For almost four months now, I've been attending lessons to learn how to play the tabla, an Indian percussion instrument as well as helping to teach the more junior students.
Learning this skill showed me a whole new side of music which I had not encountered before, although I had previously played Western instruments this was the first time that I experienced music from the Eastern perspective. It really helped to reveal the difference in approach when comparing the styles of music, and I found Eastern music to be more organic, and intuitive while Western music is more organised and strict. Both schools of music have their masterpieces and it is not my place to argue for concertos against ghazals or vice versa. Learning something from both sides of the wall helps to widen your perspective and to broaden your vision to include everything. This was a great experience and I have really learned how to appreciate everything that I come across without being biased or prejudiced where before I used to openly reject Indian music now I have come to appreciate the effort that goes into it, and I think appreciation is the first step to tolerance. Below is a video of me playing tabla in a practice session:
