AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

[saramati]

sharmaji, many thanks. I found it useful.

[Rasika911]

Sir can u please upload the sahithiyam for the varnams as well please.

Thanks

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, In general, I teach my student the popular 9 Varnas of Natakuranji, Kambhoji, Darbar, Sharnkarabharana, Kalyani, Begada, Todi, Saveri of Adi-tala and Bhairavi of Ata-tala along with Bhairavi-Svarajati and you can get either the Svaram or Sahithyam of them everywhere. But, before starting the first Varna I demonstrate in detail the inter-relation of all the 60 kinds of Kampitas and Gamakas along with their respective symbols to my students which have already been furnished in a separate pdf file of this CD and later only I demonstrate each Varna in detail @ one note per each second before it is taught which is not done by any music teacher. As I take every care in initiating them to sing every detail of any Kampita or Gamaka of all these Varnas they can proceed through the Kritis on their own even without my direct teaching. For this purpose the relevant pdf files of the 9 Varnas and 1 Svarajati are already furnished in English and Telugu versions along with symbols in the CD of ‘AMS Easy Methods-2007’ which you can download them from ‘Sangeethamshare.com’. If not, if you send me your email address I shall send the required pdf files to you. amsharma

[msakella]

In fact, even though my old age is not allowing me to concentrate much on the topic and also to properly narrate it in my ‘Tenglish’, I, some how, had started and prepared the following.

"In the profession of teaching, as the primary duty of any teacher is to make the aspirant independent in all aspects he has to make efficient plans in each and every respect to make the student work on his own either by direct or indirect methods of teaching. The criteria of any syllabus in music followed by any teacher should pave way to enable the aspirant (1) sing a notated composition efficiently on his own, (2) write the music sung in detailed notation efficiently on his own, (3) sing the intricate mathematical Svarakalpana efficiently on his own and (4) sing the Ragalapana efficiently on his own. But, I feel that, in all the music-departments of any University or in all the Music Institutions in South India I have visited after my retirement in 1996, everywhere I have found all the teachers are trying their level best only to fulfill the items prescribed in the syllabi which comes under quantitative teaching but not qualitative teaching at all. Unless the qualitative teaching is developed and made by all these teachers impotents only will be produced without having much proficiency in the subject. More over, very sadly, even in many of the music-workshops held at many places only several compositions are being taught but with less importance to any of the above four vital topics and, still more sadly, even many of the aspirants are mostly inclined to learn different compositions than ‘Manodharma’. Keeping all these serious things in view I have made umpteen experiments upon a number of students and, ultimately, an easy, effective and innovative method of teaching developing the qualitative teaching has been evolved to improve the self-confidence and proficiency of the aspirant also making its process strictly time-bound and result-oriented. However, many of the aspirants may not prefer this system of teaching as they may not be able to practice regularly for more than 2 or 3 hours daily and, in the same manner, many of the teachers also will not prefer to follow this new system of teaching as they, on one hand, have to loose much of their regular income by possibly shortening the span of lesson and, on the other, themselves have to practice all the different Laya-exercises, irrespective of their ability or dis-ability in Laya, and various symbolized Gamakas.

In music, while the ‘Laya’ is the ‘Shakti’ or ability which develops the brilliance and intelligence of the aspirant and instills confidence into the aspirant the ‘Shruti’ is the ‘Rakti’ which gives pleasure to the listener. Among them the level of ‘instinctive Laya or Shakti or ability’ must properly be assessed by the able teacher and be increased and stabilized by suitable efforts to improve his confidence day by day. In singing music there are two different kinds of techniques, 1. singing (physical) techniques and 2. musical (mental) techniques, are to be followed among which while the former could be acquired within some months time by regular and strenuous practice the later takes many years to acquire by gradually ripening the knowledge. But, only an efficient teacher could lay flawless base in the beginning for both of them.

As far as the age is concerned, as this finest of the fine arts is part of Samaveda and also an invisible art, the tender age of the aspirant is more preferable for heavy concentration and high grasping ability and the regular and very well planned strenuous practice, that too preferably in the morning hours of the day, play an indispensable role in getting proficiency in the art. More over, the aspirants who can complete the three-fourths of the process of learning and practice of the art even before the precious age of 15 years can only make a mark in the field. Now, in our South India, to carry on this process of learning and practice of this art, some of the aspirants have started continuing the general education through private study in the ‘National Institute of Open Schooling’ of Central Govt., in which they can very easily and simultaneously carry on both their regular and vigorous practice of the art in the morning hours and also the general studies in other timings being at their residences and appear for the respective examinations."

[cmlover]

Dear Sarmaji
You should not be put off by dissenting statements or ascribing motives from folks who exercise their
'Freedom of Speech'.
KarmaNyEva adhikAras tE, mA khaNDanEShu kadAcana
(your job is to continue your work unmindful of criticism)
Do continue your mission please....

[vasanthakokilam]

Yes, especially given the consenting opinion is an overwhelming majority, even if many are silent. Please take strength in that. It is our collective shortcoming not to have stood up for you and your methods in that other thread.

[msakella]

Thanks a lot dear brother-members, cmlover & vasanthakokilam, for the enormous strength you have given me through your posts.

By the grace of the Almighty I am not going to stop my mission at any cost as I have been very much encouraged by a group of people here at Hyderabad who are untiringly working with devotion and dedication to propagate this system of teaching and getting fantastic results within a very short time. On seeing that apswara-post I, somehow, got relief and thought it is very much easier to proceed on and on my mission on my own than toiling myself in writing all these details in my ‘Tenglish’ and stopped. But, on seeing your energising posts, I have again decided to continue and do the needful. Thanks a lot again. amsharma

[msakella]

(At this old age I am used to forget things to write or do systematically. So, to facilitate further editions or deletions of the matter later, I shall give serial numbers to the items in the beginning and later, if needed to continue the same topic, indicate another serial number along with the first serial number like 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4 and so on and later all the items having number ‘1’ in the beginning can be put together to bring out a total picture. In my previous post I have furnished 3 paragraphs and thus they can be allotted one number each serially i.e., 1, 2 & 3. Kindly bear with my incapacities at this old age.

It is important to note that these methods should not be implemented on each and every aspirant as they tend to differ from person to person basing upon so many aspects like the instinctive talents, mental abilities of concentration, understanding and assimilation and physical abilities of strenuous and most regular practice of the aspirant.)

2.1.In music, while the ‘Laya’ is the ‘Shakti’ or ability which develops the brilliance and intelligence of the aspirant and also instills confidence into the aspirant the ‘Shruti’ is the ‘Rakti’ which gives pleasure to the listener. Among them, at the first instance, the level of ‘instinctive Laya or Shakti or ability’ of the aspirant must properly be assessed by the able teacher and be increased by suitable efforts to improve his abilities and confidence day by day. In which way the music is a universal language, the Laya or the mathematics is also the universal subject which is more precise and wothout deviation irrespective of the place or the language or the country. Whoever gets through the mathematics can easily get through all other subjects. Among all the subjects, mathematics is the only subject which increases the brilliance and intelligence of the aspirant. I have made umpteen experiments upon a number of aspirants in this regard and found that the aspirant who is well off both in Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis or Nadais can easily proceed very fast in learning music and the aspirant who is badly off in Trisra-gati is unfit even to start learning Violin. That is why for this purpose, with my little acquaintance with the Mridangam in my younger days, I have formulated Jati-alankaras for this purpose which should be used even from the first day of the lesson and I am the first person to formulate and introduce these Jati-alankaras in our Karnataka music which quickens the process of teaching music to the aspirants in their own way.
I have brought out the CD, AMS Easy Methods-2007 along with all the material required from the basic level which is available from http://sangeethamshare.org/chandra/AMS- "¦ hods-2007/ to facilitate any aspirant, residing far away from his motherland and unable to find a suitable teacher in music, to proceed on his own.
It is also very important to note that it is always better to rely upon the Electronic Keyboard ‘Casio -MA-150’ to learn music starting from the preliminary exercises even though many of our traditionalists oppose.

When any aspirant approaches the music teacher to learn music he, at the first instance, has to test the level of his ‘instinctive-laya’ by playing either the Instrumental-music in Chaturashra-gati in the 001 track or the Metronome-beats of 120 bpm (beats-per-minute) furnished in the 003 track of the above CD or the 120 bpm of the Metronome of the Casio and initiating the aspirant render beats along with them. While the aspirant follows rendering even-beats along with them the teacher should render different-odd-beats of them to disturb the flow of the aspirant. If the aspirant is able to render the even-beats without being disturbed by the teacher’s different-odd-beats that aspirant can be declared having the required ‘instinctive-laya’ to learn music and if not, he should be suggested to practice the same at his residence for some time and to re-appear for this test later. The successful aspirant can later be tested in ‘Shruti’. For this purpose the button ‘Transpose’ of the Casio-MA-150 should be pressed each time while selecting suitable Shruti to the aspirant. This facility provides to increase or decrease the Shruti and also to play only the white-keys irrespective of any Shruti producing the notes of Shankarabharana. While playing the keys the basic note of the lower octave can be used as drone and the different respective keys of the upper octave can be played and the aspirant be initiated to sing along with each note. The successful aspirant should only be entertained to teach music. amsharma

[msakella]

2.2. While testing the ‘instintive-laya’ of the aspirant he can also be given two thin-wooden-stick-pieces and asked to hold them with both the hands and beat on a table making rhythmical sounds tallying with the Instrumental-music or Metronome-beats of either the CD or Casio accordingly. Even in Casio-MA-150, in 50 Song Bank of Instrumental-music Nos. 00, 02, 03, 07, 10, 14, 15, 18, 23, 27, 31, 41 & 49 can be used for Chaturashra-gati and Nos. 05, 08, 13, 17, 25, 30, 36, 44, 45 & 46 can be used for Trisra-gati while initiating the aspirant to render beats along with. Even exposing the small kids to this Casio-instrumental-music helps a lot in the long run to inculcate music sense among them.

4.While starting the first lesson the seven Jati-alankaras furnished in the audio-tracks from 005 to 011 of the CD with reference to the same available in the respective pdf file of ‘Primary lessons’ furnished in the same CD should be taught in the same order along with the video-clipping No.1 of the Playlist, AMS-Laya-exercises available from ‘youtube.com/msakella’ simultaneously spelling out ‘ki-ta’ and rendering one beat with the right-hand on his right-thigh in a half of the second followed by another spelling out of ‘ta-ka’ and rendering another beat with the left-hand on this left-thighy in the next half of the second which in total becomes two beats carrying out ‘ki-ta-ta-ka’ of 4-units per second which, in fact is the 3rd degree of speed and which is called ‘Matra-kaala’ (it is very important to note that, without taxing the kid by teaching the various finger counts or waving-hands of Talangas or telling him that it is the 3rd degree of speed, they can simply be asked to render only beats with both the hands to make the process of learning easier while singing from Saralee-svaras to Gitas to avoid handling two tasks at a time). He should also become able to render the same along with the Metronome-120 bpm (the default speed) and also of 60 bpm of Casio.

The aspirant having the required level of ‘intinctive-laya’ can certainly become able to reproduce all these seven-jati-alankaras in Chaturashra-gati successfully within 3 days maximum and only to such aspirant the primary music lessons, 8 Saralee-svaras, furnished in the audio-tracks from 034 to 041 in Shankarabharana with reference to the corresponding pdf files of the same CD should be taught in the same order in the following manner.

In Casio-MA-150, in 50 Tones Church Organ No.11 can be used for playing and singing by the aspirant. In it, in total, there are 29 white-keys and 20 black-keys. Among them, from 1 to 7 white-keys and the upper 5 black-keys belong to the lower-octave or 1st Mandra-sthayi, 8 to 14 white-keys and the upper 5 black-keys belong to the middle-octave or 2nd Madhya-sthayi, 15 to 21 white-keys and the upper 5 black-keys belong to the 1st upper-octave or 3rd Taara-sthayi and 22 to 28 white-keys and including the 29th white-key belong to the 2nd upper-octave or 4th Ati-taara-sthayi. All these white-keys produce the notes of the Raga Shankarabharana only. Even if we change the Shruti pressing the button ‘Transpose’ each time to increase or decrease the Shruti to make it suitable to the aspirant all the white-keys produce the notes of the Raga Shankarabharana only as the primary lessons even in the Western music are used to start in their Raga which corresponds to our Shankarabharana. Thus, after choosing the suitable Shruti to our aspirant, fix stickers indicating numbers and their respective notes on all the white-keys of all the four octaves i.e., 1S, 2R, 3G, 4M, 5P, 6D, 7N of 1st Mandra-sthayi - 1S, 2R, 3G, 4M, 5P, 6D, 7N of 2nd Madhya-sthayi - 1S, 2R, 3G, 4M, 5P, 6D, 7N of 3rd Taara-sthayi, 1S, 2R, 3G, 4M, 5P, 6D, 7N of 4th Ati-taara-sthayi and 1S of Ati-ati-taara-sthayi. Then press the 1S white-key of the 1st Mandra-sthayi and put an adhesive-tape linking it with the base not to let it go up and also to use its sound as basic ‘Shruti’ while playing the corresponding white-keys of the 2nd Madhya-sthayi and singing along with them. As a choice you can also press the 1S white-key of the 2nd Madhya-sthayi and put an adhesive-tape linking it with the base not to let it go up and also to use its sound as basic ‘Shruti’ while playing the corresponding white-keys of the 3rd Taara-sthayi and singing along with them. While doing so, the aspirant should play and sing only one note per two beats in the speed of 120 bpm (the default speed) or only one note per each beat in the speed of 60 bpm which can be obtained by decreasing the tempo of the Metronome. In the same manner the aspirant should play and sing all the 8 Saralee-svaras @ one note per each beat in 60 bpm or @ one note per two beats in 120 bpm in which case both are same ultimately. After practicing them well in the above speed the aspirant should become able to play and sing them @ two notes per each beat in 60 bpm or @ two notes per two beats of 120 bpm (the default speed).

Later, the four Janta-svaras furnished in the audio-tracks from 042 to 045 should be played and sung @ two notes per each beat in 60 bpm or @ two notes per two beats in 120 bpm (the default speed). It is very important to note that while singing these Janta-svaras of 2 notes or 3 notes or 4 notes or even more than them except the first note all the remaining notes should always be sung with a stress.

Later, the three Datu-svaras furnished in the audio-tracks from 046 to 048 should be played and sung @ two notes per each beat in 60 bpm or @ two notes per two beats in 120 bpm (the default speed).

Nearly 20-Special Rhythmical Exercises (SRE) are furnished hereunder to be helpful to stabilize the rhythmical abilities of any aspirant and, while practicing the above primary Svara-exercises, the 2nd SRE also has to be taught to the aspirant for his regular practice. amsharma

SPECIAL RHYTHMICAL EXERCISES
(k-ki; t-ta; t-tha; k-ka; d-dhi; m-mi; g-gi; n-na)

01.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 4-units, i.e., k-t-t-k per second rendering k-t for each Talaanga of the right hand followed by t-k with in-between beats of the left hand.

02.3 kinds of Trisra (t-k-t of 3), Khanda (t-k-t-k-t of 5) and Mishra (t-k-t-k-t-k-t of 7) breaks should be rendered @ 4-units per second in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati rendering the Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand.

03.3 kinds of Trisra (3), Khanda (5) and Mishra (7) breaks should be rendered @ 8-units per 2 seconds in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati rendering the Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand.

04.3 kinds of Trisra (3), Khanda (5) and Mishra (7) breaks should be rendered @ 8-units per 2 seconds in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati rendering the Tala with the right hand only.

05.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 8-units per 2 seconds rendering Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand.

06.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 8-units per 2 seconds rendering Tala with right hand only.

07.Rendering of all Chaturashra-jatis in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati running @ 4-units per second rendering the Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand but ending each Avarta with one Khanda-jati thus having a protruded unit every time in the beginning of the next succeeding cycle of Tala.

08.Rendering of all Chaturashra-jatis in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati running @ 8-units per 2 seconds rendering the Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand but ending each Avarta with one Khanda-jati thus having a protruded unit every time in the beginning of the next succeeding cycle of Tala.

09.Rendering of all Chaturashra-jatis in Adi-tala of Chaturashra-gati running @ 8-units per 2 seconds rendering Tala with the right hand only but ending each Avarta with one Khanda-jati thus having a protruded unit every in the beginning of the next succeeding cycle of Tala.

10.3 kinds of Chaturashra (k-t-t-k of 4), Khanda (5) and Mishra (7) breaks should be rendered @ 3-units per second in Adi-tala of Trisra-gati rendering Tala with the right hand only.

11. 3 kinds of Chaturashra (4), Khanda (5) and Mishra (7) breaks should be rendered @ 6-units per 2 seconds in Adi-tala of Trisra-gati rendering the Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand.

12.3 kinds of Chaturashra (4), Khanda (5) and Mishra (7) breaks should be rendered @ 6-units per 2 seconds in Adi-tala of Trisra-gati rendering the Tala with the right hand only.

13.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 4 & 3-units per second rendering Tala with right hand only.

14.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 8 & 6-units per 2 seconds rendering Tala with the right hand and in-between beats with the left hand.

15.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 8 & 6-units per 2 seconds rendering Tala with the right hand only.

16.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 8-units per Kriya running @ 4-units per second.

17.7 Jati-alankaras should be rendered @ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 8-units per Kriya running @ 8-units per second.

18.Rendering of only one Jati of 5-units in the 2nd degree of speed in the beginning of Khanda-chapu-tala running @ 4-units per second and all Jatis of 4-units consecutively. Selected muktayis of lower-tempo should be rendered to the odd-number of starting point in the medium-tempo (while Jatis should only be rendered in respect of the candidates pertaining to Dance and Percussion disciplines Swaras should also be sung by the candidates pertaining to Music).

19.Rendering of only one Jati of 7-units in the 2nd degree of speed in the beginning of Mishra-chapu-tala running @ 4-units per second and all Jatis of 4-units consecutively. Selected muktayis of lower-tempo should be rendered to the odd-number of starting in the medium-tempo (while Jatis should only be rendered in respect of the candidates pertaining to Dance and Percussion disciplines Swaras should also be sung by the candidates pertaining to Music).

20.Rendering of easy muktayis both in terms of Jatis and respective Svaras for the Kritis in Rupaka, Khanda-chapu, Chapu, Adi (medium-tempo), Adi (slow-tempo) and Adi (Trisra-gati).

The practice of all the above exercises in terms of Jati, Svara and Akaara in all the 32 non-vivadi Melas, periodically and gradually increasing the speed along with Metronome, certainly makes the aspirant able to manage with many of the things of our Manodharma Sangeeta.
amsharma

[msakella]

5. We have a composition called Gita and many of the music teachers are used to teach more than 15 or 20 Gitas that too in the Ragas like Bhairavi, Todi, Begada, Saveri, Arabhi etc., etc., which are required to be taught with many intricate Kampitas or Gamakas even though they are of no use either for regular and strenuous practice or to exhibit them in any concert. Moreover, in which way it is suicidal to teach running to a small kid just trying to stand on his own legs it is equally suicidal to teach any kind of oscillations in Gitas to the kids just started learning music. It is better if the traditionalists realize to teach up to Gitas even without any kind of oscillations. But, as we already have it in the list of our compositions, this can properly be utilized only to give acquaintance of all the 12 notes to the aspirant. That is why, in the syllabus of our Certificate Examination in music in Andhra Pradesh, we have prescribed only 6 Gitas (1.Shankarabharana, 2.Mohana, 3.Shuddhasaveri, 4.Kalyani, 5. Malahari (Shrigananaadha only) and 6.Shriranjani (Lakshana-gita). It is very important to note that it is always preferable to initiate the aspirant play the Casio and sing along with Svara, Akaara and Saahitya on his own along with Metronome beats not only all the preliminary exercises but also all these Gitas in the same order which helps a lot in paving way to get good Manodharma. While practicing all these Gitas the aspirant has to practice all the prelliminary exercises also with the notes they have learnt the Gitas along with the remaining SREs simultaneously.

6. We also have another composition called Svarapallavi or Jatisvara having no Saahitya. This composition is also not sung in music concerts. That is why only one composition of it is enough to be taught to the aspirant. There are some Svarapallavis with very high rhythmical intricacies composed by the composers of Vizianagaram which help the aspirant for rhythmical stabilization.

[msakella]

7. After Svarapallavi or Jatisvara we have the composition called Svarajati having not much importance like Gita. But after the advent of Shyama Shastry’s famous Svarajatis in the Ragas Bhairavi, Todi and Yadukulakambhoji its importance has gone up. So, mostly I am used to teach the Svarajati in Bhairavi-raga taking its complex treatment of notes.

8. Now we enter into the most crucial part of learning the most important composition ‘Varna’ which gives enormous knowledge of either physical-techniques or oscillative-techniques of notes to the aspirant if taught properly. How much care an efficient, knowledgeable, sincere, loyal and committed teacher takes while teaching this composition to his student that much proficient he becomes in music. In my view, mostly the teachers’ inefficiency, insincerity and negligence act much in shaping a student but not the inefficiency of the student at all. But, most pitiably, the students suffer a lot for the mistakes committed by the teachers. I sincerely feel that, in the process of teaching, while the responsibility of the teacher is more than 85% the student’s responsibility is less than 15%.

I feel that there are two kinds of important techniques, 1. physical-techniques pertaining to voice or fingers and 2. notes-oscillative-techniques in bringing out the required music. For this purpose, while the singing techniques of voice or the different finger-techniques have to be made familiar to the aspirant, the different oscillative-techniques of all the notes have to be made familiar to the aspirant for his quick pace and all-round development of the art.

In our music all the different Ragas have different shapes basing upon the different facets of oscillations of the notes. So, the responsibility lies upon the respective teacher to find ways and means in making the aspirant familiar with all these different facets of oscillations of the notes leading to the shapes of these different Ragas. If the aspirant is properly, efficiently and sensitively trained in such a manner that he becomes able to recognize and reproduce on his own even a very slight oscillation of any note he can learn any composition on his own. That is why I have formulated certain intricate and novel finger-techniques in Violin with bow and also even without bow for Violin-aspirants which, most surprisingly and most efficiently, paved way to the aspirant to play most of the Varnas on Violin on his own. Very regular and strenuous practice of these novel finger-techniques even made my disciples play some of the Varnas mostly on a single string on the Violin.
Before starting the first Varna I am always used to enlighten the aspirant with the full details of Kampitas and Gamakas furnished in the 2nd chapter, Raagasudha of my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha (Telugu & English) or in my CD, AMS Easy Methods-2007. For this purpose, for the first time in the history, I have categorized and defined most of all the Kampitas and Gamakas and symbolized them to be used even by a common man. Thus, in total, till now, 60 varieties of Kampitas and Gamakas are brought out and also symbolized basing upon the travel of sound of the note.

In our Karnataka music, among the 12 notes, three notes, 1.Sadharana-gandhara, 2.Shuddha-madhyama and 3.Kashiki-nishada are very important as their radius of Gamaka is far more than any other note. If the aspirant gets reasonable acquaintance with these 3 notes he can easily follow the Gamakas of all other notes very easily. So, in this process, the popular Natakuranji-Adi-Varna has to be taught in the beginning to make his familiar with the Gamaka of Kaishiki-nishada, later Kambhoji-Adi-Varna to make him familiar with the Gamaka of Shuddha-madhyama also and later Darbar-Adi-Varna to make him familiar with all these 3 important notes. Later, serially, the Adi-tala Varnas in the Ragas Shankarabharana, Kalyani, Begada, Todi, Saveri, Ata-tala Varna and Svarajati in Bhairavi have to be taught gradually increasing the Gamaka techniques of the relevant notes at the end of which the aspirant must become able to learn the first Kriti on his own and with minimum guidance of his teacher.
At the end of these Varnas I am used to give Kritis with notation along with a pre-recorded CD in which I myself sang all these Kritis in the same notation. Basing upon them they are able to learn all the Kritis on their own as, by that time, they got good acquaintance with all the intricate oscillations of notes and relevant finger-techniques. amsharma

[msakella]

8.1. While teaching the most crucial composition, Varna, it is most important to note that each and every Varna has to be demonstrated compulsorily both in respect of physical-techniques (of voice-techniques or finger-techniques in respect of instrumentalists) and musical-techniques (of various Kampitas and Gamakas) very slowly and strictly @ only 1-unit or note per each second to magnify every aspect of these techniques and also to make the aspirant aware of all these minute details.
IN THE VERY HIGH INTEREST OF THE ASPIRANT WHOEVER DOESN’T DEMONSTRATE AND TEACH EACH AND EVERY VARNA CAN NEVER BE CALLED A MUSIC TEACHER AT ALL.
In fact, in my CD, AMS Easy Methods-2007, I sang all the Varnas @ 2-notes per each second and also in the pdf files pertaining to both the ‘index’ or ’Readme’, in the note, in respect of these Varnas, I have also mentioned to follow @ 2-notes per each second lest the aspirants simply refuse to take this CD. But, either the demonstration or teaching or learning of all the Varnas should compulsorily be made only @ a single note per each second which helps the aspirant a lot in quickening the process of learning music and also in making him efficient in so many aspects of music. And, while practicing them, the aspirants must strictly observe to gradually and periodically increase their speed strictly basing upon the Metronome bpm (beat per minute) in increasing their abilities day by day. Whichever aspirant doesn’t strictly and sincerely do this has to remain as an impotent musician. As a very highly experienced and critical teacher in music, in the very high interest of our young aspirants and also in keeping our great culture in tact I write this. That’s all. amsharma

[msakella]

8.2. Always it is desirable to start teaching Varnas to the aspirants in the Ragas having heavily oscillative complex notes of either Sadharana-gandhara or Kaishiki-nishada and it is always suicidal to start teaching Varnas to the aspirants in the Ragas Mohana or Hamsadhvani which is, in general, made by all the music teachers to avoid handling of complex Gamakas.

8.3. After learning these 9 Varnas and one Svarajati if the aspirant becomes able to learn a Kriti, given in notation along with a pre-recorded cassette or CD, on his own that music-teacher must immensely be honoured for his efficiency, sincerity and commitment in teaching. amsharma

[msakella]

9. As all are aware, unlike in any other system of music in the world we have Manodharma Sangita which is created spontaneously by the artist basing upon his own creative talents. and the 5 divisions of it are 1.Raga, 2.Tana, 3.Pallavi, 4.Niraval and 5.Svarakalpana. Among them while the rhythm or Laya is indistinctive in Raga where Sangathis of different speeds are sung together, it becomes distinctive in Tana where rhythm of a particular variety is rendered at a time without deviation but without a meter and in Pallavi, Niraval and Svarakalpana the rhythm is made more distinctive along with a precisive meter. All this obviously indicates the indispensable role of rhythm or Laya in music and all the divisions of Manodharma Sangita become easily accessible to the person who gives proper importance to the rhythmical exercises or formulas and regularly practices all of them sincerely. That is why I always harp on learning and practicing all the needed rhythmical exercises regularly in a graded manner as it sharpens the brain, increases the brilliance and intelligence of the aspirant and also keeps him alert always. For this purpose I have brought out 20 Special Rhythmical Exercises (SREs) which are already furnished above and among them the 18th & 19th SREs top the list leading to a successful failure irrespective of their proficiency of even many professionals. Any person who can meticulously and successfully render all these 20 SREs can certainly become an efficient teacher and, fortunately enough, if he also has the good qualities of receptivity, honesty, sincerity, loyalty and impartiality such person can serve the society efficiently and be called a ‘TRUE TEACHER’.

Among all these 5 divisions of Manodharma Sangita the first division, Ragalapana and the last division, Svarakalpana are mostly needed to learn and when I have enquired many musicians about any easy methods in teaching them each and every musician told me that there are no easy methods at all in teaching them to the aspirants and they should only be acquired in course of time by constant listening and heavy practice. But, in my extensive research made upon many of my students, I have successfully found that there are some specific easy methods through which Svarakalpana could be made easy and through this kind of Svarakalpana Ragalapana also could be made within a short time successfully making the process of learning music TIME-BOUND and RESULT-ORIENTED though many of the music-teachers will not appreciate.

For this purpose, some muktayis lessening the calculative element have been brought out by Late Mullapudi Lakshmana Rao, the great Mridangam Artist of Vizianagaram and his son Chi. Mullapudi Shreerama Murthy, the recently retired Top-grade-staff-artist of All India radio, Vishakhapatnam is also well versed with all of them. Most unfortunately, many of the music-teachers or musicians, in the absence of the knowledge of these easy muktayis, their intricacies and importance in Svarakalpana and also not having even the ability to render many of such muktayis, talk against these muktayis and also discourage the aspirants learning and singing them. But, as per my experience I can very well declare that this is the well proven method in getting the ability to sing Svarakalpana within a very short time that too even before completion of 3 or 4 Varnas and even without learning a single Kriti. Anybody can visit <youtube.com/msakella> to find the relevant video-clippings in the Playlist of ‘Kids’ Svarakalpana’ in which way even small kids between 5 and 15 years of age, who have just completed the 4th Varna but not learnt even a single Kriti, are able to spell out the intricate jati-muktayis and also the respective Svara-muktayis in their Svarakalpana. It is also very important to note that all these 3 kinds of easy-muktayis furnished in my book Sangita Svararaga Sudha in all the six popular Talas must be practised along with Jati, Svara and also Akaara. In the process of making Svarakalpana, as Svarakalpana is always full of mathematics, mathematical Svarakalpana should only be taught to the aspirants at the first instance which gradually and very efficiently paves way to Svarakalpana avoiding muktayis.

Even in respect of Ragalapana, many of the music-teachers tell that Ragalapana should never be given in notation. In fact, in such case, it must be presumed that either that particular teacher is incapable of bringing out the proper picture of a particular Raga or he is unable to write the Raga in proper notation or he somehow wants to elongate the process of teaching to earn more money. Writing proper notation of any Raga gives you enormous knowledge of both the Raga and writing the notation. Many knowledgeable stalwarts like Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. Shripada Pinakapani, my Guruji Sangita Kalanidhi Shri Nedunuri Krishna Murthy, great veteran Late Oleti Venkateshwarlu are used to write not only Kritis but many of the ragas also in notation. In which way the listing out the names of all the invitees, writing all their names on the invitations and arranging all of them in a particular sequence for easy and quick distribution for any marriage celebration efficiently saves the time, energy and expenditure writing any Raga in notation and also getting it by heart helps the aspirant in so many ways. That is why, in the 2nd chapter ‘Ragasudha’ of my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha, I have furnished 36 popular Ragas in symbolized notation and in different tracks of segments and this book is also supplied along with a pre-recorded mp3 CD in which I myself sang all these Ragas to make it helpful to all our aspirants.

Even for becoming able to render all the Sangathis in Ragalapana, the aspirants must practice all the Saralee-svaras, Plain-janta-svaras (of 2-notes, 3-notes, 4-notes and so on), Gamaka-janta-svaras, Daatu-svaras, Vareeka-svaras, Sphurita-svaras and Alankaras, all avoiding the longer-notes, in all the 32-non-vivadi Melas, Krama-sampoorna-ragas, Shadava-ragas and Audava-ragas that too in 2 octaves between Mandra-panchama and Taara-panchama and also in different speeds of Metronome, gradually and periodically increasing their speed in a phased manner.

While teaching only the prescribed items of the syllabus comes under quantitative teaching, all the above comes under qualitative teaching. After my retirement in 1996, I have found all these successful novel methods in teaching and given either Lecture-demonstrations of 3 to 4 hrs or work-shops of 2 to 3 days in all the 14 Govt. Music Colleges in our State and nearly in 10 to 15 music-departments of various Universities like Madras, Bangalore, Mysore, Madurai, Hyderabad etc., only to find that more than 90% of the respective teachers are not willing even to learn them or continue to teach them to their students and only 5% of the teachers are using themselves but not teaching them to their students. So, now I have decided, possibly not to conduct either Lecture-demonstrations or workshops hereafter in any of these Music institutions or music-departments, unless the respective teachers give it in writing that they will propagate them by regularly teaching them to their students and also allow me for periodical supervision. Due to this quantitative teaching in all these institutions all the students of them are getting only number of certificates but not the quality of art at all by which many of them are afraid to take this music-teaching as profession and the candidates left without any other alternative are facing a lot due to their incapacities successfully thrust upon them by their teachers. Even the plight of the aspirants who are compelled to learn from freelance teachers
who are squeezing huge amounts and wantonly elongating the process of quantitative-teaching by teaching only a number of Varnas or compositions of different composers but not of the qualitative-teaching of Svarakalpana or Ragalapana of Manodharma at all, cannot be described in the absence of any yardstick either to assess the level of teaching of the teacher or to assess the level of the art the aspirant acquired in course of learning from him. There is no guarantee even the direct disciple or a close relative of a veteran musician ensures efficient teaching of Svarakalpana or Ragalapana within a short span of 2 or 3 years. If the teacher is efficient enough to honestly and sincerely teach the aspirant without elongating the process of teaching he must be able to finish all the above 9 Varnas and one Svarajati within a maximum duration of only one year enabling the aspirant proceed with Kritis mostly on his own. Who ever does not do so obviously proves himself an inefficient and money squeezing teacher.

Any questions from the readers are welcome and I am always open to any rational discussion in this respect. amsharma

[manjunath]

Akellaji,

You seems to be financially well off. Classical Musicians are struggling for thier life without proper support from people and recognition from governments. Those who are trying to sacrifice their life for music and culture are today begging for better life . I suggest, not to disrespect the teachers. from your postings i notice always, you disrespect teachers and try to tell the world that you are the only good teacher available in music. If you really want to serve the music,you better fight with the govenments and get reasonable respect and recognition for Teachers so that they can happily teach and encourage children. Meet the teachers and find out their problem instead of writing bad about teachers. People can talk or write anything easily but no one will come at risk. If wealthy Teachers like you are not enough patient to bring up talented kids like Vinayrahul. Poor teachers what they can do? Please try to encourage children and develop respect and interest in children towards classical forms of arts so that it can be priserved for future generations. If teachers start discuraging the students with individual rules and methods , i do not think many will opt for classical arts. Call all the top musicians in the country and ask them to approve only your books and methods for carnatic music. so that all teachers will follow your books and methods and teach. What is the use of a knowledgeable teacher if he cant bring up patiently one talented kid and show the world what a talent means? please do not write or talk about teachers. you can tell every one that this method is good and I wrote it.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, manjunath, At the outset I am very highly grateful and thankful for having posted 11 points coming out open lovingly crticising my writings upon teachers and their teachings. I always appreciate this kind of open-ness and rational criticism for the betterment of our bahaviour and standards. I shall again thank you heartily and hope you will give me oppurtunity to justify my actions hererunder in detail point by point.

>01. "You seem to be financially well off."

I am not a poor man and at the same time I am also not a wealthy man. I hope I am of the lower middle class. I welcome anybody to verify my bank accounts and very little assets and declare my stand. In fact, only by the grace of the Almighty I am content and my needs are very less. I do not have even the habit of taking either coffee or tea at any time. I do not go to hotel even once in a year except in journeys. I do not go to see a picure in cinema-hall even once in a year. Last picture I saw in a cinema-hall was nearly more than 20 years back. I can’t attend to any new paper or any TV programme for more than 10 mts., as, I feel, that there always is much more than what I already did to the common aspirant of music.

Even at this age of 70, I daily get up around 2 am if I have heavy work to attend or at 4-30 am with an alarm to start my day. Except a little milk I don’t take any breakfast but lunch around 9-30 am. Later I rest for not more than half-an-hour but not sleep. Take little snacks around 3 pm and supper before 7-30 pm. Mostly remain working for music or teaching music or listening to music and go to bed before 9 pm. But, I am well satisfied with what I have been blessed by him and I can very well tell that I have been blessed by him with far more than what I deserve.

>02. "Classical Musicians are struggling for their life without proper support from people and recognition from governments. Those who are trying to sacrifice their life for music and culture are today begging for better life."

I cannot fully agree with you in this respect. Struggling for their life depends both upon their fate and deeds. Of course, we cannot see the Fate and modify. But, we can self-govern our deeds minimising our needs. Any honest and sincere person will get every support and recognition from the people though not from the Government as it is full of indisciplined fanatics and lunatics. But, you will become embarassed if you expect recognition with a Gajaarohanam (/Ajaarohanam) or Kanakaabhishekam (/Shunakaabhishekam) or Padmashree etc., or Sangitakalanidhi or Top-grade or Bharataratna or a Nobel-prize or a series of your concerts everywhere offering you huge amounts to enable you purchase a house or a car etc.

But, the teachers who are well off getting their salaries regularly from their departments are only teaching the items of the syllabus to these psople under quantitative-teaching but not the mostly needed Svarakalpana or Ragalapana under qualitative-teaching. To educate all the teachers in all the 13 Govt. Music Colleges in our State in this qualitative-teaching I have visited every institution once in every 2 months and for 2 years conducting 2-day workshops every time to all the students and teachers without expecting even a single-pie as remuneration. Also I did the same in the music departments of the Universities in Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Madras, Kalakshetra, Madurai, Bangalore, Mysore etc. But, many of those teachers are not ready even to attend the classes even by an office-oder or not willing to learn anything new to pass on to their students even for their betterment in the absence of any supervison.

Insincere, dishonest, unloyal, inefficient people naturally struggle for life for their deeds. But the teachers or artists getting their regular salaries or the so called stalwarts earning a lot from the public must feel more dutiful and serve the society properly, honestly and sincerely than others who are struggling for life. How many of them are doing so, how many of them are ready to do so and how many of them openly delare and give it in writing to do so?

>03. "I suggest, not to disrespect the teachers. from your postings I notice always, you disrespect teachers and try to tell the world that you are the only good teacher available in music."

Being my-self a teacher I never want to disrespect any honest and sincere teacher. How can I do that??? But, at the same time I can never spare any dishonest or insincere teacher as the teaching profession itself is the only noblest among all. I never want to tell the world that I am the only good teacher. Public are not fools not to differenciate the bad or good. And, more over, I don’t expect anything in turn from the society except its well being. Long long ago I openly declared not to honour me with any award or title or money or anything and blankly refused even to be honoured with thousands of Rupees. I work self-less only for the society and condemn any bad at any time.

>04. "If you really want to serve the music, you better fight with the govenments and get reasonable respect and recognition for Teachers so that they can happily teach and encourage children."

Anybody can visit Hyderabad and practically see in which way I have extensively been working hard day and night, at this age of 70, to serve our young aspirants and music even without expecting any monetory benefit at all. While almost all the salaried teachers or the professional musicians are eagerly ready to receive any award or honour from the Government or even a class IV organisation without sincerely working for the young generation or music, shall I fight alone with the Governments filled with most highly indisciplined fanatics and lunatics to get reasonable respect and recognition for all these insincere, dishonest and most selfish teachers so that they can very very happily continue their usual quantitative-teaching and highly encourage our children by teaching them only a number of Varnas and compositions but not any Svarakalpana or Ragalapana.

>05. "Meet the teachers and find out their problem instead of writing bad about teachers. People can talk or write anything easily but no one will come at risk."

All the selfish-teachers getting their regular salaries and the selfish-professionals working only for their fame and money are the sole cause for all these problems now our aspirants are facing. There is no one among them to strive hard for these young aspirants. Please go and visit <youtube.com/msakella> not to find my greatness but to find the talent of our small kids efficiently rendering many intricacies of Svarakalpana and young Violinists playing difficult techniques on their instruments and please name some teachers who efficiently and successfully tapped out such talent and produced such able aspirants. How many teachers are giving qualitative-teaching? None. More over, nobody is ready even to know about them or follow but they always expect people honour them irrespective of their inabilties.

Only by God’s grace, as I am self-less, I am able to speak out all these irregularities and indisciplines. For example, is ever there any Sabha or Association of artists or teachers where the methods of teaching music are discussed for the betterment of our kids in keeping our great art and culture in tact. Mostly there are only bad teachers following only the quantitative-teaching by teaching a number of Varnas or compositioins like Pancharatnas or Panchalingasthala-kritis or Navaratna-kritis or Navaavarana-kritis or Navagraha-kritis etc., etc., etc., to their aspirants but not a little Svarakalpana or Ragalapana to sing on their own. Even then shall I have to call them good teachers?!!! Having experienced the fantastic results in the talented students very few are learning and following these novel methods. How many other teachers are ready to do the same even after finding the successful results? In turn many are ready only to oppose.

>06. "If wealthy Teachers like you are not enough patient to bring up talented kids like Vinay Rahul. Poor teachers what they can do? "

At the first instance, I am not that wealthy like you think. In the name of the Almighty, in which way I ever do all the things sincerely, honestly and self-lessly, I did the maximum in his respect also which can never be done by any other musician upon earth as no other can neither do the things like me nor properly understands me. Moreover, I am answerable only to the Almighty but not to anybody else. I never want to blame the poor teachers who have been struggling hard for their survival with the very little art they received from the so-called and well-established professionals or teachers or stalwarts. I always talk about this well-established professionals or teachers or stalwarts who have become para-sites of the society.

>07. "Please try to encourage children and develop respect and interest in children towards classical forms of arts so that it can be preserved for future generations. "

This is what for I have extensively been working along with my sincere friends and art-lovers. For this purpose only some of friends are working in the process of establishing AMS Foundation’ but not to earn fame or money or recognition.

>08. "If teachers start discouraging the students with individual rules and methods, I do not think many will opt for classical arts. "

The rules or methods which really benefit the talented should only be called true rules or methods but not others. Only basing upon the results everybody will opt for but not on the individuals fame.

>09. "Call all the top musicians in the country and ask them to approve only your books and methods for Carnatic music. So that all teachers will follow your books and methods and teach."

I did never write even a single word of my books with any selfish motive at all. I am a ‘Varaprasaadi’ and HE Himself had given me everything what I have and HE Himself spread my name all over the globe like in "Daasharadhee Nee Runamu Deerpa Naataramaa"

[Sathej]

All the top brass of our music are very busily engaged in their selfish-acts but not to serve the cause of music without any selfish motive

While the intent behind this series of posts is highly praiseworthy, statements like these could perhaps be avoided. To me, they seem like sweeping generalizations without sufficient credentials.

Sathej

[srikant1987]

Absolutely!

While it may be easy to say "all the top brass" are so and so, few will have the nerve to name one top brass and say they're that way.

And ironically, it's more "politically correct" to not name too.

[msakella]

I have been driven to write all those things in that manner and I too feel very bad for the same. There is nothing wrong in earning money until the ethics are strictly maintained by the person. In our Indian culture the husband or Guru are held up very high even more than parents. Taking that advantage and also in the absence of any yardstick to assess the teaching abilities of any teacher or to assess the value of the music lesson being imparted to the aspirant or to assess the standard the aspirant is acquiring while learning it, I feel very bad to take something either from the aspirant or his parents unless I am able to deliver the goods proportionately and properly. That is why I never charge anything not only from my disciples who learn from me regularly but also even from others who approach me occassionally to learn something from me. Of course, I do not refuse if they give me something for my service as I am not wealthy enough but I do never charge even tens of rupees per sitting or standing or lying or running.
Moreover, I have enjoyed the music-field enough either as a music teacher or a professional Violinist or a non-professional Vocalist. After having enjoyed enough should I not make a gracefull exit putting an end to all this enjoyment and earning, become content with the pension I regularly get, and gratefully serve the society from which I have acquired everything what I presently have. Only by the grace of the Almighty I was able to think on these lines and also to practically do things accordingly by giving away the concert-life of All India Radio, Television and private organisations and undertaking the teaching as a mission of my remaining life. The Alimighty had blessed me with such bent of mental ability, physical ability, fanancial ability and scope to properly and efficiently serve our society.
In fact, I am far more junior and very little than many of our senior stalwarts. But, how many of them are doing like me even though they are very great than me in many aspects. As I am practically out of the concert-field on my own without expecting anything from any other person and also as I am truthfully serving the cause of music I am able to bring all these trade-secrets out and people are bearing with my sharp-pen though arrogant. Of course, I have all my evidences in generalising these truths though bitter.
Bygones are bygones, it seems there are no questions to ask me about these easy methods????? amsharma

[rajeshnat]

msakella
All your posts especially long ones require empty lines or blank spaces so that it is easy for reading . While reading your post #66, without paragraph empty spaces it was very difficult to read sir, could you please correct it sir.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, rajeshnat, I am a little musician (of course, not a magician). Very little educated. Not acquainted with many things like many of you highly intellectual elite. In 1998, when I had been to Singapore to act as a Music examiner for the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society they asked me for a detailed report. Being also a typist I have asked them to provide a typye-machine to enable me type that report. They told me that all the type-writing machines in their country have been replaced with computers and provided a person along with a computer to type. It was over. They have also asked me to work as the Principal of that Music College and, in principle, me too agreed. If I have to work there I must learn computer to put the things right. That’s why I was compelled to learn this computer later. Later, they did not ask me again as it has been destined to make me write 5 monumental books on music of its own kind with the help of this computer. This is the episode with my computer-wife with which I am unable to become well versed at this old age forgetting many things at a time. While typing these posts, even though I do the needful punctuation etc., this machine is not co-operating with me like an adament wife. What can I do? More over, adding fuel to the fire, even in the ‘Edit’ mode, even this forum’s system is not allowing me to make any modifications in spite of my complaints. Just in which way I am compelled to come across one apswara or the other from a ‘suswara’ not only myself but others also like you have to bear with this. However, I shall try to do the needful. Thank you for your kind observation and to keep me cautious. amsharma

<mod note: In post #66, We have inserted blank lines between points and in a few other places and changed formatting a little bit for readability purposes>

[manjunath]

Akellaji,

Do not generalise the teachers. Every musician or teacher has his one fate. Every musiican has his personal life and habits and that is not the answere I was expecting. Whether these poor teachers charge more or less they are trying to teach and encourage the children upto some extent. In hundres atleast two or three children will become seriouse musicicans and rest wiil get some interest in classical forms so that music will continue to live on this earth. If intrest is lost who will come and enjoy the music. Without music lovers/rasikas there is no life for muisc. These sincere musicians will preserve the music through support of rasikas . Tell me one single post from all of yours , where not spoken negative about the teacheres. Anyway let god only see your acts. But please leave the teachers.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, manjunath, I never talk and even nobody should talk about the poor teachers who have been taught very little by quantitative-teaching of their respective teachers and who have been struggling for survival earning very little and are unable to increase their earnings as there is no scope of making qualitative-teaching and improve the standards of their students to demand more. I always talk about the musicians getting regular salaries or incomes as Teachers, Lecturers, Professors, Head of the departments, Staff-artists and A / Top-grade artists etc., etc., but regularly teaching many students by quantitative-teaching only but not by qualitative-teaching at all to maintain standards in the absence of any yardstick to assess the standard of the teacher or to assess the standard of the lesson imparted by the teacher or the standard acquired by the aspirant in music. As I am very well aware of the ins and outs of this music-teaching more than many of the musicians or commoners and also as a person striving hard to inculcate good standards in music among the kids even without any selfish motive, I always harp on qualitative-teaching by imparting music with high standards and expect the same from all these musicians as we are acquiring everything from this society and, in turn, I feel, it is our responsibility to gratefully, sincerely and honestly serve the society. If any music-teacher treats my acts positively, transforms himself as an efficient music-teacher and serve the society sincerely and honestly the society will be benefitted or if negatively, he becomes able to add some more fuel to the fire as is being done now by many of the musicians. I always feel that the Almighty is making me do things and I am not doing as I am nowhere and HE is everywhere. amsharma

[Rasika911]

Stop being so arrogant, you have contributed via the world wide web and i dont think anybody doubts that but stop being so bitter. Your teaching methods are highly controversial and while they might be effective i doubt people will embrace it also, some people like to learn music the old fashioned way.
PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE DEAR BROTHER-MEMBER, MSAKELLA, DONT START EVERY POST LIKE THIS.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, Any novel method than the usual is always controversial and many people may not like it to follow in the beginning having many doubts about it. OK, the people who like to learn music only in the old fashioned way can very well learn a number of Varnas and Kritis for many years but not any Svarakalpana or Ragalapana in the elongated process of quantitative-teaching wasting much of their time, money and energy. In which way some people may not like my novel methods in music, in the same way some people may also relish my bitter truth and relevant arrogancy pertaining to the facts and figures. Why not?
I always want to be courteous enough unless I have been driven to become bitter and arrogant by biased and insensible people.

[srikant1987]

I don't think there's any one-size-fits-all teaching technique for Carnatic music.

[sbala]

I don't think akellaji claims that there is a one size fits all technique.

[vasanthakokilam]

All these sundry comments aside, msakella has spent his life time evolving a reliable and predictable teaching method and he has extensively written about it and made all the material available to us for free. I do not know what else one can ask for.

It will be good if the discussion itself is about the AMS method, questions about the method and sharing of experiences of those who are using the method.

One thing that does not get emphasized enough is, his methods are a break-through in CM teaching. It does two things. It boldly declares, implicitly and explicitly, the invalidity of the old notions that only those who come from musical families or from certain communities can learn the music to the fullest extent. He has high standards and his own strongly held opinions on what an ideal student is, but that can be anybody. What matters is some basic talent in rhythm and a commitment for time and dedication.

Second, he strives hard to teach the basic tools and techniques so the student is independent in a fairly short time compared to traditional teaching methods. I always view it with suspicion when people repeat the common notion that music can only be learnt from gurus directly. Definitely, there are advantages to learning from someone directly but I think those who use the AMS method is in a for a life time of independence. They can increase their repertoire rapidly and independently and at their own pace, after acquiring the tools and techniques from a guru.

It is a case of him teaching someone to make a really tasty rasam rather than simply feeding them pre-made rasam! This way, one can make rasam for life

There is a wealth of material available, definitely one of a kind, in his free CD AMS Easy Methods 2007 which are uploaded here for free access by anyone http://www.sangeethamshare.org/chandra/ ... hods-2007/ . Even if you do not want to follow every lesson, the symbolized gamakas and their illustrative audio recordings are a great contribution to the field of carnatic music and should be useful to musicians and rasikas alike. I would like members to get familiar with them and discuss them here.

[Nick H]

Maybe it is that he has had a lifetime's practice, but I find the way that msakella deflects the sometimes bitter and personal criticism of his ways, and sometimes his person, with calm and even gentleness, to be an inspiration in itself.

[msakella]

Dear brother-members, srikant1987, sbala, vasanthakokilam & nick H, Thank you all for your ways of appreciation.

Only the Almighty has the only one-size-fits-all teaching technique for all and all others are only parts of HIM. In my case the Almighty has also blessed me with both the varieties of calmness and sharpness at a time for my advantage.

Any person is supposed to eat away idli along with chatny. But, here, while some ‘apaswaras’ are able to eat chatny only our brother-member, vasanthakokilam, is able to swallow both and have the real enjoyment.

Previously, the aspirants are used to remain in the so called Gurukulas for years to learn this art and ultimately many have ended up with only the bad habits of their Guru but not much with the art. More over, nowadays, in this speedy age, it is highly impossible to make such a long study and, at this juncture, the process must be quickened maintaining good quality and lessening the dependency upon the money-minded teacher. All these things made me work hard to find a fool-proof solution of this novel method of teaching.

The following important points are to be observed and followed in this connection in the interest of our kids and our culture.

01.Age factor: As this is an invisible art and needs a very sharp brain to grasp, understand and retain the subject and also a very strong physical body to undergo the strenous and persevarant practice tender age between 8 and 15 years of age is highly preferable to learn this art. At the same time it is high time to quicken both the processes of learning and practice even before this age which enables the aspirant make a mark in the field. As per my deep study I have found that the progress of the aspirants gradually recedes in multiplying speed beyond the age of 20 years. That’s why, as the founder President of the Teaching Staff Association (State), when I worked hard to bring out one G.O. in which the maximum age limit prescribed was 25 years for getting admission into our Govt. Music Colleges many of the house-wives of the higher-ups later tried their level best to get it scrapped and succeeded. To yield good results from the younger talent the kids should be admitted into the system of NOS - National Institute of Open Schooling through which they can concentrate much on music devoting more than 5 or 6 hrs. daily preferably in the morning hours and, later, study all the general subjects for 2 or 3 hours daily, thus giving the first preference to this fine art. Thus, from now on, the young talent must be encouraged by this kind of simultaneous general study and art study.

02.Qualitative-teaching: Teaching only the items of the syllabus comes under quantitative-teaching and giving good base right from the first day of learning music leading to the knowledge of singing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana comes under qualitative-teaching. Surprisingly enough, while all the private teachers are mostly concentrating upon quantitative-teaching teaching either number of Varnas or number of different compositions of various composers like main-pancharatnas or Kovur-pancharatnas or Lalgudi-pancharatnas or Tiruvottiyur-pancharatnas of Thyagaraja or Navagraha-kritis or Navaavarana-Kritis or Panchalingasthala-kritis of Dikshitar or 72-melaragamalika of Mahavaidyanatha Iyer etc., etc., even all the salary-paid teachers of all the Govt. Institutions of Music and the music departments of various Universities are also concentrating upon teaching only the items of the syllabus under quantitative-teaching but teaching very little of Svarakalpana and Ragalapana of the Manodharma-sangita that too just before the examinations and cleverly throwing entire responsibility upon the poor aspirants that they must be acquired by the aspirants themselves only by constant listening of the recordings or CDs of the stalwarts of yester years and by heavy regular and strenuous practice. But, while all the teachers are of the opinion that the Svarakalpana and Ragalapana must be acquired by constant listening and heavy pracitce of the aspirant himself

I have proved in this novel system of teaching that they could very easily be taught to the aspirant mostly basing upon his rhythmical instinct. Only for this purpose 20 kinds of rhythmical exercises have been formulated not only to test the level of the rhythmical instinct of the aspirant even on the first day of his music-lesson but also to improve and stabilize it. Basing upon this rhythmical abilities of the aspirant and also according to this novel system of teaching the qualitative-teaching should be made upto Varnas enabling the aspirant proceed from Kritis on his own. Unless stringent measures are taken to strictly implement this qualitative-teaching by even the above mentioined salary-paid teachers, even the students produced by these teachers remain as impotent as the students produced by the private teachers. Even though all the students studying in the music-departments of the universities are of full time they are unable to take this music as profession, at the least as teachers, due to the non-effective quantitative-teaching of the teachers. While the music environment in Tamilnadu, however, is helping these students by attending some concerts to cope up with Svarakalpana and Ragalapana up to some extent, in the absence of such environment in Andhra Pradesh the students of this State are suffering a lot by the indifferent attitude of the salary-paid teachers in making qualitative teaching.

In last December, when accidentally I happened to go to the Great Kalakshetra and met some of their students, I found only quantitative-teaching is made and wrote to the Director to take necessary steps for qualitative-teaching. But, that Director, instead of doing the needful, found fault with me for having met their students without prior permission from her or from their respective teacher. This obviously reveals that teachers are not ready to find fault with them but they do as they like.

Very recently, when I have made a represention to the Vice-Chancellor of the Telugu University, to remove me from the member-ship of the Board of Studies as I mis-fit in it in the absence of any qualitative-teaching, he was afraid to take any kind of action and kept silent without any kind of response.

03.Text books for music also: Adding fuel to the fire, pitiably enough, while text books are available for any subject in all the educational institutions, the music-teachers are always adament in providing such text books with notated compositions and pre-recorded cassettes or CDs of the same notations to the aspirants. Even if such notations are supplied for the compositions of the syllabus at some places one teacher differs with another teacher in respect of even the same composition leading to chaos among students. When the composer composed the composition in a single notation I do not understand why all the different teachers maintain different versions of notation and blatantly refuse to maintain a single notation even in the interest of their students.

04.Teacher training course in music: There is only one music-teacher-training-course attached and run by the Music Academy, Chennai since more than 50 years and even this one is also for only Vocal-teachers. This kind of training courses must be opened country wide for vocal and instruments to cater the needs of the public. In respect of music also facilities must be provided for Educatioinal Research and Training like NCERT (National Council for Educational Research and Training) and these teacher-training-institutes must be maintained by them for maintaining standards and issue relevant certificates for Teachers. Pitiably enough, even in Chennai, the famous centre for Karnataka music of our country, even though there are umpteen organisations arranging a number of concerts and different seasonal festivals, there is not even a single organisation ever arranged a seminar or symposium or conference, once in a year at the least, on methods of teaching music for the benefit of our aspirants.

05.Supervisory set-up: Pitiably enough, since last 50 years, there was not even a single academic inspection in any of the Govt. Music Colleges of Andhra Pradesh. Never there was even a cell for inspection for this purpose and taking this advantage all the teachers are teaching the students as they like and nobody has any interest at all in rectifying this perennial defect. While other foreign countries are able to introduce even B.Tech. in Music and M.Tech. in music we are unable even to rectify many of our defects and to maintain standards in the name of great tradition.

06.Prescribing syllabus for the award of different scholarships: Even for the award of Scholarships of either the lower-age-groups or higher-age-groups no syllabus has ever been prescribed giving scope for high malpractice. When once I happened to act as the Judge for one of it when I asked each and every candidate to render the Alankaras in Ata and Triputa-talas in 3rd degree of speed to test their rhythmical ability in the absence of any syllabus many of the candidates failed and all their respective music-teachers unanimously cried out against me and made a collective representation not to select me thereafter as a Judge and succeeded. Even in the preliminary audition-test of All India Radio no rhythmical test has ever been prescribed though needed. amsharma

[manjunath]

Akellaji,

You are diverting the matter. The problem is you are not taking the problems mentioned to right people. In this forum no one can solve your problems. I think better you take it to the concerned authoritites/ the government rather disgrading or disrespecting musicians and blaming them on dialy basis. First, you must try to find out where the peoblem is and why they are not listning to your suggesstions. I feel the problem lies with you. First you should learn to respect peolple and then take the problems and suggestions to them. No matter how ever genious you may be without respecting musicans and mixing with them you can not solve any thing . You are saying you have proven your methods. Your methods shoud be proven by other musicians and not by only you. From these postings again you have proven that musicans should listen to you and you will not. If you really want to serve the music you would have continued accepting others and slowly try to change them with your good acts and kindness instead of saying i am right and i am right.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, manjunath, Very sorry. I cannot continue the dialogue with a person who is afraid to come out open and does not even try know the facts and figures but, some how, likes to make irrational and insensible arguments. amsharma

[manjunath]

Akellaji,

I am not afraid. you are afraid to tell the names of musicians openly those you feel not done any thing for music. Instead of naming the people /musicians who have not done anything for music, you are blaming all the teachers and musicians in every post of yours.

[vasanthakokilam]

manjunath: If you need to have a one on one argument with msakella please do it through other means like email.

In general, we would like members to deal with such topics in a general fashion and not name individuals if at all possible.

[sangeethamquest]

I agree. Please take any personal difference of opinions/arguments offline.
Akellaji please continue your excellent service/work.

[msakella]

Dear brother-members, vasanthakokilam & sangeethamquest, Thank you for your sincere support in real service to the cause of music. With all your support I shall certainly continue my writings and give all the details though some of them are bitter truths only in the deep interest of rendering true service to the cause of our music and also all our kids but not with any kind of self-interest which I do not need at all at this fagend of my life. amsharma

[Rasika911]

I must admit that I do not comprehend your way of teaching manodharma sangeetham. My understanding is that for swarakalpana you teach rythmic lessons and the students learn this.
For raga alapana you notate the alapana and they learn it?

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, A small kid always try to very keenly observe his mother, father etc., etc., whoever he comes across and try to imitate them in every possible manner. After doing this for some time he starts doing things on his own. I have made umpteen experiments upon a number of students who are handy in my institution and found that, always, while the imitation is the first step in learning things the originality starts only later in doing things. We should never expect the originality right from the beginning itself. But, while every musician is telling that, except constant listening to the alwarts of yester years and heavily practicing them later, there is no easy method at all in singing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana,

I have given them special easy rhythmical exercises in which the mathematical element of real Muktayis has unimaginably been lessened to the minimum just to perform a ‘drill’ of Mridanga Jatis along with Tala for a short period at the end of which they are asked to sing the same in terms of pre-arranged svaras. After a very regular and planned practice of more than 4 or 5 hours for 2 or 3 months the aspirants will certainly become able to sing Svarakalpana on their own.

In the traditional way of teaching, there is no gurantee that the aspirant will get the same ability of singing Svarakalpana on his own even after 5 or 6 years. In the same manner, even for Ragalapana there is a planned method to make them sing Ragalapana on their own within a very short period which is unimaginable to any traditional teacher. Here, it is very important to note that all these methods differ even in implementing them from person to person depending upon their instinctive talents.

In fact, like music, these methods of teaching also are only demonstratable but not describable. I can’t help if all these novel methods of teaching in making this music strictly time-bound and result-oriented are incomprehensible to you. Practically seeing these advantages here some people are truly striving hard to propagate them sincerely for the benefit of our kids and are also getting unimaginable and fantastic results.

You can also visit ‘http://www.esnips.com/web/AMS-Violin-De ... šÂ¬Ã¢â€žÂ¢ to listen to some of the audio-clippings of some kids singing rhythmical Svarakalpana very efficiently. Among them bearing the names of the places are of the students of the respective Govt. Music Colleges recorded in 2006 and bearing the names of the students are of the S.V.College of Music & Dance, Tirupati recorded in 2007 - all trained by me only. You can also visit ‘youtube.com/msakella’ to find 6 recent Video-clippings of kids singing the intricate rhythmical exercises and Svarakalpana very efficiently. amsharma

[Rasika911]

Interesting indeed. However, I still dont understand how swara mukthaiys will enable a student to sing swarams for ragams like anandhabhairavi or sahana, it could be a disaster.

I am anticipating the youtube release of the kids singing ragam though

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, Not only in vocal-singing but also in violin-playing there are vey interesting techniques which enable the aspirants do their job very quickly and efficiently.
If we very carefully and properly analyse the logic behing the thing certainly we can find a way. Even though I am a very little Vocalist and Violinst than all others I am able to properly analyse the logic and found a seccessful way out than many of others only by the grace of the Almighty.
For example, we shall, now, analyse it a little. If we carefully see we find four implications in singing Svarakalpana and they are, 1.Rhythm or Laya 2.Tala or meter of this rhythm or Laya 3.Svara-syllables such as Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma etc., 4. Svara-sounds of the same Svara-syllables. Unless the aspirant gets reasonable acquaintance and control over these 4 implications he cannot get through this Svarakalpana. Even in respect of the general mathematics our elders are used to make us regularly and daily recite, even in our 3rd year or 4th year of age, the respective tables hundreds of times in the process to keep us efficient in mathematics. In the same manner, at the first instance, it is very important to note that we should train the aspirants only in the tender age and, next, this training should be made in a planned manner without taxing the kid in all the 4 implications at a time. So, accordingly, to enable the aspirant sing the Svarakalpana, training must be started right from the first day of learning music but not after finishing some 10 Varnas and 20 Kritis which is usually done by all the music-teachers. Being a Mridangist in my younger age, for this purpose and for the first time in the history, I was able to formulate ‘Jati-alankaras’ having Mridangam-syllables which are to be taught to train the aspirant even before teaching him the seven notes. By making the aspirant practice with only beats and Jatis we can tax him go along with rhythm only and avoiding other three implications. To make the lessons also easier to the aspirant the seriatim of these Jati-alankaras must be taught from 4-units of Eka, 6-units of Rupaka, 10-units of Mathya, 14-units of Dhruva in the 1st group and 10-units of Jhampa, 14-units of Ata and 7-units of Triuputa of the 2nd group, very strictly in the same order only. The aspirant should be asked to render a beat with his right-hand on his right thigh spelling out ‘ki-ta’ followed by another beat with his left-hand on his left thigh spelling out ‘ta-ka’ - all in the duration of a single second which is called ‘Matra-kaala’ ie., 4-units per second. This itself is the Eka-tala-jati-alankara also. Without teaching the aspirant the Talangas at all, he should be taught all these Jati-alankaras only with the beats of both the hands in the above 2 groups, one after the other very strictly. If the aspirant is of around 8 years of age with tested laya-instinct, he can very successfully finish all these 7 Jati-alanakars in a single day. After this, Saralee-svaras should be taught by not direct-teaching but initiating him to simultaneously play the keys of Casio-MA-150 along with the beats of the in-built-metronome (@ 1-unit per each second i.e., 60 bpm) and sing the 7 notes in Shankarabharana. In this manner without direct-teaching he should only be initiated to simultaneously play and sing the Janta-svaras, Daatu-svaras & Svara-alankaras in the same way which could very easily and efficiently be finished within a week. Then, in the same way, without direct-teaching, he should only be initiated to sumultaneously play and sing the six Gitas also on his own. While learning the gitas he should be initiated to play the notes of Casio and sing Svara followed by Akaara and Saahitya, very strictly in this order only. After Gitas, at the first instance, the important Kampitas and Gamakas should be demonstrated and later Varnas in Natakuranji, Kambhoji, Darbar, Shankarabharana, Kalyani, Begada, Todi, Saveri and Bhairavi (Ata) along with Svarajati should be taught. Each and every varna has to be demonstrated and aught with full details of all oscillations. While the Varnas are taught on one hand all the 20 SREs (Special Rhythmical exercises) must be practised on the other. Later all these rhythmical patterns in the 20th SRE should also be practised in terms of Svaras of Sampoornas, Shadavas and Oudavas etc., which, in the end, leads to sing efficient Svarakalpana on their own. This is a well proven method of teaching Svarakalpana and later Ragalapana in quickening the process of teaching.
Prasently, the students who have not been trained previously in this method, are being trained gradually bringing them into this method and it takes some more time to enable them sing Ragalapana in this method. amsharma

[manjunath]

VK/SQ

What is the use of knowledge of Akellaji , which can't be accepted by music community and can't produce a talented musician? Those he is talking/quoting negative are proven to the world that they are musicians and serving for music atleast upto certain extent. But Akellaji never produced a talented musician except talking or saying he is great. My sincere request is let him not write or comment anything about the teachers. That's ends. Because this small teachers only tried to safe gaurd this music so far and not Akellaji. He is also one among the thousands and he is not alone the carnatic music.

[Rasika911]

VK/SQ

What is the use of knowledge of Akellaji , which can't be accepted by music community and can't produce a talented musician? Those he is talking/quoting negative are proven to the world that they are musicians and serving for music atleast upto certain extent. But Akellaji never produced a talented musician except talking or saying he is great. My sincere request is let him not write or comment anything about the teachers. That's ends. Because this small teachers only tried to safe gaurd this music so far and not Akellaji. He is also one among the thousands and he is not alone the carnatic music.

My problem is the method. The best way to sing an alapana for karaharapriya is to learn several krithis in it, there is no better proven way. Other methods dont require manodharmam and the student will be simply packaging without having any idea what they are singing.
My humble view

[vasanthakokilam]

Rasika911, I agree you have a preference for the traditional method but you are jumping to conclusions about Sri. msakella's method. I am not sure if you have given it due consideration. Like a sculptor or a painter, it is not enough to just see the works of past masters. It gives you ideas and inspirations but you still need tools and techniques to bring out those ideas. That is one of the aspects that msakella strives to achieve in a predictable way. Yes, one can say you keep on painiting in random ways, pretty soon you will get the hang of it. That is one way. The other way is to teach students exactly the techniques involved in painting. I do not think that necessarily means you are curbing the creativity of the student painter.

One thing that many people do not seem to know is that manodharma aspects like kalpanaswarams are not entirely on the spot creativity. Kalpanaswarams require a lot of laya ability even more than swara ability ( contrary to what one may think intuitively ). Getting a great grounding in laya early on provides the fertilized platform on which the swara creativity can bloom later on. Strength in Laya gives you that confidence because that platform is not shaky so you do not mind standing on top of it, even jump up and down joyfully, even willy nilly, without any fear of falling.

It is like extempore public speaking. The exact words you speak on a given day may vary from the previous day but it still requires a framework which needs to be rehearsed at home.( barring some exceptional cases ). Otherwise it will be a jumble of incoherent ideas not fitting together well. But given a well rehearsed framework, you can see a public speaker improvise on the fly. Why? Because that well rehearsed framework gives that person the confidence to improvise.

It may sound like a contracdition but it is true. For unbridled improvisation, you need a well rehearsed platform/grounding.

[rajeshnat]

One thing that many people do not seem to know is that manodharma aspects like kalpanaswarams are not entirely on the spot creativity. Kalpanaswarams require a lot of laya ability even more than swara ability ( contrary to what one may think intuitively ). Getting a great grounding in laya early on provides the fertilized platform on which the swara creativity can bloom later on. Strength in Laya gives you that confidence because that platform is not shaky so you do not mind standing on top of it, even jump up and down joyfully, even willy nilly, without any fear of falling.

Vk
Very well said especially I liked those 2 lines.

[cmlover]

Yes I agree Rajesh! VK simply sparkles. That indeed permits us to appreciate what Sarmaji is trying to explain perhaps in a circuitous language I see that his novelty is in training the student on Laya before starting anything. I have not heard the traditional music teachers adopting this approach. In the light of VK's explanation Sarmaji's approach is quite logical and it should work among very young learners.

I tested my layasense using the computer generted blips and aligned myself. Then I muted the sounds and tested my rhythm after two minutes and I was way off (which proves my total lack of laya sense!). I wish I were an eight-year old to learn Sarmaji's approach
Incidentally I tested some of the present day performers using the computer blip (on their videos (no names please!) and I found their laya sense also is lacking (eg., even adi thaaLaM). I noticed that the mridangist usually adjustas himself to accommodate the vocalist I do agree that Sarmaji's basic approach should be adopted by all CM teachers so that there is standardisation among future performers.

I applaud him on his lone crusade in the interest of CM!

[girish_a]

Mr. Manjunath, I find it very offensive when people talk derisively of others' works. There is nothing wrong in disagreeing with someone - indeed, it is very essential for a healthy exchange of ideas, and for ideas and concepts to mature; but put-downs and snide remarks make for a very distasteful experience.

Isn't it so much better to tell someone that you respectfully disagree and state the reasons than to use offensive language to make a point?

I have been reading Edward de Bono's "Serious Creativity" in which he mentions that it is more important to reward creative effort than just the results of creativity. I found this observation very practical.

If someone is trying to do something different, encourage them. They may fail, but they tried sincerely. If you don't find their work satisfactory, either help them improve it or move on if you aren't interested. But don't put people down.

[msakella]

Dear brother-members, Rasika911, vasanthakokilam, rajeshnat, cmlover and girish_a, Thanks to all of you for your sincere efforts in supporting my novel methods of teaching

Vasanthakokilam’s observations "Kalpanaswarams require a lot of laya ability even more than swara ability ( contrary to what one may think intuitively ). Getting a great grounding in laya early on provides the fertilized platform on which the swara creativity can bloom later on. Strength in Laya gives you that confidence because that platform is not shaky so you do not mind standing on top of it, even jump up and down joyfully, even willy nilly, without any fear of falling"

[srikant1987]

The best way to sing an alapana for karaharapriya is to learn several krithis in it, there is no better proven way. Other methods dont require manodharmam and the student will be simply packaging without having any idea what they are singing.

Listening to several good alapanais, neravals and svarams is also a good way to learn what kharaharapriya really is, imho.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, srikant1987, All our stalwarts are mostly used to listen to all the Ragas while their Gurus were singing either mostly in their concerts or in their residences occassionally and, in turn, they are also always used to tell the same even to their disciples that they must listen more to their singing and sing later. Most unfortunately, all the stalwarts are always used to tell that always it is healthy to listen to their Guru and learn only in person but not by notation or pre-recorded music of cassette or CD. That is why only a very few Gamakas have been symbolised even in our great Sangita Sampradaya Pradhashini of Subbarama Dikshitar. In general, in any country and in any walk of life, the elders are always used to strive hard in making things easier to their kids of future generations and I also feel the same in respect of all our stalwarts who did never care to evolve a flawless system of writing notation not only to make things easier to their kids but also for proper documentation of the available material. Unlike any other stalwart, being a very little artist, only keeping this in view, I have strived hard to bring out 60 varieties of symbolised Kampitas and Gamakas in my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha and AMS Easy Methods-2007 CD. In this respect I have also brought out 27 facets of Kaishiki-nishada alone in my above CD. All these things I did only as a start for doing such things but not to earn money or recognition or fame or titles or awards at all. Even though few people think that I never produce even a single disciple my disciples always shine far above many of their contemporaries as I always take every care in shaping them as a replicas of mine even without expecting any monetary benefit from any one of them.

In which way we train our kids to take out the ghee out of the milk, if the music-aspirants are also trained how to take out the element of Raga from the Varna or Kriti through the detailed knowledge of symbolised Kampitas and Gamakas it becomes easier to the aspirant to make Ragalapana also efficiently on his own. I always respect the stalwarts or teachers who strive hard sincerely and honestly in shaping their students just as their replicas. amsharma

[cmlover]

You make lot of sense Sarmaji. Listening to one's guru or listening to stalwarts will make a student simply just imitative. On the otherhand your approach is analytic which will make them creative. Do give site references to your student's performances available on the net so that we can listen and assess their creativity in swarakalpana as welll as aalaapana.