THE Recognition of a "A" Grade from All India Radio for Keyboard!

[tkb]

I am pleased and humbled to inform all that K. Sathyanarayanan has been upGraded as a "A" Grade artiste IN THE CATEGORY OF INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - CLASSICAL MUSCI in A.I.R. effective 20th January, 2015. I, along with Sathya and our family dedicate this Gradation to all his gurus, well wishers, music rasikas and many forums who have been extending constant support and encouragement.

It is also to note that Sri Ravishankar iyer, Sri Arjun Sambasivam have been upgraded to 'B High' and Sri. R. Narayanan has entered A.I.R. as a B Grade artist this year. I am sure there would be many more getting into the stream and I am thankful to the then I & B Minister Sri. S. Jagathrakshagan and Dr. M. Balamuralikrishna who had paved way for the Audition process in A.I.R. for the instrument Keyboard.

Congratulations to every one of them and looking forward to many more to get into A.I.R. as graded artists in the future.

rgds tkb

[rshankar]

Congratulations to Satya!

[tkb]

@rshankar thanks so much.

[arasi]

So pleased to hear this, proud parents!

Satya, May your music flourish!

[vasanthakokilam]

Great achievement indeed. Congrats Satya and best wishes

[Rsachi]

This is a momentous occasion. Congrats. I request tkb to share links to a good sample of musical pieces of Satya's keyboard with details of accompanists.
Also I would love to hear some samples of Satya accompanying Abhishek!

[tkb]

thanks you @arasi, @vasanthakokilam and @Rsachi for the wishes and blessings. @Rsachi many of Sathya's performances are available in http://www.sangeethapriya.org and a recent concert of him for Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha is available in this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbV5t-zB-DI with Sri. B. Ananthakrishnan on violin, Sri. SJ Arjun Ganesh on Mrudhangam and Sri. HAriharasharma on Kanjeera

You can also listen to this link of sathya's concert with Sri. Karaikal Venkatasubramanian on Violin and Sri. Kumbakonam Swaminathan on mruhangam
https://myspace.com/keyboardsathya/musi ... t-19511756

[rajeshnat]

TKB
Congratulations to sathya. Just curious what are the additional emoluments or advantages that an artist gets when he/she moves from B to A grade in AIR?

[Nick H]

Congratulations to Sathya!

No, it's true that I still have not enlarged my horizons to take in the keyboard but I am still very happy to hear of Sathya's continuing success

[Rsachi]

Dear tkb,
I have heard a few pieces from Keyboard Satya now.
Whatever I state here must be understood as coming from someone who is insignificant compared to legends like Mandolin Shrinivas or Dr BMK.

I do feel the next hurdle for Satya to conquer is to make the keyboard sound like a natural acoustic instrument. Its widespread acceptance will greatly depend on this. Otherwise it will be a situation like a bunch of fluorescent plastic flowers in the midst of an arrangement of natural flowers. No bees will be attracted to it.

To overcome the tonal alien-ness, considerable research may be necessary. I feel it will be worthwhile. (Also I do feel many gamakas need to be still perfected to conform to the Carnatic idiom).

Essentially the keyboard is like a powerful computer. If you take it to an abacus contest and participate with wooden abacuses, you will have to adapt it considerably and therefore lose most of its versatility and power. But if it does transform into an abacus, that's wonderful, isn't it?

I know most cine orchestras abjectly depend on the keyboard. I can only marvel how they are adapted to meld naturally with the violins and voices like that of Shreya Ghoshal or KK.

I must quote an example to show my preferences. An album was advertised recently of Abhishek singing with Anil Srinivasan (and some background orchestra). I found that the voice stayed on a different plane compared with the overall soundscape of the rest of performers. On the other hand I have heard Anil Srinivasan and Sikkil Gurucharan together on YouTube. It is brilliant. I liked it. Is it sound shaping or what I don't know. That it was an acoustic piano would have helped.

[mahavishnu]

Congratulations and All the best, Satya! And TKB, you should be proud of being such a wonderful parent. God bless you!

[tkb]

@rajeshnat - thank you so much for the wishes. With regard to the advantages of up gradation - while you are in B Grade you need to upgrade to the next level - B high with in 5 years and failing to do will make you to go through all the hurdles from the round 1. If you successfully upgrade yourself to B high grade then you can stay on this for life time and its optional for oneself upgrade to the next higher being A. When you become A grade artiste the program normally extended is for an hour and you can also be entitled for all special broadcasts as well. The remuneration is also on the higher side and you are entitled to apply with ICCR and go as Government artists to different countries for performance under ICCR.

@Nick H thanks so much and i sincerely hope one day you will also turn to one of his concerts and will like it as well However people/forums in principal need to have interest on instrumental music which at present is not very encouraging as far as Public concerts are concerned.

@RSachi thanks for the detailed post and sincerely thank you for the time and valuable observation and suggestions.

It is very important to note that instruments like violin, Mandolin, Saxaphone, Clarinet and others have taken a good number of years to get themselves established in Carnatic Music depending on the support, encouragement received to each one of them accordingly. Keyboard in Carnatic is indeed just taken up seriously probably from 2003, at least by us and its just around 11 years plus in spite of the fact that vidwans sri. T.N. Seshagopalan, Sri. Palladam sir and Sri. Subbu have been making their presence even before this. I am sure in years to come this instrument which has just got recognised only three years back by A.I.R. will be handled by many in the best ways in the years to come.

As i had informed this recognition in A.I.R. has given us a good encouragement to Sathya in particular, and will now have more confidence to keep marching forward to understand & keep making his best efforts to bring in the necessary nuances. Its also a fact that in spite of some good opportunities for people to listen and give their valuable information / feedback for adopting to better changes, people in general have had a pre conceived conception and are still not ready to accept it in principal. We always welcome your opinion, suggestions and comments at all times as we feel it will help us to do better.

We sincerely would appreciate people to please listen and give your valuable feedback so that it helps artists like Sathya, to better the techniques or bring in the nuances. Fyki he is performing on the 26th January 2015 at Tatvaloka, Eldams Road, Chennai for Sarvani Sangeetha Sabha from 430 - 6pm and we would sincerely welcome all forward your feedback as well.

Another important factor is that as on date there are innumerable number of people who have been attempting (Sathya is just one of them) to perform Carnatic music on keyboard but the nuances are not at its best in all due to various factors including the quality of the instruments. It is indeed a fact this is one of the easiest instruments to learn but in my opinion one of the most difficult to perform applying the bender and portamento techniques which are to be felt and cannot be specified in quantum.

I am sure people would have observed that the way Sathya has been playing is slowly and steadily growing in stature (The so called the best may be will have to wait for another 30 - 40 years) from his 1st concert on the 9th December, 2001 (at his age of 6!) to this day and it is fact that the growth is eternal and he still needs to master greater techniques and study further nuances.

@mahavishnu Thank you so much for the wishes and the blessings.

[Rsachi]

Tkb, my very best wishes!

[Ranganayaki]

Congratulations to Sathya and to his supportive parents. I love what you say about the 30-40 years!

[tkb]

@Rsachi and @Ranganayaki thanks for the wishes.

[ajit]

Congratulations to Satya.

ajit