The Sound of Music

Since I've talked about my love for music in one of my previous posts, it wasn't going to be long before I wrote a post on the subject. So here goes. Of late, I am constantly reminded of my music student days. This thanks to my roommates who are equally interested in the same kind of music as me. We can spend hours on end singing, listening and exchanging "notes". :)

As a seven year old, I was enrolled into a music class that my Mum had found out about after extensive consultation with the Maamis of our neighbourhood. Of course you know that a Maami refers to the quintessential Tam-Bram Aunty who is well informed about schools, music teachers, dance teachers, summer camps and what not! My teacher was a locally well known AIR artist who performed at kachcheris (concerts) conducted around the city. But what nailed the choice for my Mum was that my teacher was the sister of a world famous violinist. Why look further! Like in any other art form, in music, lineage is of prime importance. Since my teacher was related to this hot shot violinist, it was guaranteed that the school of music that I would be trained under would be widely accepted and hence, I would turn out to be a good singer. Quite straightforward actually. They refer to this lineage as paaNi in the Carnatic world.

And so I obediently began attending music classes twice a week. The start was pretty good because my teacher certified that my voice was decent enough to be trained in the first place. Moreover, I was grasping stuff rather quickly. So all was well. The first few months were spent in familiarizing with the notes - swaras as they are more technically called. Many a time I've been spanked for not singing in tune to the shruthi (the pitch) or messing up the taaLa (the tempo). I don't blame myself. Seven is not really an age to start mastering multitasking! Nevertheless, only after perfecting these fundamentals, did I progress to the next level where I was taught to sing "songs" - ones which had sahityam (lyrics).

It was probably around this time that I began to subconsciously hum to myself. I would walk back from music class, humming the tune that my teacher had just taught me. Gradually this escalated to a level where I began to hum any song that I might have heard on the TV or in a movie. The humming continues to this date. Only, it has gotten louder, much to the annoyance of the people within earshot!

Five years into Carnatic music and I fell in love with it. And it was as though my voice approved of this love, for, it just transformed from its nasal, timid self to what it is in its present form - loud and mature. Naturally, my guru was the first one to sense this change. She capitalized on the metamorphosis and immediately got me to sign up for the state level junior music exam. After five months of rigorous practice and no ice cream, I gave the exam. Whats more, I did really well on it further cementing my bond with music. By now, I was the star singer of the family. Something I didn't really enjoy! Any function in the family, I would be asked to sing- my Mum egging me on to sing each time, and me glaring at her, vowing that I would not take this kind of embarrassment ever in the future. All in vain of course!

Sadly enough, my dream run wasn't going to continue forever. Once in high school, I simply couldn't give music as much time as it deserved. It would sometimes be weeks between two consecutive practice sessions. It was terrible. Thankfully, my humming habit helped me stay in touch. While in the shower, I would practise one of the many kirtanams (devotional compositions) that I had learned and try and improvise. :) It wasn't much. But it was just about enough to keep me going.

It has been about 5 years since I discontinued music classes. But, I still believe that I am a student of music. Learning something from each song I hear. Even today, if I feel down and out, I sit in a corner of my room and practise. To me, this exercise is more liberating than any other. It elevates me to a state of complete satisfaction. There lies the true beauty of this art. Its an asset nobody can steal away from you. It is yours for posterity. Whether you decide to flaunt it to the world or you use it to better yourself, its yours!

25 Random Things

Turns out I'm not that good a writer after all. I ran out of ideas to write and then when I did get some, I just got plain lazy. This post is actually thanks to Gowri. She tagged me in one of her notes in Facebook where she wrote 25 random things about herself. This inspired me to do the same! Except its not on Facebook and I haven't tagged anyone on it. I hope I haven't drawn too much from her note :)

Here goes:

1. I've never felt bad about being short. This despite being mocked at almost all the time by my "tall" friends.
2. I love the smell of wet earth - you know, when it just begins to rain. Whats more - I love to be out when its raining!
3. I'm extremely spiritual. Quite religious too. And these I inherit directly from my Mother.
4. Music feeds my soul. Trite as this sounds, its true. 100%. I find myself singing under my breath..ALL the time. In the shower, while checking my email, while cooking. Why, even as I write this gibberish.
5. I can listen to music all day. A good pair of plug-in earphones is vital for an enjoyable experience though.
6. I cannot dance. As much as I try to - I just cant get myself to jive to the beat!
7. I'm a good public speaker. But for the initial jitters, I carry myself well on stage.
   
8. I'm terrible at handling money. I often lose track of my debts and loans. Thank god for Excel!
9. I can spend hours playing word games online. I'm addicted to them!
10. There are 3 things that I love to eat - chocolate, pulikaachal and snow :P
11. Talking about food, I hate to eat a meal all by myself. It throws me into depression!
12. There's one thing I look forward to every year - my birthday. I usually have a personal 30 day countdown towards it :)
13. I've never had long hair. Each time I decide to grow it long, I get tired of it and get it chopped!
14. I'm a tentative learner - be it a sport or a technical concept, I'd like to take my own time.
15. It takes me some time to make friends. A really really long time to break off from them.
16. I cry very easily. Sensitive me!
17. I'm good at giving advice. Sometimes this makes me think I should have become a psychiatrist!
    
18. I speak my mind all the time. There have been so many times that I've asked myself to shut up. For my own good.
19. On the contrary, I'm a soft hearted romantic on the inside. Few people know this side of mine.
20. I enjoy working out in the gym. Its another issue that I don't do it often! But when I do do it, it liberates me. :)
21. I cannot stand incompetence, hypocrisy and betrayal.
    
22. I often skim through old pictures of family and friends. Verrry often actually. :P
    
23. I have a firm belief in Karma. What goes around, comes around.
24. I work better on my own than in a team. But this is changing - slowly and steadily. :)
    
25. Having written this, I'm beginning to like myself more! :D
    

Happy Days

Today I watched Barack Obama win the 56th US Presidential Election. What a big relief it is to think that the reckless republican regime has been successfully quelled (well atleast for the next few years, when it really matters to us). More than anything else, America is a relieved nation today as she looks forward to Barack rescuing her from the abyss that she is in right now.
As an insignificant contributor to this mammoth economy I consider myself lucky to have the chance to live in the US at such a time. I look forward to witnessing the most exciting and dynamic four years in the recent history of this country. In the words of the president-elect, "Change has come to America". And with this, Happy Days are here again!