The Hindu Friday Review Q&A with various CM artists

[kvchellappa]

Vijaya siva
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp ... 549638.ece

[kamavardhani]

It is not an interview. It is a Friday Review feature where readers can mail in questions and have artistes answer them. The first in the series was Dr Sowmya: http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday ... 317368.ece

[kvchellappa]

Yes. My title was wrong. It is insightful.

[Rsachi]

We should compliment The HIndu for creating this excellent forum to interact with the musicians.
From the 2 interviews published, we can see that the musicians take this seriously and write down their responses. I especially like the Vijay Siva answers. it shows a committed, established and responsible musician.

Somehow his answers reminded me of the 'The Three Boons' discussion.

[munirao2001]

Meet the Artist-Sri Vijay Siva
It was very good reading both the questions and the answers. To be frank, I was disappointed with Smt.Sowmya's some of the answers for specific questions.
This column of The Hindu, a well thought out to establish the very essential connectivity with the artists. With good understanding of the artists, the rasikas enjoyment would be higher, if not the best. Whenever Lecture-Demonstrations and Panel discussions are held, the bad time management invariably denies the critical and very essential time for questions and answers of rasikas in a stated interactive program.
As rasikas, let us send feed back to The Hindu, which is very rarely done by the rasikas, to support such column. It may also lead to the other dailies also coming up with similar columns, in the near future.

munirao2001

[msakella]

I am unable to download Dr. Sowmya’s review.

In the Q & A session, very sadly, the answer given to a question is not at all helpful to the aspirant. It is furnished hereunder.

Question: I am a Carnatic music practitioner. While practising, I am able to sustain up to nishadam and on swaras beyond upper shadjamam. But I am not too comfortable at mel shadjamam. Also, my laya becomes erratic while singing along with the mridangam. Could it be due to lack of confidence?

Bala Krishnan, Chennai

Answer: No. It is the lack of technical knowhow. When you go beyond ‘dha’ or ‘ni’, wear a broad smile on your face and flush nasality into your tone. Listen to a lot of concerts concentrating on the chemistry between the vocalist and the mridangam artist. Practise often with a mridangam artist.
This familiarity will ease your lack of control over laya.

Basically, in our Karnatak music, in the absence of a standardized system of learning, the age old traditional process of teaching/learning has always been helping the aspirant remain as a dependent upon the teacher. Mostly the illogicalities and irrationalities of this old system are making the aspirant the scape-goat. If an efficient, honest and reliable teacher makes proper plans to initiate the aspirant work on his/her own in the process of learning he/she can learn it very quickly and efficiently.

Particularly, if the rhythmical abilities of the aspirant, at the first instance, are properly stabilized and if he/she, either in the presence or the absence of the teacher, mostly relies upon the in-built facilities of the Metronome and the Transpose of the Casio-MA-150 and practice regularly, he/she can progress very quickly and efficiently. amsharma

[bombal]

msakella ji

even if for a moment, we accept the various theories propounded by you, I sincerely feel that you have always looked at things with a negative perspective. It is as though to say that the theories propagated by you and the artists whom you favour, are the best and the others are not worthwhile to talk about.

this is a sincere viewpoint from someone who is very junior in terms of musical experience.

:namaste:

[msakella]

Dear brother/sister-member, bombal,

Very nice to hear from you, dear. Even in my past teaching-service of more than 40 years I have followed the same theories which are being followed by each and every music-teacher since many years. But, later, only by the grace of the Almighty, in the serious introspection made only after 5 years after my retirement, I could realize that I have all along been following the suicidal traditional system of teaching/learning which is full of illogicalities and irrationalities and which always keeps the aspirant solely dependent upon the teacher wastefully elongating the process for many years.

Ultimately, for the first time in the history, I have brought out a novel system of learning our music in which the teacher’s role is less than 10% and the aspirant’s role is more than 90% unbelievably to all the so-called music-teachers. This system is very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ basing upon the end-results. This system is free from any illogicalities and irrationalities. I have long ago declared openly that I am always ready for any open discussion to prove the merits of this novel system of learning music and also the demerits of the old system. But, till now no musician came out for any discussion but many cry out of their hat that I always have a negative perspective. If all think so why nobody comes out for any open discussion and very well prove my negative perspective for the welfare of our aspirants’ community? amsharma

[munirao2001]

Sri msakella garu,

Sri N Vijay Siva was asked and he answered sharing his own experience and expertise as a practitioner and teacher. We must understand that this column is not for universal but between the musician and the rasika. In the Q&A, universal in nature may also be discussed.

Sri bombal

Creativity, original, happens only with inquiry of not this. Sri M.S.Akella garu's creativity and innovation, even though made as a source materials for knowledge in the public domain, AMS Easy Methods has not received the attention and discussion by the practitioners-both teachers and musicians;students;event - managers and patrons. With advancing years in age, the neglect hurts very deeply the passionate artist and the teacher. Yes, open criticisms of the various other systems and its practitioners, also hurts and proved to be counter productive.
Only right action and the remedy is, to give Sri MSA garu a very serious consideration to organize an event in Chennai which would consist of 1.Lecture-Demonstration, including select students, both trained and not trained with AMS Easy Methods. 2. A panel or group discussion of experts consisting of Teacher;Performer;Musicologist;Critic;Discerning rasika. My appeals and efforts to organize such event either at Chennai or Bengaluru is yet to succeed.
I had written to the Editor, Friday Review, The Hindu for selecting the artists, belonging three generations, in turn, with priority to the Seniors. Collective knowledge is required and also to make them source materials for the students and the rasikas. I wish that Editior, Friday Review,selects Sri MSA garu also and good questions are asked on the AMS Easy Methods and it would reach the reader students and rasikas.

munirao2001

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, muniraogaru,

I am not an educated person like you to speak and write good English. As my friend late TRS was telling I am also equally poor in all the languages. However, being my mother tongue I need not search for a suitable word while speaking or writing in Telugu. That is why I prefer to speak and write in Telugu only.

I sincerely feel that I am not fit to speak or write in English. As all my brother and sister members of our forum have become accustomed to my language and feelings, though sharp, since many years I am able to, somehow, manage. And I shall try to continue the same in this forum but not in the Friday Review of The Hindu. So, please don’t recommend my name to The Hindu in this respect.

Nowadays, at this old age, my physical condition is not allowing me even to sit for a long time and write these lengthy posts. However, I am trying to do this as my duty to make our people aware of the facts. However, if my health permits I prefer to participate in any open discussion on these aspects. But, I don’t think that your appeals and efforts will succeed and people come out for this. amsharma

[munirao2001]

Sri msakella garu,

You are communicating your thoughts very clearly, neither me nor you are claiming expertise in writing. Chasing dreams keeps us mentally fit at least!

munirao2001

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, muniraogaru,

Being an educated person, if needed, you can claim the expertise in writing also but I can't.

Only by the grace of the Almighty, since many years, as I have been able to work vigorously and extensively on the methods in learning our music and getting unbelievable and amazing end-results, unlike any other music-teacher on the globe, I have no time at all to chase or choose for dreams. Without ending my life merely as a parasitical performer and inefficient teacher, I am fortunate that the Almighty very kindly transformed me efficient in doing the maximum in this respect for the welfare of our aspirants. amsharma