihar. Initially, completed schooling from the village school and higher education from Patna University. Though, music was not practiced in the family, still his father and other family members were good listeners of classical music. During childhood, attended some classical music concerts in Patna along with father. Perhaps, it aroused interest for learning the nuances of Tabla playing from childhood.

Shri Ashok Singh started playing Tabla since the age of 8 years under the supervision of Late Pandit Yamuna Prasad Singh. Later learnt the intricacies of Tabla playing by leading Tabla exponents Late Pandit Ram Pravesh Singh and Pandit Kapildeo Singh. Also, on grant of scholarship from Sangeet Natak Academy, Bihar Govt, had the privilege of learning Tabla from the legendary Tabla Maestro Pandit Shankar Ghosh at Kolkata.

Educational Qualifications

• Master of Arts - Patna University Masters in Music - Tabla P.hD. (History) - Patna University
• PHD (Music) - Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Muzaffarpur Qualified NET conducted by UGC

Book & other Publication

• Economics of Alternatives

• Regular writing / contribution on music related subjects in prestigious Journals viz. Ideal Research Review, Dev Bharat Khand Sandesh etc. Have worked as Lecturer in Music departments in various colleges of Bihar for the past 18 years.

Musical Journey

• Currently, "A" Grade artiste in 'Aakashwani' and have been playing Tabla regularly since 1990 both, as Solo and Accompanying artiste with leading Vocal and Instrumental exponents at different centres of AIR, Doordarshan.
• Regularly accompanying on Tabla with leading maestros of Vocal and Instrumental for programmers conducted by SPIC MACAY in Bihar:
• Recorded for Tabla performance at Sangeet Natak Academy in 2005.
• Tabla performance at Akashwani, Patna in 2006 during the recording of 13 episodes of Software, available on Internet, too.
• Team Leader for the performances in Bihar Diwas Utsav organized by Bihar Foundation, Kolkata Chapter (2010).
• The range of my Tabla sensitivities covers Vocal, Instrumental, Dance and Folk music. Blessed and have distinction to accompany leading doyens of Hindustani Classical Music as per the list below -

Hindustani Vocal -

• Pandit Ram Chatur Mallik, Padmashree Pandit Siya Ram Tiwari, Pandit Channuia! Mishra, Pandit Jagdish Prasad, Pandit Mukul Shivputra, Padmabhushan Vidushi Prabha Atre, Singh Bandhu, Pandit Ajay Pohankar, Ustad Raza Ali Khan, Pandit Kaivalya Kumar Gurav, Dharwad, Karnataka.

Hindustani Instrumental

• Ustad Shahid Parvez, Pandit Ronu Mazumdar, Pandit Balram Pathak, Ustad Ashish Khan, Pandit Sohan Lai Sharma, Pandit Narendra Nath Dhar, Pandit Rajendra Prassanna, Pandit Bishwajit Roychowdhary, Shri Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar.

Classical Dance

• Dr. Malbika Mitra, Pandit Vijay Shankar.

Folk. Light Music and Ghazal

• Shri Purushottam Das Jalota, Shri Anup Jalota, Ustad Ahmad & Mohammad Hussain, Ustad Roshan Bharti, Shri Chandan Das, Padmashree Late Vindhyawasini Devi, Padmashree Sharda Sinha.

Performances in Concerts             

• Rajgir Mahotsav
• Buddha Mahotsav
• Buxar Mahotsav
• Saran Mahotsav
• Kosi Mahotsav
• Mandar Mahotsav
• Heritage Festival - Dehradun
• Golden Jubilee Samaroh - Akashwani Patna
• Golden Jubilee Samaroh Doordarshan, Patna
• Golden Jubilee Samaroh - Doordarshan, Muzaffarpur
• Vishva Bhojpuri Mahotsav
• Marina Beach Mahotsav - Chennai
• Giddhaur Mahotsav
• Bihar Utsav - Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, 2010
• Sangeet Festival - Allahabad
• Dusshera Festival - Patna
• Mithila Festival - Darbhanga
• Chall Mann Ganga Yamuna Teer' - Kumbh Mela, Allahabad
• Kesariya Mahotsav - Champaran
• Magadh Mahotsav - Gaya
• Bihar Diwas Mahotsav - Kolkata
• Taj Mahotsav - Agra in 2010
• Chhath Utsav - Bhopal
• Sangeet Vihaan - Ministry of Art & Culture and Sangeet Natak Academy, Govt. of Bihar
• Akashwani Sangeet Sammelan - Bhagalpur, 2012
• Bihar Diwas Mahotsav - Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, 2012
• Bihar Utsav - New Delhi and Patna, 2013
• Deoghar Mahotsav organized by Jharkhand Govt, 2015
• Concerts organized by ICCR under 'Horizon Series' in 2016.

Awards Bestowed

• Golden Talent of Bihar Contest - HMV (1993)
• Sangeet Kala Ratna Award - Ustad Allauddin Khan and Pandit Balram Pathak Smriti Shraddhanjali Sangeet Samaroh (1997)
• Sainik Welfare Directorate (1997)
• Sangeet Kala Ratna Award - Matree Udbodhan Ashram (1998)
• Kala Vihar, Patna (1999)
• Prerna, Uttar Bihar, Kala Evam Sanskrit Manch (2001)
• Kadambari, Faina (2002)
• Kala Kacchh (2007)
• Anupma Sahay Smriti Sammann, Muzaffarpur (2009)
• Ustad Bismillah Khan Award (Instrumental) in Senior Category in 2014 by the Honble' Chief Minister of Bihar

As Jury Member

• Naad Bhed - Mystery of Sound, a National Level Classical
• Music reality show by SPIC MACAY on Doordarshan - for Bihar regional rounds (2013)
• National Youth Festival - Association of Indian Universities at Hazaribagh
• East Zone  Music  Competition  -  Post  and  Telegraph Department (2007)
• Yuva Mahotsav (Since 2006)
• East Zone  Music  Competition  -  D.A.V.   Public  School (2005)
• Conducted Orientation Programme for the participants of National Youth Festival organized by Ministry of Art, Culture and Youth Affairs, Government of Bihar (Dec 2008)