Somehow, I get the feeling that a person who learns Carnatic music, especially during the early years of life, soars high in educational and academic excellence.
Perhaps this feeling is due to the fact that, off late, I am finding many youth – thanks to internet (orkut, youtube, etc) – who have achieved great feats in terms of education such as MS, PhD, MBA, etc in various fields and have great inkling to the actual science behind Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Psychology, Communication, Aviation and a host of other interesting topics, while at the same time being experts in Carnatic Classic music.
Does Carnatic music have influence in making genius out of a child?
Monday, February 19, 2007
Monday, February 12, 2007
Concerts
I have been attending some concerts for the last couple of weeks. The first thing that I notice is the distinct lack of youngsters amongst the audience. Perhaps only 10% of the audience will be in mid-twenties. The rest all are aged or nearing fifties.
The concert held recently in NMKRV hosted about a 1000 people amongst the audience, and wherever I saw, I could only see white hair! There were people cramped up everywhere, in the nook and corner, sitting on steps, on sills, and some even standing! How come that a passion so wrought amongst the previous generation was not passed through with the same zeal to our generation?
Concerts generally are composed of – based on my limited understanding of the Carnatic music – various shades of Classical music. Typically, it starts off with a Varna, and then perhaps a Keertana. The main crust of a concert is undoubtedly the Raga, followed by a song in that Raga, and then Swara, or Neraval. An even higher level of music is what is often called as RTP : Raga – Thana – Pallavi. And then, to give side accompaniments their due share, there will be Thani, and then Thillana, and amidst all this, a little more of what I do not know as of now, ending with more simple songs!!
There are people who come for passing time by listening to some melodious music. There are others who concentrate (try to figure out like a riddle, and jot down) the name of the Raga. Some come to listen while doing some other task, like I saw a lecturer correcting answer papers at the same time appreciating the music. Some have gizmos to record the full 3 hour song and try all possible things to get their gadgets as close to the speaker as possible!
I have always felt that a concert is like a game of sports in which a number of different people – often unknown to one another prior to the concert commencement - exhibit each of their mastery. It is as good as a close fought game of table tennis, or lawn tennis, or badminton. Just as good as how a stroke in a game can be, so is the skill of the main artiste in expounding a raga. Just as how the two players play against one another to win a point, so is the competition between a vocalist and a violinist, between a mrudanga and a ghatam, and the only difference is that it is not a fight to win any point but just a matter of appreciating the beauty of music in all its glory, and this ‘win-win’ situation never fails to receive a resounding applause, especially considering the fact that such a competition, such a composition, such a harmony, such a coordination happens amidst artistes unknown to one another, in front of thousands of people, only based on hours and hours of dedication and practice and by the mere understanding and smile and appreciation conveyed through the eyes from one artiste to another! It is simply unbelievable!
Another thought I have had whenever I have been to a concert – vocal, especially - is the movement of hands and odd facial expression that the vocalist has to make for the clear expounding of the music. It is almost like without that particular action, or the facial expression, such a frequency, or intonation, or note cannot come through. The movement of hands reminds me of pottery and how the hands have to move so delicately in order to have the perfect shape and beauty, which is true in case of musical vocabulary too! And however funny the facial expression might seem for a by-stander, it just shows to what extent the concentration is, especially considering that everything is in front of thousands of people.
While it is a great effort for many of us to sit for a long period of time, it is simply astounding how each of the artistes sit in the same position for over three hours and do not feel any discomfort whatsoever! The only discomfiture they feel is when the microphones start screeching suddenly, or when there is a power failure suddenly and there is no UPS or generator in stand-by! Some artistes carry on nevertheless unfathomed but some particular ones, stop in the middle. Generally when thani starts, audience gets restless and some start leaving, but in one of the recent concerts I went, the main artiste spoke into the microphone “Is it fair…?” It is indeed unfair to leave a concert without appreciating the side accompaniments performing their mastery.
There was a time when people used to flock into concerts only if the artiste was Balamurali Krishna or Yesudas or U Srinivas or Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. But such an era no longer exists now. Every concert is filled to its brim with people because the skill on display in each of the concerts has become that much more fascinating and every artiste has got an ace of spades up their sleeves!
The concert held recently in NMKRV hosted about a 1000 people amongst the audience, and wherever I saw, I could only see white hair! There were people cramped up everywhere, in the nook and corner, sitting on steps, on sills, and some even standing! How come that a passion so wrought amongst the previous generation was not passed through with the same zeal to our generation?
Concerts generally are composed of – based on my limited understanding of the Carnatic music – various shades of Classical music. Typically, it starts off with a Varna, and then perhaps a Keertana. The main crust of a concert is undoubtedly the Raga, followed by a song in that Raga, and then Swara, or Neraval. An even higher level of music is what is often called as RTP : Raga – Thana – Pallavi. And then, to give side accompaniments their due share, there will be Thani, and then Thillana, and amidst all this, a little more of what I do not know as of now, ending with more simple songs!!
There are people who come for passing time by listening to some melodious music. There are others who concentrate (try to figure out like a riddle, and jot down) the name of the Raga. Some come to listen while doing some other task, like I saw a lecturer correcting answer papers at the same time appreciating the music. Some have gizmos to record the full 3 hour song and try all possible things to get their gadgets as close to the speaker as possible!
I have always felt that a concert is like a game of sports in which a number of different people – often unknown to one another prior to the concert commencement - exhibit each of their mastery. It is as good as a close fought game of table tennis, or lawn tennis, or badminton. Just as good as how a stroke in a game can be, so is the skill of the main artiste in expounding a raga. Just as how the two players play against one another to win a point, so is the competition between a vocalist and a violinist, between a mrudanga and a ghatam, and the only difference is that it is not a fight to win any point but just a matter of appreciating the beauty of music in all its glory, and this ‘win-win’ situation never fails to receive a resounding applause, especially considering the fact that such a competition, such a composition, such a harmony, such a coordination happens amidst artistes unknown to one another, in front of thousands of people, only based on hours and hours of dedication and practice and by the mere understanding and smile and appreciation conveyed through the eyes from one artiste to another! It is simply unbelievable!
Another thought I have had whenever I have been to a concert – vocal, especially - is the movement of hands and odd facial expression that the vocalist has to make for the clear expounding of the music. It is almost like without that particular action, or the facial expression, such a frequency, or intonation, or note cannot come through. The movement of hands reminds me of pottery and how the hands have to move so delicately in order to have the perfect shape and beauty, which is true in case of musical vocabulary too! And however funny the facial expression might seem for a by-stander, it just shows to what extent the concentration is, especially considering that everything is in front of thousands of people.
While it is a great effort for many of us to sit for a long period of time, it is simply astounding how each of the artistes sit in the same position for over three hours and do not feel any discomfort whatsoever! The only discomfiture they feel is when the microphones start screeching suddenly, or when there is a power failure suddenly and there is no UPS or generator in stand-by! Some artistes carry on nevertheless unfathomed but some particular ones, stop in the middle. Generally when thani starts, audience gets restless and some start leaving, but in one of the recent concerts I went, the main artiste spoke into the microphone “Is it fair…?” It is indeed unfair to leave a concert without appreciating the side accompaniments performing their mastery.
There was a time when people used to flock into concerts only if the artiste was Balamurali Krishna or Yesudas or U Srinivas or Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan. But such an era no longer exists now. Every concert is filled to its brim with people because the skill on display in each of the concerts has become that much more fascinating and every artiste has got an ace of spades up their sleeves!
Music for the body and mind
There was an excellent article under the same heading in the Times of India on Feb 10th under the Times Wellness supplement with reference to learning a musical instrument. I am unable to find the same on the web, so I shall reproduce some excerpts:
Learning a musical instrument can be very therapeutic. It is
challenging as well as satisfying. The beauty of music is that it is a
combination of science and art. The science disciplines the mind and art
satisfies the soul.
Carnatic classical music is highly
mathematical and scientific, and it is a known fact that instrumentalists are
generally good in math and have a scientific bent of mind. Learning improves the
concentration and, like meditation, stills the mind.
Physiological
health benefits like lowering blood pressure, accelerating recovery after
surgery, etc are being researched by playing instruments. The brain releases
feel-good hormones called endorphins when we exercise, pray, chant, meditate or
when a classical instrument is played. Hence, it elevates the mood, improves
motor-brain coordination and removes depressing and negative
thoughts.
According to ancient Indian texts, music plays a positive
role in spiritual well-being. Each note or swara corresponds to one of the 7
chakras in the body and the vibrations created by the sound waves stimulate the
charkas. In alternate therapy, chakras are vortexes of energy and if properly
stimulated contribute to overall well-being – physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual.
Instrumentalists converse and communicate well and have better sense of
rhythm. Their thoughts and actions are quite well-balanced. Since all Carnatic
classical compositions are devoted to the higher power, this form of music is
spiritually uplifting as well. Practicing a musical instrument as hobby daily
for 30 minutes will be enough to keep us in good emotional and mental state.
Mathematics and Carnatic Music
I had an interesting discussion once with Deepti on juxtaposition of Mathematics with Carnatic music. She said she is going to write a blog on it in detail but here are a few excerpts of the discussion which I could relate to and felt true. Much of the below sentences are, I confess, her own and copyrighted.
Aesthetics is philosophy of beautification.
Science is something that covers Aesthetics in shrouded mystery.
Mathematics describes the Science using numbers.
Progressions, be it linear or geometric, are an integral part of Mathematics.
Patterns are an inherent component of Progressions.
Symmetric pattern is pleasing because there is beauty in symmetry and vice versa.
So how that’s how we have the circle of Beauty. Via Aesthetics, Science, Math, Progressions and Patterns.
Invariably, the best musical patterns are progressions.
And that’s how Carnatic music starts : sarale varase; dhaatu varase; jhanti varase; alankaara…
I leave the rest (and the more intricate things) for Deepti to add…
Aesthetics is philosophy of beautification.
Science is something that covers Aesthetics in shrouded mystery.
Mathematics describes the Science using numbers.
Progressions, be it linear or geometric, are an integral part of Mathematics.
Patterns are an inherent component of Progressions.
Symmetric pattern is pleasing because there is beauty in symmetry and vice versa.
So how that’s how we have the circle of Beauty. Via Aesthetics, Science, Math, Progressions and Patterns.
Invariably, the best musical patterns are progressions.
And that’s how Carnatic music starts : sarale varase; dhaatu varase; jhanti varase; alankaara…
I leave the rest (and the more intricate things) for Deepti to add…
Excerpt from Sama Veda
Reproduced from pages 157-159 of the book "Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda"
The Samaveda contains the world's earliest writings on musical science.
The foundation stone of Hindu music is the ragas or fixed melodic scales. The 6
basic ragas branch out into 126 derivative raginis (wives) and putras (sons).
Each raga has a minimum of 5 notes: a leading note (vadi or king), a secondary
note (samavadi or prime minister), helping notes (anuvadi, attendants), and a
dissonant note (vivadi, the enemy)
Each of these 6 ragas has
natural correspondence with certain hour of day, season of year, and a presiding
deity who bestows a particular potency:
1. Hindola: heard at dawn
in spring to evoke mood of universal love
2. deepaka: played at evening in
summer to arouse compassion
3. megha: melody for midday in rainy to summon
courage
4. bhairava: mornings of Aug, Sept, Oct to achieve tranquility
5. sri: autumn twilights to attain pure love
6. Malkounsa: midnight in
winter for valor
Indian music divides octave into 22 srutis or
demi-semitones. These microtonal intervals permit fine shades of musical
expression unattainable by western chromatic scale of 12 semitones. Each of 7
basic notes of octave is associated in Hindu mythology with color and natural
cry of bird or beast:
Do: green and peacock
Re: red and
skylark
Mi: golden and goat
Fa: yellowish white and heron
Sol: black
and nightingale
La: yellow and horse
Si: combination of all colors
and elephant
3 scales-major, harmonic minor, melodic minor-are
only ones which Occidental music employs, but Indian music outlines 72 thatas or
scales. Musician has a creative scope for endless improvisation around the fixed
traditional melody or raga; he concentrates on sentiment or definitive mood of
structural theme and then embroiders it to limits of his own originality. Hindu
musician does not read set notes; he clothes anew at each playing the bare
skeleton of the raga, often confining himself to single melodic sequence,
stressing by repetition all its subtle microtonal and rhythmic variations. Bach,
among Western composers, had an understanding of charm and power of repetitions
sound slightly differentiated in 100 complex ways.Ancient Sanskrit literature describes 120 talas or time measures. Indian
music is a spiritual, subjective and individualistic art, aiming not at
symphonic brilliance but at personal harmony with the Oversoul. Sanskrit word
for musician is Bhagavathar (he who sings the praises of God) The sankirtans or
musical gatherings are an effective form of yoga or spiritual discipline,
necessitating deep concentration and intense absorption in the seed thought and
sound.
About this blog…
Much inspired by the number of blogs on Carnatic music, and due to the multitude of thoughts flowing on in my mind about the music, the only resulting upshot of it all was for me to come with a Carnatic blog of my own. While I may not be as talented nor have the diverse knowledge of the innumerous and intricate Ragas, or for that matter even the simplest of Geethas as others, I still feel very deeply about Carnatic Music and truly believe that it is the language of the Gods.
This blog will be a collection of my thoughts, and material which I find interesting, about Carnatic music.
This blog will be a collection of my thoughts, and material which I find interesting, about Carnatic music.
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