Lec-dem & Workshop on Swarakalpana & Ragalapana at Vishakhapatnam by msakella

[msakella]

A Lec-dem on Swarakalpana & Ragalapana is going to be held at B.V.K.College, Vishakhapatnam on 01-11-2015 (Sunday) from 10 a.m. by Akella Mallikarjuna Sharma (msakella) on ‘How to make your kid sing Swarakalpana & Ragalapana within one year’.

A Workshop is also going to be held at the residence of Veena Vidushi Dr. Smt. N.Krishnaveni (M-9849883416) to the aspirants below the age of 20 years in singing Swarakalpana & Ragalapana. The aspirants who are desirous to participate in this workshop must sing and record the Ata-tala-alankara @ 1-2-3-4-6-8 notes per beat along with 60 or 50 bpm of Metronome and the Uttaranga of any of the Varnas in the Ragas Natakuranji/Kambhoji/Darbar/Begada/Todi/Bharavi (Ata-tala) at 4-6-8 notes per beat along with 60 bpm of Metronome and send these two audio-files to ‘[email protected]’ along with the age proof so as to reach on or before 20-10-2015. The successful candidates will be informed to their email address and allowed to attend this workshop. amsharma

[srilatha md]

Today in the workshop held by mk sharma garu at visakhapatnam the following students have participated.
students of B V K Junior college
1. T Sunayana
2. K Mugdha
3. M Lakshmi Sowjanya
4. R Mahathi
5. M Bharathi
6. P V S L Harshitha
Students of smt. Manda Sudha Rani garu
1. S Vishnupriya Indira
2. R L Krishnapriya
3. G Shruti
4. V gayatri Vibhavari
5. M D Srilatha.
He started the morning session with a very interesting topic that is the thaala prasthara. Though it is fully mathematical the way he teached every student has made them enjoy the session. Then we learnt the jathis(3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10) in both tisra gathi and chaturasra gathi. we then learnt about eka kala and dwi kala and sang three jathis i.e; 3,5,7 in both eka kala and dwikala using one hand and both hands. We practiced it in both chaturasragathi and tisra gathi. Then we learnt aavarthantha khanda jathi in adithala. We also practiced the alankara jathis in both tisra gathi and chaturasra gathi. we are excited to learn much more from him as this sessions will be continued tomorrow.

[srilatha md]

Yesterday Amk garu started the session with taala prasthara by giving some more details. thursday we have learnt to write the patterns and no of patterns and yesterday he taught us mathematically to write the pattern when the serial no is given or to write the serial no when the pattern is given. This topic is samyukthanga prastharam and getting the pattern acc to serial no. is "Akhanda Prasthara Nashtam" and getting the serial no. acc to the pattern is "Akhanda Prasthara Uddishtam". He has also given a small introduction for taalaanga prasthara. he mentioned about Chaturangas(i.e; dhrutamu, laghuvu, guruvu, pluthamu) Panchangas(including anudhrutamu) and Shadangas(including kakapadam). Then comes the main topic of the day Kalpana swara mugimpulu. These are called "Aavarthantha jathi, swara mugimpulu". He has written mugimpulu for all the talas and published a book for practice. yesterday we learnt for the taalas - rupakam, misra chapu, khanda chaapu and aadi taala - madhyama kaala, chouka kaala and tisra gathi. First we sang jathi and then swaras in different raagas. He said we should practice these in different ragas i.e; sampoorna raga, oudava raga and shaadava raagas. Today we are going to sing before him and if we did it then we may learn some more and i hope when we finish our workshop we will be able to sing these in all taalas.

[srilatha md]

On Saturday Amk garu started "Prasthara Mukthayis". This means the swara prasthara. For example, If we take rupaka tala, the total no is 12. So, The prasthara is done for this 12. We get 2048 patterns. We just practiced 10patterns out of them. In the same way we sang for the talaas - Tisra Triputa(10), Triputa(14), Adi taala(16). we sang first jathis and then swaras in 4 different ragas. We also learnt some voice exercises.

[thanjavooran]

Srilatha ,
Shri A M Sharma's effort put on this workshop is commendable. Definitely vidhyarthis will be benefitted. Thanx for the updation.
With wishes,
Thanjavooran
02 11 2015

[srilatha md]

On sunday, the first session is his lec dem held in B V K College Dwarakanagar on the topic "how to make children sing manodharma (ragalapana and swarakalpana) in one year ". The audiances were very much inspired by his speech and many of them wanted to join us in workshop.Next comes the afternoon session, he started very interesting topic called "Aavarthaakshara Gunija Samudaayalu" (Multiples of talacycle syncopated with jathis). we practiced 4 talas - tisra rupaka(10), chaturasra rupaka(12), tisra triputa(14) and chaturasra triputa(16).

[srilatha md]

Today, Amk garu continued yesterday's session. we sang 5,6,7,8,9 and 10 jathi in yesterday's session. Today We sang 1,2,3,4 jathis. And then comes the next topic "Jathi Sankhya Gunija Samudaayamulu" (Multiples of Jathis syncopated with tala cycle). He taught us the simplest way to remember these numbers, patterns and sing them. We sang different patterns in 4 talas - chaturasra triputa(madhyama kala(32), chouka(16), khanda chapu(10), misra chapu(14). In these we practiced 4 jatis and 8 jatis.

[srilatha md]

That's true sir. This is definitely very useful to evryone in this music feild. We are very fortunate to be in this workshop and we feel we are blessed as we heard him and spent time with him.

[munirao2001]

srilatha md garu,

Please report/post on 'Ragalapana' part of workshop for better understanding.

munirao2001

[vvssaraswathi]

Very nice initiative and we are happy to see many children getting benefited with this work shop. I am surprised to see Sri Akellaji traveling so far at this age for the benefit of children. Thanks for the update Ms Srilatha. If there are any recordings available, we are interested to see. Thank you.

Saraswathi

[srilatha md]

On Tuesday, Amk garu taught us the mukthayi(concecutively 3 jatis) sung with 1 akshara jaga in khanda chapu and mishra chapu. we sang 5,6,7,8,9,10 jatis in these and also singing these jathis with 1 aksharakalam gap in between. This is the last day of the workshop.

[srilatha md]

Munirao garu! i am really sorry for this late reply but we didnt have much time for ragalapana part. He just mentioned some voice exercises and said that we should regularly practice them in each raga to get command on that particular raga. I will check If they have any recordings and post them.

[munirao2001]

srilathamd garu,
Reading your report/post on the segment of ragaalapana, I am disappointed once more that time miss management resulted in going to the details of 'AMS EASY METHODS' on this important aspect and the topic of the lec-demo.
'AMS EASY METHODS' significant contribution and method on ragaalapana are 1. Skills development on notation. 2. Gamakams and its varieties, well defined. 3. Raga forms in the varnams understanding through notation reading. 4. Notating the raga forms in recommended ragas and compositions.5. Notating the raga development and their varieties as delineated by great maestros, learning and practicing. Methods are based on sampradaya of learning with both lakshya and lakshana in kalpita form, customized for the student(s).
I desire that Sri AMS garu's Lec-Demo on Ragaalapana is arranged for total focus and attention. Ragaalapana, the abstract form is the highest challenge for the student and practitioners for both kalpita and kalpana sangitam. All the other methods-Tana, Kruthi, Niraval, Svaraprastara and Pallavi of manodharma sangitam can be learnt better and quickly with kalpita sangitam. Its mastery is relatively made easy for forays in to kalpana. As this aspect of 'AMS EASY METHODS' is not given prime importance and time in Lec-Demo, a misunderstanding and misinterpretation that 'AMS EASY METHODS' is only for rote learning and reproduction is prevalent. Higher levels of manodharma sangita technique is not being served when compared to the well established Guru-Sishya Karna parampara techniques and methods.
Aware of this, with the support of Sri J.S.Easwara Prasad Rao garu, select audio-video samples were played on ragaalapana by the disciples of Sri Akella Garu in IITM-MUSIC CLUB, Chennai Lec-Demo of Sri Akella Garu to establish the contribution and results.

munirao2001

[msakella]

Dear Shri Munirao garu,

Unlike in the traditional method of teaching music, in this novel method of learning music, the entire process to initiate the aspirant learn the notation, Swarakalpana and Ragalapana occupies the minimum duration of one year at the least. Now, here, all these kids successfully fulfilled in rendering the intricate rhythmical patterns. They have to very regularly practice them in ‘Laya-mathanam’. Later, they have to learn all the intricacies of the oscillations of notes by learning the select 9 Varnas and one Swarajati in Bhairavi and very regularly practice them in ‘Laya-swara-mathanam’. Then only they can sing Swarakalpana and Ragalapana efficiently. Rote learning and heavy practice only paves way to the Manodharma sangita. But, while the present Guru-Shishya-Karna-Parampara needs many years to get the required knowledge the same could be acquired hardly within a couple of years only in the novel method of learning. This has been proved with reference to the 522nd post under http://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic ... 86#p289786.

Even though most of these performers sing only ‘Sarva-sama-swaram’ but not ‘Sarva-laghu-swaram’ like in the Uttaranga of the Varnas in the ragas Begada, Hamsadhvani, Darbar etc., etc., each and everybody is more bothered harping upon Sarva-laghu-swarakalpna and juicy Ragalapana right from the first day of learning which is impossible. All these music-teachers go on teaching a number of compositions only for many years but nobody takes the responsibility of inculcating the knowledge of notation or Swarakalpana or Ragalapana.

In which way the teacher only initiates the aspirant how to cook the items but cannot make the aspirant cook delicious food even the music-teacher only initiates the aspirant sing the music-lesson only but cannot make the aspirant sing juicy music. amsharma