Music viewed by Grandma

jayasala42 · Dec 11, 2014

I am neither a performer,nor a music teacher, but a septuagenarian music lover. From childhood I had enjoyed the concerts of almost all the senior vidwans conducted in our local temples.Simply sitting in our thinnai,(pyol) I have enjoyed top concerts of MS, DKP, MMI, Semmangudi, Ariyakkudi, GNB, MLV and all others.Each concert was mesmerizing ,unique in style,captivating,reverberating -- unswerving from tradition.

There were no music schools. Music teachers went from house to house to teach music for Rs5 a month.
Those who could not afford , like us, had to silently overhear through windows what was taught in neighbour's house.

Private music tuitions were common in those days.The plight of music teachers was horrible beyond words.With a meagre income ,many lived in thatched unelectrified houses with a big family to support.Music teacher bridegrooms were of a neglected category.All girls were taught a few songs to enable them to sing during the customary ’Girl Seeing ‘ ritual before marriage. A separate snippet is needed to talk about that traditional exhibition of girls.

Oft repeated listening enabled many mamis to sing beautifully,even better than performers.Our neighbour having an idli shop for livelihood invariably sang heart-touching kritis during her daily ritual of grinding idli batter.

What an amazing change after 1970!Thanks to the advancement of technology and flooding of tapes,cassettes,video recorders,I-Pods and the computers.The present day performers are the luckiest having benefitted through direct coaching as well as recorded performances of senior artists.Music has become a covetable profession having enviable opportunities throughout the globe ,not to talk of their demand in marriage market too.

Traditional concerts running for long hours provided not only entertainment and relaxation but an opportunity to witness and appreciate the subtle nuances and musical genius of the performers.It was a delight for the elite and the peasants alike.Today as the Kutcheries last for less than two hours,the vidwans are unable to do full justice to the tradition and paddhati and are in a hurry to reach the next venue.The blame is easily shifted to the impatient audience.

The earlier vidwans were’ mastery’ oriented whereas many of the modern musicians ,though as proficient as seniors, are ‘performance’ oriented and seem to be interested in giving maximum number of performances within the shortest duration possible.Naturally ‘mastery’ takes a back seat.Even during music season, many famous musicians sing /perform to the empty auditorium.In a concert given by a popular singing topping the list there only 20 members including the performers.

Further there are many talented performers ,but a few teachers to train the younger generation.Of course there are some teachers,especially in US, who are paragons of perfection.They insist on the parents’ attendance in the class,expect 100 % purity and perfection ,but the responsibility is more often shifted to the parents.

Malcolm Gladwell brought forward the idea that expertise in music or in any field is more a case of practice as opposed to natural gift and that anyone having persistent practice amounting 10,000 hrs can become a top class performer.This idea has somehow gained momentum with many teachers around the world. Merely stressing on hours without focus on vital issues may not help.With so many diversions as video games, internet and TV ,too much stress may make music a drudgery rather than a joyful experience.It is the duty of music teachers to ensure that goals set are reasonable,relevant and just right to the student concerned without affecting other chores.

As musicians are busy in their global performances,’Skype’ has become a handy tool of music learning.The greatest concern is that focus of gifted children is mainly shifting towards competitions, prizes and awards. Over ambitious parents wish to see their children on the stage unconcerned of the real skills.No doubt, a deadline or goal makes the children work harder, but many talented children cannot perform under pressure.Why this ‘win’veri?The depressing plight of some meritorious children eliminated from TV contests is really pathetic and may make even their educational career a questionable one. Is music a delight or depression?

My heart longs for the restoration of the original concert pattern with traditional alapana, Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi, that gives room for demonstration of talents of the main performer as well as accompanying artists.

Yet practical wisdom proclaims “ Nostalgia is like a grammar lesson. You find the present TENSE and the past PERFECT.Yes,as long as “ Music gives soul to the universe,wings to the mind,flight to the imagination and charm and gaiety to life”( Plato), why worry about intricacies?

Jayasala -42

Cheeniya · Dec 11, 2014

Dear jayasala
As I have also been party to all the experience that you have so eloquently narrated, I feel transported to the late '40s and early '50s. I see myself in the prahararam of Tiruvatteeswaran Temple in Triplicane listening to Madurai Mani Iyer accompanied by T.Chowdiah, Palghat Mani Iyer and Vilvadri Iyer. The concert lasted over four hours! Those were the days!

I have been a Vice-President of two leading Sabhas in Chennai and I know the compulsions under which they operate these days. The Sabhas have to make all their money in that short span of about a month. They queue up before the large corporates for donations and sponsorships. They have to line up a glittering array of artists for the concerts to justify the large amounts of money they collect from the sponsors. The artists themselves do not get paid as much in Sabha Concerts as they get in wedding receptions!

I must mention about the musical trinity and the later composers like Papanasam Sivan with whom I have walked around the Kapali Temple during Margazhi bajans. Saint Thyagaraja was reported to have composed some 24000 songs and the present day artists sing just about 500 of them. While Thyagaraja decined all offers of wealth in return for his singing the praise of Kings and wealthy people and preferred to live through Uncha Vritti. His song 'Nidhi chala sukhama' in Kalyani was an example of his noble disposition.

But the artists of today mint money singing his compositions and as a gesture of gratitude go to Tiruvaiyaru on Bahula Panchami Day and sing his Pancharatna Kritis! Some musicians own Benz and such other expensive cars! I am not complaining. In this material word, one cannot live by lofty ideals alone. They need to be practical too. After all, most of them are professional singers who know nothing other than music. They need to be successful in life which is measured only by material wealth. It is like Purohits charging hefty fees for the rituals they perform when their forefathers performed the same rituals for the welfare of the community and were fed by the community.

Coming to the short duration of the present day concerts, there is one Sabha in Chennai that conducts just one concert a day in Rani Seethat Hall. It is Kalarasana. You can hear the scintillating voice of Bombay Jayashri for over 3 hours in Ariyakkud format on the 14th.
Sri

suryakala · Dec 11, 2014

Dear Smt. Jayasala,

What a beautiful summary of what happened and what is happening in the field of music!

Where are those gifted and divine musicians who did not sing for the audience , but for their unifying with God in the form of music within themselves? Where are those gifted divine musicians who made audience forget themselves and be in the presence of," Nadha Brahmam" even for a few moments in the concerts!

Your narration of the olden day music teacher visiting and teaching the students for a pittance, make me wonder what have the younger generation lost!

Carnatic and Hindustani classical music have their strict formats for each ragha. But the individuality and creativity each divine musician showed for each ragha and krithis were incredible and breathtaking.

You are a bridge between the old and new in this post on music. You represent a speedily and sadly vanishing tradition and still able to communicate with and appreciate the newly evolving one with modified values.

That Tradition had many wonderful facets. Please do share as much as possible. We in IL are lucky to have you and will enjoy and cherish. Thanks.

Srama · Dec 11, 2014

Dear JS ma'm,

It does sound amazingly beautiful the way you have written about your growing up years. Having grown up in a city all my life, the closest I have to come experience what you have written is through the movie Shankarabharanam :hide: My mom always said that he reminded her of her dad and thanks to that we ended up watching it as many times as she wanted. No complaints, we were happy as kids and I can hear my mom in what you say!

One would think, I would be exposed to kacheris, no not as much other than the ones being held in the neighborhood temples. But mom was a Veena player, so she made sure that we get some knowledge of classical music. That must have helped for now, I find myself scrambling around looking for a good teacher to teach my kids some Indian classical music - I know they will think of fondly when they are grown up for introducing this and fortunately I do have a friend who is a wonderful singer and so teaches my kids. I want them to have what I had growing up - music for the pure joy of it....even if it was radio!

jayasala42 · Dec 11, 2014

Dear Cheeniya Sir,
Thank you for sharing your experience as a Sabha President. I am delighted to hear about your rich association with musicians and musicologists.
Before Ariyakudi formulated kutcheri format, vidwans were singing just for the pleasure of singing.Thodi Seetharamiah could sing Thodi ragam for 72 hrs continuously to amaze a musician of Stradi Vari family of Italy.

Pallavi Gopalayyar could render pallavi for hours. Shri T. N. Rajarathinam's continuos flow of Nadhaswaram during procession reverberated the entire village.People also had time to enjoy.
As English education started spreading, many rasikas started attending Kachcheris ( courts) and Ariyakudi, the smartest thought of bringing in time specified format for nearly 3hrs or 200 mts.
1.Varnam- as a warming up exercise to the voice box
2. Small kritis without alapana to create musical atmosphere ,which is normally known as 'melam kattuthal'
3. The very first 'alapana' -recommended to be in Prati madyama raga to induce emotions.
4. A few Kritis with short alapana, niraval and Kalpana swaram -to demonstrate the ability in correct pronunciation of lyrics, memory power and encouraging ordinary rasikas with some knowledge of music.
5. Ragam Tanam Pallavi lasting for nearly an hour proving the efficiency, manodharmam of the main artist as well as that of accompanying artist.
6. Thani ( unique in Tamil) was a challenge to Tala vidwans.
7. Tukkadas entertaining ordinary people without any musical base.
This format having lasted for nearly 50 years, perhaps it is time for a change in this technically advancing world
Though rasikas are blamed for their impatience,the situation is mutually attributing.When Sowmya was performing in Kodambakkam, there were only countable persons,naturally she could not give her best.
True, artists can't live with their passion alone.In olden days zamindars and kings patronized fine arts.
Even the grants given by the Govts don't reach the deserving, -thanks to corruption everywhere.
Seriousness has given room to relaxation and light concerts for lesser duration.
I know these are only lamentations from oldies like me.
No way but to accept the reality.

Jayasala 42

jayasala42 · Dec 11, 2014

Dear Suryakala,
Thanks for the response.I don't blame the musicians alone. The sky scraping prices, increase in wants , debilitating interest among audience, other avenues of entertainment such as TV, computers all have a telling effect on the present situation.When there so many poor people are struggling with hand to mouth living, they have no time to appreciate nuances of music.( soththukke talam podumpothu, paattukku enge pozhuthu?) They naturally want only relaxation through cine songs or TV serials with which they are able to identify themselves easily.We cannot expect all and sundry to be interested to become one with nadabrahmam.
today's music season is neme sake with crowds in Music academy and mylapore sabhas and all other sabhas are almost vacant,inviting common men walking on the roads to fill the seats.

Jayasala 42

Jayasala 42

jayasala42 · Dec 11, 2014

Dear Srama,
Glad to know that you are interested in giving some background in classical music to children. I think that in US, people are a bit more serious about the practice. But they have classes for an hour or two a week only.
In times of stress and depression, nothing is as soothing as music.
When the pattu vadhyar entered the neighbouring house, I left all my playing and sat near the window , sat on a woodden stool, carefully writing the lyrics and practised sincerely. My neighbour's daughter had little inclination. When her amma thought of discontinuing the teacher, I persuaded her to continue , with selfish motive.
Nice to share ideas about music world.

Jayasala 42

Balajee · Dec 12, 2014

We are living in an age when life is on a fast track. Music in the earlier days was patronised by the traditional rich Rajas, zamindars landlords etc. That leisure class tthat had enough time for leisurely expositions has become extinct. Here we have an audience mostly middle class professionals and husewives.who seek a bit of relaxation between pressing schedules. In this fast age they grab music the way they grab a burger from a fast food joint. Leisurely performances have gone with the death of the leisure class.

jayasala42 · Dec 12, 2014

Dear Balajee,
you are 100% correct. We don't have leisure time to enjoy. Musicians are also too busy with clouded programmes. They have to rush to the next venue within a few mts.
All hurry...hurry....hurry. Lord Hari should save the hurrying people.

Jayasala 42

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Dec 12, 2014

Dear Jaya,
So you also used to sit near the window like me when the paattu vadhyar came to your neighbour's house.We sisters ( my younger sister and myself) wanted to learn music, but due to our family's financial situation we could not fulfil our wish.

Even radio was out of our reach in those days. After I started working I bought a second hand GEC radio. My brother also is a music lover and we all try to find the raga and for this one person would be listening to the announcement standing near the radio with the volume low and the other two would guess the raga. We used to take turns in this test.
But my daughter had a natural flair for music and so I arranged music teacher for us
My elder son also learned violin and the younger son mrudangam and tabla.

When we were at Jamshedpur we used to celebrate Sri Ramanavami and Sastha pujai and for this famous musicians from south used to perform and sing for nearly four hours and we always used to be last ones to leave.

I love music and it really pacifies our mind.
PS