My own musical epiphany
Arun says here that learning Carnatic music is a life long experience, should one be so inclined. I think learning music, regardless of the type, is certainly a journey that lasts an entire lifetime.
My musical journey began when I was about 6 years old, when amma dragged me by the ear to Iyengar maama ((Iyengar maama, my first guru was our neighbor. He was also the father/guru of this man, known to many as Ilayaraja’s lead violinist and a fine composer in his own right.)) and requested him to give me violin lessons. I think it all began when I once came home bleeding after taking a stone to my forehead. So amma was forced to do something to keep me off the streets while she was at work. And that was how I started going to Iyengar maama’s house every evening (or was it every other evening) while the other kids continued their stupid game of “catch the stone before it becomes part of your face”. My violin lessons continued till when I was 16, when amma decided that I should study for my boards ((I haven’t played the violin since then, apart from a Absolut fuelled session in ’05, and my cousin has since inherited my old western violin that amma bought used from her colleague)). If only she knew.
But even after a decade of learning classical music, I still cannot remember the names of ragas, let alone misidentify them. I used to think that I wasted 10 years of my life on violin lessons when I could have better spent the time perfecting my straight drive or my doosra ((Honestly, I can really claim neither to be part of my repertoire)).
And then a couple of weeks ago, I had my own epiphany. I was talking to someone who said she had learnt the Bharatanatyam for over 8 years and had gone through the arangetram phase, but *hates* dancing and had gone through the whole rigmarole only because her parents wanted her to. I could sympathize with her, but I realized something.
I don’t hate music by any measure. I am always humming or singing something, much to the irritation of people around me. And I am able to catch subtle similarities sometimes between musical pieces that I quite proudly point out to people (my latest catch is this ad, which sounds so much like this song). I realize now that while I hated the time I spent learning the violin, I now regret that I did not pay attention. For quite sometime I was extremely bitter at amma for forcing me into something that I did not have any interest in, but now I know better. The poor thing was only try to do what she could to keep me out of trouble.
Makes me wonder what if. But then, I think it all evens out when I realize I have had 6 teachers in the 10 years I spent learning. And I have had breaks ranging from a few months to a year whenever there was a transition from one master to the other. And on top of all that, I have had to pretty much start from scratch every time I changed teachers. Every teacher I had (barring the first one and the last one) was of the opinion that his predecessor was crap. Little did they know that the pupil was the culprit.
However, I have to look at the positves. My basics are obviously strong, thanks to the umpteen number of times that the basic lessons were repeated. So, while the sarali and janta varisai pages in the Ganamrutha Bodhini are dog-eared and almost disintegrating, certain other pages are in mint condition.
ÜberDesi
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July 10th, 2008 at 5:15 pmvisithra http://visithra.blogspot.com/
July 10th, 2008 at 3:09 amah the other side of anantha
the one you;ve never written about
interesting – music is a beautiful thing – and if u looked closely you’d realise its actually maths – but ppl rarely see the connection
ok im vohleraning
u can always take it up again if u want – just brush up ur basicz and play pieces that u like
it doesnt have to be classical
sowmya http://shallowthgts.blogspot.com/
July 10th, 2008 at 9:45 amI think there is an entire generation of kids with a story like this. I have had friends who learnt veena from E.gayathri’s paati, dance from Chitra Viswevaran’s school and ended up despising their art form. I always wonder why?
But like you said, years later some of us learn to appreciate music for what it is without the baggage of being tortured by paatu sir.
zep
July 10th, 2008 at 2:32 pmI guess I have been fortunate enough to find a non-torture-master.
But like sowmya has said here, I too know a bunch of guys/girls from our generation who “learnt” music, just because it was part of being “tambrahm” or because of “aduthaathu ambujam” syndrome. 
)
(btw, “aduthathu ambujam” must be trademarked with my name, as I just made it up.
zep
July 10th, 2008 at 2:43 pmoh and btw, I just realized that I did not express my shock upon realizing that you played the violin too!!! I don’t ever remember you ever telling me about that side of yours!
anantha http://superstarksa.com
July 10th, 2008 at 3:08 pmSowmya/Arun: I think I have to make myself clearer. At no point was I being tortured by the teacher(s). I don’t think so at all. It was more the music that seemed to be torturing me. Imagine sitting in a room when every other kid was playing in the terrace just over my head. I honestly think that if my violin lessons had not eaten into my play time, I would have grown up enjoying it more. I grew up listening to a LOT of music (carnatic music/soundtracks in Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam), only that I loved cricket more. And so I don’t blame any one except myself.
Visit: Ya. Whenever I see a piano/keyboard, I do the simple Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa… once to make sure I know where the keys are and I just go ahead and play the basic varanams that I learnt as a kid. And I usually end with the std. Indian national anthem
Kundalakesi
July 10th, 2008 at 6:27 pmTouche! That’s my story too.
maami http://maami.wordpress.com/
July 10th, 2008 at 8:48 pmHave you tried playing the violin in recent times?
I ‘m curious to know whether with age,experience and understanding nuances you’ll enjoy the music you make now than that which was uninteresting in your boyhood.
Indulge me and talk about it please.
Nice read.
anantha http://superstarksa.com
July 10th, 2008 at 9:26 pmmaami: No. I haven’t played in recent times, not since ’05. I don’t have a violin. Yet. I did a google search and found a bunch of violin makers in the general vicinity of New York City. So, may be that will be my next investment. I think I will enjoy the experience more. Especially now that I know that I am not much of a cricketer anyways. A summer of dropped catches, random misfields and indifferent batting performances is a great leveler.
Kundalakesi: Welcome.
Primalsoup http://www.bonniebluebutler.blogspot.com/
July 10th, 2008 at 10:01 pmMy mom devised a clever way to make me survive the paatu classes. After every raagam that I mastered (ahem!), she would ask me, can you think of a movie song in that Raagam?
Popular cultural references kept me interested and I saw the whole thing as a game.
Also, all my teachers fed me good food. That helped.
Though, now my two paatu teachers are very cruel people. Also, they give me no food and my mom doesn’t indulge me either. But there are hot boys in my class, that helps I suppose.
Preethi
July 11th, 2008 at 4:26 amI totally understand :p
curiouscat http://virtualcuriosityshop.blogspot.com/
July 11th, 2008 at 5:19 amI came over to say I have the same feeling about my million years of paattu class, but I see that thought echoed here already!
OTC1 : Your postscripts or footnotes or whatever are not showing up on google reader, FYI
OTC2: Since you are so good at finding similarities, would you tell me which ad is it that is running on TV these days that sounds like the punnagai mannan piano piece? I have been trying to spot the ad again (having spotted it one, i.e.,) but in my limited tv viewing time, have been completely unsuccessful
anantha http://superstarksa.com
July 11th, 2008 at 7:12 amCuriouscat: About OTC1, it should show up now. It was something on my settings. About OTC2. I don’t spot it immediately. Usually the thought has to simmer inside my sometimes OCD ridden brain for sometime. And I have to see the ad first.
Preethi: Don’t tell amma
Soupie: It’s ok. You are fabulous anyhow and so you definitely did not need those incentives. In my case, if there had been hot gals in my class, I’d be even more distracted. In any case the chances of hot gals in my class was next to nothing because barring two, all my teachers did one on one teaching. And I was 7 when one of the group classes happened.
maxdavinci http://www.maxdavinci.com
July 11th, 2008 at 9:40 amwell i’m musically challenged, tried joining paatu class but never stuck!
and you can play the violin? wow!
tilo http://tilotamma.blogspot.com
July 21st, 2008 at 8:07 pmnicely written A.
anantha http://superstarksa.com
July 21st, 2008 at 8:08 pmTilo: Thanks.
MaxD: Machi. Not “can”. “Could” is more like it. I “could” play the violin, like “I could play the oboe”
mlc
July 21st, 2008 at 11:00 pmi “cud” play the violin too:-)!
superstarksa http://superstarksa.com
July 24th, 2008 at 3:35 pmMLC: You could play anything you want. You great ma!
Tom Schavo http://deccantimes.blogspot.com
July 28th, 2008 at 4:02 amPlaying violin itself is an art. I remember in my school days, we used to learn it. if you play it good, it sounds like heaven. But if you dont know how to play it, then its the most horrible sound.
mlc
July 31st, 2008 at 5:25 pmRuna http://uberdesi.com/blog
August 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pmNice one – echoes of my own childhood .My poor pattu vaadyaar must have suffered through the lessons where I would inevitably forget to maintain “taalam”.I feel sorry for my Amma who persevered in trying to find music teachers for me in Bombay in the face of my increasing indifference.Fate struck back and I married into a family that only appreciates Bhangra -pop
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March 8th, 2010 at 4:02 pm