An independent Institute for documentation

[msakella]

Anywhere any aspirant, having become inspired by the mastery over the art of the senior stalwarts, works hard only to learn it and develop it in his own way but not with any other motive of getting recognition or awards or anything. But, while growing up in that field gradually the desire of getting recognition or receiving awards or others like other stalwarts also grows up simultaneously. Only to encourage the talent and develop the art this kind of recognition and awards are introduced by various organisations. In this respect I sincerely appreciate all these organisations all over the country and abroad for the yeoman service they have been doing to the society by regularly arranging concerts, competitions and by giving away the prizes to the winners of the competitions and awards or titles to the senior stalwarts.

But, fortunately or unfortunately, as a true-teacher I am always compelled to bother about our generation and feel very bad as all these organisations are simply washing away their hands only by arranging concerts and competitions and by giving away the prizes for the winners of the competitions and awards or titles to the senior stalwarts but none of them are truly bothered in carefully and properly preserving the speciality of the stalwarts by documenting it for the posterity.

In general, music could easily be learnt by repeated listening. But, in 60s very hefty and costly tape-recorders have newly been introduced in the Stations of All India Radio to record the music and broadcast and these recorders are not within the reach of many of the aspirants. Later, the cassette-recorders and video-recorders also have gradually come into vogue as a boon for music and dance aspirants as, unlike in the past, the music or dance concerts could be recorded and carried in our pocket facilitating listening to it repeatedly any number of times at any place and time. Even though, in respect of Vocal music, an audio-recording is enough to serve the purpose of repeated listening, instrumental music or dance concerts must be video-recorded to bring out the respective finger-techniques or physical movements of the body. Even though every care has already been taken to video-record the physical movements of the dance-artists, most unfortunately, no such care has ever been taken to video-record the different intricate finger-techniques of various instrumental artists to show them to the present day younger aspirants which obviously reveals the negligence and carelessness of our elders and stalwarts in preserving things for the posterity. For example, in respect of Violin-finger-techniques, due to their old age, the present Violin-giants like Shri M.S.Gopalakrishnan, Lalgudi Shri G.Jayaraman and Shri M.Chandrashekharan etc., are unable to efficiently demonstrate all their intricate-finger-techniques like in their prime-time. To tell the truth this is a great loss to our present aspirants which can never be substituted.

Thus, on one side, while the so-called stalwarts are much bothered in earning money, fame, awards and titles and, on another side, while all the listeners are bothered only in enjoying the art of the stalwarts no organisation is taking any interest in documenting their different intricate finger-techniques to guide our present aspirants.

Keeping all the above in view, I would suggest to start an organisation with the collective effort of all the local organisations in Chennai, allocating 20% of their funds for this purpose. This organisation must document (both audio and video) the different intricate finger-techniques of instrumental-stalwarts and preserve them for the posterity, arrange lecture-demonstrations on the teaching-methods of Manodharma-sangita, in particular, and periodical concerts of youth only. amsharma

[VK RAMAN]

I like the proposal and like to hear from individuals connected with institutions how would they like to help teaching methods

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, VK RAMAN, While the westerners always standardise everything of any subject, most unfortunately, our people never even care to try for documenting the details of our music, which is 4000 years old. But, our stalwarts are ready to claim as the 4th or 5th or 6th descendants of the Musical Trinity as it is easy to do so in the absence of such documentation of our music. Unlike in the past, even umpteen facilities are readily available to record or reproduce our music at any time and place, many conservatives even refuse to write the compositions in notation leave alone any symbolised notation. Even in our old Gurukulas the great the inmates are constantly exposed to music either by the singing of the co-students or the Guru which helped the aspirant a lot. Even now, if the aspirant is vigilantly initiated to listen to the recorded music and regular practice by an efficient, honest and reliable teacher he can certainly finish off learning music within a very short time.

In 1977, when I was working in the Music-college at Vizianagaram, I was able to collect some muktayis from the Mullapudi School of Mridangam which minimise the mathematical implications reasonably. Later, to make them easier to the aspirant I have symbolised them and many of our students have learnt and used them successfully in their regular Svarakalpana. Thus, for the first time in the history, I have found out a way to give the aspirant one kind of useful drill which gradually paves way to sing Svarakalpana basing upon his hard work.

In my umpteen experiments on kids in 90s I have found out that music could very easily be learnt mostly by the initiation of the teacher. Even while teaching cooking or driving a motor-cycle there is not much use if the teacher himself cooks or drives a motor-cycle and asks the aspirant to follow him just like in our music. If the aspirant is properly initiated by the teacher the aspirant himself feels everything and that experience helps him go further avoiding any problems. In the same manner, even in our music, teacher’s proper initiation helps the aspirant go fast in learning things on his own. While doing so, if it is furnished along with a document with properly written notation and an audio-file to follow it successfully, it helps him a lot. At the first instance, I have written Bhairavi-raga in notation covering the duration of four minutes and sang the same and recorded it in a cassette-recorder. I have given both the notation and the audio-cassette to a bright student of our Music-college and asked her to listen to it as many times as she can and reproduce it in the same manner. Even though I have given her the barest notation even without any symbols, I was amazed to find that she could reproduce it exactly and successfully. This encouraged me to make the notation symbolised and to bring out my book, Sangeeta Svararaga Sudha on Svarakalpana and Ragalapana. The aspirant who goes through my above book with great perseverance can certainly get success in singing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana on his own within a very short time. Thus, only documentation in the form of notation and audio-files help the aspirant to work on his own and learn things fast and easily with minimum dependency on his teacher. In our music, all the teachers are always used to sing themselves and ask the aspirant to imitate and follow him. By this the aspirant feels very happy to sing along with the teacher and pay the tuition-fees to the teacher. But, in this usual process, imitative abilities only increase but not the knowledge at all. That is why initiating the aspirant is the only way to make him knowledgeable enabling him proceed further on his own. For this purpose, proper documentation of our art in terms of notation and audio-files is highly necessary.

But the question is ‘who bells the cat?’. Since last 10 days no body responded to our posts. Even if they see them they keep quiet without answering. This obviously reveals the dis-interest of our people even in grave necessity. Basing upon this if we call them ‘true impotents’ then only they will react to retort. amsharma

[mohan]

This organisation must document (both audio and video) the different intricate finger-techniques of instrumental-stalwarts and preserve them for the posterity

I understand there have been two doctorate thesis written at Mysore University that cover the various styles of violin and veena. They have been completed by Dr Mysore Manjunath (on violin styles) and Dr Jayanthi Kumaresh (on veena styles). I have not seen the actual completed works so don't know what depth they cover and whether or not they have video/audio samples included.

[srikant1987]

Akella sir,

Yes indeed, a video documentation of instrumentalists could be useful in learning fingering techniques.

However, I feel that it is Carnatic music stripped down to bare essentials that should necessarily carry on. Anything beyond that is fashion and gimmickry, and it, like all fashion, probably should change as generations pass by.

I think all this documentation diminishes in importance when we look into that sparse music. In music of such sparseness, there is much that comes from the artist's state of mind during the performance and from their innermost nature. This can only be tacitly learnt, directly and in person.

In short, the fingering technique, and the instrument itself must be mere slaves to the music ...

[msakella]

Mohan – Of course, I have my own doubts about the present-day doctorates. However, I thank you for your kind information.

Srikant1987 – Everybody knows that ‘bhava’ could neither be taught nor learnt. Basing upon the techniques the teacher teaches, the aspirant himself has to work hard to get the ‘bhava’. In this way, I have formulated some rare finger-techniques, taught to my disciple, Chi. O.Rajashekhar, initiated him to work hard and made his play the Kalyani-Ata-varna in 120 bpm speed mostly on the 2nd string on the Violin which is available in the ‘youtube.com/msakella’s channel’. Thus, he is able to use the finger-techniques efficiently but God alone knows when he gets the true ‘bhava’.

In my view, while teaching, who plays the minimum but initiates the aspirant play the maximum is only the efficient, honest and reliable teacher. All these performers can never be efficient teachers and even finding such teacher is a Himalayan task. We shall be fortunate enough, if we are able to find such an efficient teacher and he sincerely demonstrates all the needed techniques to document them for the posterity. But, nope. amsharma

[srikant1987]

Akella sir,

Yes. In addition to a core musical layer, there is a layer of bhava and a layer of fashion.

But I tend to believe that fingering techniques are more important for fashion than for core music.

Nonetheless, fingering techniques are of relevance to core music also.

[venkatakailasam]

"our people never even care to try for documenting the details of our music"
I think it is a sweeping remark.

Documentation is being done at various agencies as I saw going through the following:

Audio Reference Encyclopaedia
http://www.reocities.com/cbhpub/raga.html

Ragas in Indian Music
http://www.reocities.com/cbhpub/music.html

MUSIC INSTITUTION IN CHENNAI
SAMPRADAYA
http://www.saigan.com/heritage/music/samp.htm

Sampradaya: The First Twenty Years
http://www.indianfolklore.org/journals/ ... File/24/28

Digital Archiving : Indian Scenario
http://ir.inflibnet.ac.in/dxml/bitstrea ... sequence=1

There may be other agencies also.

CARNATIC MUSIC GUIDE is a site where information regarding all about Carnatic Music is available.

It is understood that Annamalai university has created facilities to document the various aspect in this regard.

Perhaps what is required is channelizing the efforts of the above agencies.

venkatakailasam

[msakella]

Being out of station I couldn’t respond immediately.

srikant1987 – In which way our ideas must come out through the words spelt out of our mouth, as per my experience, the instrumentalist needs a very well-disciplined finger techniques to bring out the core music.

venkatakailasam – Till now, for the benefit of the aspirants learning Karnataka-music or Violin, I have uploaded around 170 videos to 'youtube.com' long ago. But, when I have gone through all the 5 links you have very kindly furnished in your post I could not find that kind of videos which are kept within the easy reach of any aspirant. amsharma