THIRD ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS - Pranavam …pranavammusic.com/Pranavam Brochure Proof2.pdfTHIRD ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS ... in the Geetham category, ... the rich and varied cultural

THIRD ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS

THYAGARAJA SAMARPANAM

AT THE ALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND CIVIC AUDITORIUM,

ON 25TH AUGUST, 2012.

Pranavam School of Music is devoted to teaching and imparting carnatic classical music to all true aspirants. Through music, the school will strive to bequeath the rich and varied cultural heritage of India to students, since classical music forms an eternal part of the Indian culture. This Music School has now been operational in Dallas, Texas for the past three years.

The School offers classes in Carnatic vocal music. Students are taken in or promoted through the following levels.

a. Basic Ib. Basic IIc. Basic IIId. Intermediate Ie. Intermediate IIf. Intermediate IIIg. Seniors Ih. Seniors IIi. Advanced Ij. Advanced II

Please refer to the curriculum for details regarding the syllabus at each level. Classes are of three types; a) Individual one-on-one sessions, b) groups of two to three students, and c) groups of more than three students. Classes are offered over skype too.

Pranavam promises to offer pure, traditional, as well as varied music for all.

Third Anniversary Celebration

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PRINCIPAL’S REPORT FOR THE YEAR 2011-2012This is a pristine moment of pride for all of us, when we are assembled here to celebrate the third anniversary of our beloved Pranavam School of Music. It is my proud privilege to present to you the annual report of the school for the year 2011- 2012.

Growth of the School: Our first anniversary, celebrated in one of our houses with few students, speaks about our humble origin. Thereafter the number of students increased so much as to necessitate renting a hall for the second Anniversary Celebrations last year. Since then, even more students have joined this school making Pranavam one of the largest music schools in Dallas. We hope to present all of these students to you today. The school launched its own website last year and this year, we have brought out our Annual brochure. We present our Annual Brochure for the year 2012- to all of you, hoping that it will be a regular feature in the years to come. We also proudly claim to have brought it out without soliciting any advertisements or sponsorships. This enormous feat was made possible only by the generous contribution of $10 per student.

Another distinguishing aspect of our school is that we continue to be the only school with a curriculum of study, which allows the students and parents to know what to expect or try to accomplish.

Students that are just starting to learn Carnatic music (Basic 1-according to our curriculum), are admitted and enrolled twice in a year, once in March/April months (during the Vasantha Navarathri season) and once in September/ October (during the Devi Durga Navarathri celebrations). Children at any other level of learning (basic 2 and upward) can join year round.

All students attend one class per week and the number of classes cancelled by the school has remained less than 1% of the total number of classes in a year and even the ones cancelled were mostly due to reasons like inclement weather.

As a method to promote attendance, the school announced in the beginning of the year that the student with maximum attendance will be honored during the Annual Day Celebrations. The winner for this year will be announced a little later during the prize distribution ceremony.

Classical music is also about learning by listening. With this in mind, the school had also announced a prize for the kid that attends maximum number of concerts in a year. The winner of this prize also will be announced during the prize distribution ceremony, a little later.

Participation in events: Our school participated in several music programs in the DFW metroplex (like Sankalpa 2012, Annual Celebrations of the Global Organisation for Divinity-GOD Satsang, programs to raise money for several charities like Sankara Netralaya, Echoes of India etc). Please see a photo feature about this in the middle of this brochure. Our children performed to very good reviews and were even featured in a local newspaper.


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Participation in competitions: Our children competed in music competitions conducted by the Saptami Foundation and also by Sri. Papanasam Ashok Ramani (to popularize Sri Papanasam Shivan’s compositions). Several students won prizes in several categories. Akhilesh Anand and Vignesh Subramaniam won the second place in the Geetham category, Samhitha Bandaru won a similar prize in the Junior Varnam Category, and Gayathri Krishna collected the second prize for the sub-senior category. (Please see a photo feature about this also, in the middle of this brochure). In the competitions conducted by Sri. Papanasam Ashok Ramani, in 2011, Sahana Prabhu won the first place in the Junior category and Sruthi Prabhu won the first place in the senior category. The school also sent many students to participate in the Annual Talent Show conducted by the Indian fine Arts Association (IFAA).

In- house concerts and other learning opportunities for the students: The school arranged an in-house concert by Sri Papanasam Ashok Ramani, which was an interactive session, where the students got a chance to interact with a senior contemporary musician. It was also suggested by the school that the students attend the Carnatic Music workshop conducted by Sri Madurai G. S. Mani and many students benefitted from this. Some of the students attended the classes conducted by Mrs. Lalitha Seshadri for the Annual Thyagaraja Aradhanai conducted by the IFAA. The faculty itself conducted workshops mainly for theory lessons. During the spring of this year, a Geetham workshop was conducted (for kids aged 8-12), which was a huge success. And in the summer a workshop about the ragam theory (for kids aged 12 and above) was conducted. This was also very well attended with tremendous amount of positive feedback and requests for more such camps being received. The school had set holiday homework during the last December break and all the kids responded well. The fruits of their research have been presented as a tri-board presentation, exhibited outside this hall today.

Opportunity for the students to perform: Once the children have finished learning the basic lessons, almost all of them get chances to perform what they have learnt since the school has been honored with a standing invitation to perform at the Hindu Temple of North Texas (HTNT), Plano and Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple (KSHT) on a regular basis.

We have the Almighty to thank for such a great blessing; may He give us the strength to continue to go forward. The school also has a very long list of non-divine helpers who have aided its phenomenal growth. I am not here to propose the vote of thanks and hence not including an exhaustive list. However it goes without saying that majority of them are parents of the students of our school. Our heartfelt thanks to them.

To continue to offer the same quality if not better and also to maintain the growth trajectory, there must be a certain amount of discipline. In accordance with that, I take this opportunity to establish certain guidelines in the school and re-emphasize certain others.


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1. Participation in the Annual Day is compulsory, but participation in all other programs is voluntary.

2. If a child or parent commits to participate in an event (which is voluntary) then attending all the practices thereof are mandatory.

3. Children participating in any music related events or competitions, conducted by organizations other than the Pranavam School of Music, should do so only after informing and discussing with the teacher.

4. Starting this year, there will be no make-up lessons or fees refund for classes cancelled by the students/their parents. But they will be available for classes cancelled by the teacher. But this is not to disadvantage the students or parents in any way. So I would like to announce that the children may be entitled to a total of two months “leave”; that is, they could be absent for up to 8 classes in a year. These 8 classes could be spread over the year or taken in one shot as a vacation to India or elsewhere!

5. The above guideline is basically to get rid of the ‘24-hour rule’ that existed in the school. I had previously stated that in order to obtain a refund of the paid fees or to secure a rescheduled class, the school must be let known of the absence at least 24 hours in advance. This rule, I am sorry to report, was heavily disregarded. Thus now, each student is entitled to a total of 8 classes leave in a year, which could be used for anything from sickness, weather or a vacation. The only thing that this does not include is any class that is cancelled by the teacher, which will of course be rescheduled as always.

With the enthusiasm of the management, sincerity of the teachers, dedication of the students, loyalty of the parents, good wishes from the music lovers in particular and the community in general, I am sure the school’s growth will be unabated and it will continue to serve the society, share the bountiful music riches inherited by us, uphold the rich and varied cultural heritage through music and help the students on their way to becoming scholarly cultural ambassadors.


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universities in the United States. He is a regular accompaniment for Padma Bhushan Dr. K. J. Yesudas during his classical concerts in the United States. He has accompanied various other prominent artists such as Mahanadhi Shobana, Sankaran Namboothiri, Flute V. K. Raman, Nashville Sankaran Mahadevan, Smt. Raja Rajeshwary Bhat to name a few. Santosh has also accompanied senior disciples of artistes such as Palghat Sri K. V. Narayanaswamy, Prof T. R. Subramaniam, and Sri Neyveli Santhanagopalan. He has had the opportunity to work with leading artistes such as Tiruvarur Bhaktavatsalam, Embar Kannan, Flute G. S. Rajan, B. U. Ganesh Prasad, Toronto Gowrishankar, Jayashankar Balan and Babu Parameswaran among others. Santosh has also accompanied Smt. Santhi Mahadevan for all her concerts in Atlanta.

Santosh has been an invited performing artiste for many of Emory University’s world music ensembles. He teaches Mridangam in Atlanta and has nurtured many students, some of whom have started accompanying for concerts.

MRS HIMA BINDU DEVATA: ACCOMPANIES ON THE VEENA, TODAY

Himabindu started to learn Carnatic music and Classical dance from a very young age. She learned playing the Veena from her Guru Smt.Seshamamba of Hyderabad for about 7 years. In addition to her Guru’s training and guidance her parents provided her with all the support and encouragement to complete a certificate level course from the Government Music College, Hyderabad for her knowledge and skills in playing the Veena. Smt.Seshamamba garu has studied Music at the Adyar Music college in Madras. After a long gap of 12 years, with her children starting to learn carnatic vocal at the Pranavam school of music, Hima has again been able to pursue her childhood interest of playing the veena.

MASTER JAY APPAJI: ACCOMPANIES ON THE MRIDANGAM TODAY

Jay Appaji has been learning to play the Mridangam from Rohan Krishnamurthy for a little over three years. He is an incoming X grade student in Plano ISD who aspires to learn all intricacies of Carnatic concert accompaniment. He is fortunate to have accompanied young singers in DFW and Houston and has participated in events such as Raag Rhythm, Sustaining Sampradaya at Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana and South Indian Percussion demonstration at Eastman School of Music.


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THYAGARAJA SAMARPANAMA MUSICAL TRIBUTE AND HUMBLE OBEISANCE TO THE BARD OF THIRUVAIYAARU, SAINT THYAGARAJA, BY THE STUDENTS OF PRANAVAM SCHOOL OF MUSIC

GROUP 1 – INVOCATION SLOKAS – BY THE ADULT STUDENTS OF THE SCHOOL. Gananatha in ragam Maayamalavagowla set to chathusra jathi eka talam, invokes the blessings of Lord Ganesha, the remover of all obstacles, for a melodious rendering of all songs and an unhindered program today. Yakunthendu , a popular sloka on Goddess Saraswathi has been set to tune in ragam Bowli by Smt. Santhi Mahadevan, invoking the blessings of Goddess Saraswathi, the patron deity of all arts and knowledge. The participants are

1. Mrs. Asha Nair 5. Mrs. Lakshmi Santosh 2. Mr. Eashwar Pallipuram 6. Mr. Nitin Nalin 3. Mrs. Hima Bindu Devata 7. Mrs. Vidya Ramji 4. Mrs. Jayanthi Maya

GROUP 2 – STUDENTS IN BASIC 1 (PLEASE REFER TO OUR CURRICULUM, STUDENTS STARTED LESS THAN A YEAR AGO) In keeping with the theme of the day, these students, some of the youngest in the school, will present a Divya Naama krithi of Saint Thyagaraja in the ragam Sankarabharanam, set to roopaka talam. The song describes the several qualities of Rama and how awe inspiring he is for everyone especially Saint Thyagaraja. The participants are

1. Adhana Krishnaswamy 2. Akash Vetrivel 3. Anay Pramodh 4. Anirudh Anand 5. Anirudh Bandaru 6. Aprajitha Donthula 7. Asvath Vijay 8. Karthik Rajagopal 9. Manasvi Chintalapaati 10. Manyasai Bhaskarapanthula 11. Mega Narumanchi 12. Megna Balasubramaniam 13. Neelesh Kumar 14. Pranav Annapillai 15. Pravik Tarala 16. Rithi Tarala 17. Roony Chodavaram 18. Sanjana Vempati


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19. Santosh Kolluri 20. Shanmathi Venkatesan 21. Shriya Senapathi 22. Shreya Krishna 23. Veda Peapully 24. Vikaasini Parthasarathi 25. Vivek Marangati

GROUP 3 - STUDENTS IN BASIC II (PLEASE REFER TO OUT CURRICULUM - THEY HAVE COMPLETED AT LEAST ONE YEAR OF STUDY). These students will present two krithis by Saint Thyagaraja, Karuna jaladhe daasarathe in ragam Naadanaamakriya set to adi talam. The second one is Rama Kodanda rama, in ragam Bhairavi, set to adi talam. The participants are

1. Abraham Cherian 2. Akhila Nanneboyina 3. Arya Rao 4. Bala Tripura 5. Deepa Vasu 6. Jayanthi Maya 7. Mrittika Gnanavelu 8. Neeraj Gnanavelu 9. Neha Prathivadi 10. Nikhita Vejju 11. Pranav Harathi 12. Risha Balreddygari 13. Sanjay Gorur 14. Sanjay Salem 15. Sneha Pallipuram 16. Srinidhi Mahadevan 17. Surya Salem 18. Tejas Devata 19. Veda Devata

GROUP 4 – STUDENTS IN BASIC III (PLEASE REFER TO CURRICULUM). These students will present two Uthsava sampradaya krithis composed by Saint Thyagaraja. The first one is Tava Daasoham, in ragam Punnagavarali, set to adi talam. The second one is Dasaratha Nandana in ragam Asaveri, set to adi talam. The participants are :-

1. Akilesh Anand 2. Jaahnavi Honnavalli 3. Lakshmi Santosh 4. Navya Chunduru 5. Prerana Honnavalli


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6. Rishika Kolluri 7. Sreya Kodela 8. Sruthi Sundar 9. Tarun Krishna Ramji 10. Vandana Seshadri 11. Varshini Seshadri 12. Vidya Ramji 13. Vignesh Babu 14. Vignesh Subramanian

GROUP 5 - STUDENTS DOING INTERMEDIATE I OR INTERMEDIATE II (PLEASE REFER TO THE CURRICULUM) Saint Thyagaraja was a very versatile composer. It is popular belief that he composed all of his songs in praise of his favorite deity, Lord Rama. But this is not true; he has composed songs in praise of several other deities. This group of students will present three such songs, composed by St. Thyagaraja, but not in praise of Lord Rama. The first is Sree Ganapathi Nee, in ragam Sowrashtram, set to adi talam in praise of the remover of all obstacles, Lord Ganesha. The second song, a lilting melody in ragam Bilahari, set to misra chappu talam, in praise of Lord Lakshmi Narasimha, the fourth avathar of Lord Vishnu. And the last one will be in praise of Goddess Kamakshi, Vinayaku neevalanu brova in ragam Madhyamavathi, set to adi talam. The participants are:-

1. Madhurima Narendran 2. Nisha Rajesh 3. Samhitha Bandaru 4. Sreeragini Ghantasala 5. Suganthi Gomathinayagam 6. Sujana Nelakanti 7. Vishal Rajesh

GROUP 6 – STUDENTS DOING INTERMEDIATE III OR SENIOR I (PLEASE REFER TO CURRICULUM) Thyagaraja swami’s immortality was assured and established by his magnum opus compositions in the 5 Ghana Ragas; compositions that are called the Pancharatnams or Five gems in the ragas, Nattai, Gowla, Arabhi, Varali and Sree, which have no equal. Of these, this set of kids will present the first and the last Pancharatnams in ragam Nattai (Jagadaananda karaka) and Sree (Endharo Mahanubhavulu), both set to adi talam. The participants are:-

1. Gayathri Krishna 2. Govind Krishnan 3. Netra Anand 4. Sahana Prabhu 5. Sreevidya Ghantasala


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TRIBUTE TO MY GURUS -- ‘SRI GURUBHYO NAMAH’The syllable gu means shadows

The syllable ru, he who disperses them, Because of the power to disperse darkness

the guru is thus named.

-----Advaya taaraka Upanishad 14—18, verse 5

I started learning music at the tender age of 5. Ernakulam or Kochi, where I grew up is no center for Carnatic Music, when compared to places such as Bangalore or Chennai. My most intimate exposure to the art form at this point came from perhaps the Chembai Sangeethotsavam, held annually at the Guruvayoor temple, which my parents and I frequented.My mother and father had arranged for Ms. Geetha Balakrishnan, a local artist to teach me. I do not remember how I fared in my music classes then. If I was any good at that stage, the greatest credit goes to Ms. Geetha for instilling the interest and the discipline of practice in me. My humble pranams to that great lady for the highest degree of patience shown in trying to teach the divine sapthaswaras and basic lessons (Abhyaasa Sangeetham) to a young child.

Ms. Geetha now became Mrs. Geetha and hence moved to another town. All I remember is that my parents persisted and I continued for more than 12 years without a break; or rather, my parents saw to it that my music learning was uninterrupted. My sincere namaskarams to them for their persistence.

Somewhere in my fourth year of learning, my mother and father must have thought – “this girl is doing somewhat well” and I was brought under the tutelage of the then principal of Tripunithara Music Academy, Isai Gnani Kalyana Sundara Bhagavathar. That was the big turning point in my attitude towards music. I started developing a deep rooted passion, started being very dedicated to the art form, and diligent in practicing what my Guru instructed. And somewhere along that time, with Kalyana Sundaram Sir’s abundant blessings and divine grace, I had managed to perform an arangetram at Kochi. He increased my repertoire in varnams and krithis, taught all the essential nuances of how to sing manodharma sangeetham, and introduced me to the art of performing concerts. He made me comprehend the importance of sruthi, layam, and bhavam in music and guided me on to win several competitions including the University Union Arts Festival. When I received the “best female voice” award from the Vice Chancellor of the University, I recall how I credited my Guru then. And today, more than 20 years later, I give him the credit for everything. My salutations to that great teacher, great man, and great soul.

I remember even today with tears in my eyes the day the newspapers announced the passing away of my Sundaram Sir. I vaguely recollect going to his house with my parents. I did not cry at his house, but when I came back I cried and I do not remember a day


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when I have cried louder or with more emotion. A great tragedy had befallen me; I had lost my Guru! I am told that I went into denial and refused to sing for more than 3- 4 years. By then I had become Mrs. Mahadevan, armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Marine Science & Oceanography and also two Master’s degrees in Marine Science and Bio-Acoustics, from the U.K.

It was a swing of destiny that my husband was passionate about music too and very interested. And perhaps it was another swing of destiny that we were in Singapore by then, where Mrs. Bhanumathi Raghuraman was also residing and teaching music. Upon my husband’s insistence I decided to restart music and I joined this great teacher.

Mrs Banumathi hails from a family of very rich musical tradition in India. Her father & Guru, Sangita Kalanidhi Isai Perarignar Dr. S.Ramanathan was one of the greatest musicians of our times. She is one of the 6th generation representatives of the musical heritage of the Trinity of Carnatic music. Mrs Banu’s many accomplishments include the first rank in Music (Veena) diploma course from Madras University, an M.A. Music degree from

Delhi University, the top award from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya of Delhi in the Post Graduate Music course, and even the Gold Medal by the then President of India Shri Shankar Dayal Sharma. She has undergone 2 years’ training under Prof T.N.Krishnan.

I was very fortunate to benefit from her able guidance, learn some of Ramanathan sir’s krithis, inherit an original paatantharam, and associate myself with several of sir’s and her senior students. She introduced me to the Chennai Music Circle and soon I was performing in several Sabhas over there and also accompanying her during her performances. My sincere thanks and salutations to this great teacher. I am also grateful to my husband, who would tirelessly accompany me to Chennai every season, from Singapore.

Along came my two children and a full time job as a faculty member in the department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore, and later at Republic Polytechnic. I took a break from music for some time, but later, I was back in my

passionate affair with Carnatic music and brought myself under the tutelage of Kanaka Purandara, Sangeetha Kala Nipuna, Vidwan N.R. Prashanth.

Shri N. R. Prashanth was the student of Sangeetha kalacharya, Kanaka Purandara, Gana Visharad, Vidwan Late Sri Titte Krishna Iyengar. He has also learnt from Vidwan R. K. Padmanabha and also from Sangeetha Kala Samragni, Karnataka Kalasri, and Kalajyothi Smt. Neela Ramgopal. Sri. N.R. Prashanth is himself an A High graded artist of All


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India Radio and is much sought after for concerts, both in India and around the world. He has obtained several rave reviews in the Hindu and the Indian Express and several local newspapers. He has won several awards and titles from prestigious Music Sabhas including the Music Academy, Chennai. For many years, he has won the best musician award from the Bangalore Gayana Samaj.

I feel very blessed to have been accepted by him as his student. Under him, I learned to culture and manage my voice more. He not only increased my repertoire tremendously with krithis in rare ragams, rare talams and almost all composers but also taught me several Pallavis in common and not-so-common ragas. He also perfected my concert singing techniques and it was only with his able coaching and meticulous training that I was able to go through the tough and rigorous grading process of the All India Radio and come out with flying colors. I humbly salute him and pay rich tributes to him as I continue to be guided by him.

I am singularly fortunate to have obtained the studentship and gotten tutelage from great gurus and more than fortunate to have learnt few krithis from the great maestros Sangeetha Kalanidhi Dr. S. Ramanathan Sir and Neela madam themselves by association with my gurus.

Thyagaraja Swami says in his Dhanyasi krithi ‘Nee chithamu’ - “Guruve chilla gincha, Guruve Braamaramu, Gurude Bhaskarudu, Gurude Bhadradu, Guruve uthama gathi, guruni vanukonti, dharanu daasuni brova Thyagaraajaarchitha.” How true Thyagaraja Swami’s words ring that my gurus are the sun that makes me shine by their brilliance. They are my ‘uthama Gathi’ . My humble obeisance to all my Gurus without whom I am not anything at all.

-- Santhi Mahadevan


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5. Students perform for the 6th anniversary celebrations of the Ganesha Temple

6. Students perform ‘Madhura Sangeeth” for the GOD Satsang of Sri Sri. Muralid-hara Swami.


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8. Students perform recurrently at the Hindu Temple of North Texas, Ganesha Temple, Plano


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INTERVIEW WITH SENIOR ARTISTSDuring a recent video chat session with Smt. Nithyasree Mahadevan and Sri. Raghavendra Rao, Pranavam School of Music had an opportunity to pose several music related questions to senior, very sought after, performing artists. Both the artists were magnanimous and gracious enough to patiently answer all the questions in spite of their very busy schedules. The school hopes that many lessons will be drawn by students from this chat session from the words of these seasoned performers.

Pranavam School of Music (PSM): First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to answer these few questions. Let me begin with a little bit about yourselves. Why, when and how did you begin to learn music? When did you decide to make it your profession?

Sreemati Nithyashree Mahadevan (NM): I can’t say exactly when I started to learn music, but music has always been an integral part of my life. As many people would know, I had the privilege of being born into a family steeped in rich musical traditions coming from stalwarts such as my grandmother and my uncle [in reference to Sangeetha Kalanidhis D.K. Pattamal and D.K.Jayaraman, the latter who is actually her grand-uncle]. I guess this became a subconscious influence in my life, as I was surrounded by music wherever I turned. But I was never directly forced or coerced into music, for which I am grateful.

And again, the decision to make music my career wasn’t an instantaneous one, where I just sat down one day and decided that I will be a musician. I decided on music as a career during college, while I was pursuing a degree in commerce, with an intention of becoming a chartered accountant. Music and academics seem to always go hand in hand don’t they? (laughs). But by then music had become such an integral part of my life that there really was going to be no chartered accountancy at the cost of music.

Sree Raghavendra Rao (RR): I was born into a musical family too. My father was a flutist in cinema, playing light music. He had never received classical training, which was perhaps why he was insistent upon getting all his seven children (my four brothers, my two sisters, and I) classically trained. My dad was very strict and used to impose very rigorous practice schedules on us. He used to wake us up at 4am in the morning and I was made to practice from 4.15 to 6.15. Then after school I would again have to practice for two more hours before I could go and play for half an hour. But I guess the decision to make music my career was made when I was in college too. I had many opportunities to perform music and I became very busy with it and I chose it over pursuing a bank job.

PSM: So music has really been a lifelong presence for both of you hasn’t it? What and how should a student of music practice, both early in the learning process and at an advanced level?

NM: (laughs). The standard thing to say is commitment and dedication but I think


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that without these qualities, being a student of Carnatic music is not even valid. Once you start learning, what is most important is to understand what you are singing, work towards rectifying your shortcomings, don’t ever learn superficially, go deep and think about what you are learning. For example, during my formative years, when I used to sing swarams in melkaalam, I used to sing too fast and my kaalapramaanam will be running. But I had to constantly remind myself to keep in sync with the mridangam. Or during raaga aalapanai, I used to worry about sangathis and try to incorporate all of them too quickly. My dad would always advise me saying that I should have ‘saavakasam’ and ‘vishranthi’ [roughly translates to calm and collected]. Therefore, at any stage, advanced or beginner, what and how you practice should be left to the Guru and students should not hurry. They have their whole lives ahead of them (laughs).

Commitment to practice is paramount even at the level of a Sangeetha Kalanidhi. Pattamma, even at the ripe old age of 75 would sing all the songs that she had planned for a concert of hers, be it the very oft repeated maamava pattabhirama or the raksha batre or even Shanthi nilava vendum, even though these were songs that she would have sung a thousand times before. I would refuse to sing with her sometimes but she would never bore of practice. On another instance, when we were planning a radio concert commemorating Papanasam Shivan, Pattamma was not confident about the abhogi varnam by Shivan that she had only recently mastered. So I volunteered to sing with her and asked her to leave it to me. She was not very happy about not singing at certain points. So then I volunteered to write the swaras down as she seemed to be forgetting the order of the swaras more than anything else. I wrote it down in a big font and gave it to her to refer to during the concert. But a day or two before the actual concert, I saw her bent over the two pieces of paper during the height of the day in Chennai instead of napping! I saw that it was the piece of paper where I had written the swaras to the abhogi varnam. She was going over them again and again! Perhaps this patience and dedication is what made her great.

RR: Practice makes perfect in any art form, especially Carnatic music. What and how you practice is most important. That is where the Guru comes in. I would say this one thing, especially to parents: even at an advanced level, parents should not be over excited for the children and the focus should not be on performing on stages or winning prizes; rather it should be on further practice. My advice to the students is to believe in themselves and constantly listen to yesteryear vidwans, but never to copy them, only to imbibe the good aspects. Learn a lot of varnams, especially ata taala varnams as they are a good voice exercise in that raga and try to do akaaram of early lessons in different ragas, which help with voice culture development and Kaalapramaanam. Sing all songs and varnams by rotation.

PSM: Most of the music students would understand the concept of sruthi, but what are layam and bhaavam and how should a student try to bring it into his/her music?

NM: That is a very difficult question. Layam is to music as a heartbeat is to a human. But having said that, layam is difficult to induce into students. Not having a natural


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sense of the talam is a drawback. Layam and knowledge of talam is an “anugraham” [blessing] from God. Bhaavam is also self-induced and comes with experience. Even I feel as though I sing with more bhaavam and Anubhavam [experience and involvement with the song] now than 10 years ago.

RR: Aspects of Western music such as rhythm would come under the umbrella of layam. I think that bhaavam and layam should also come on its own. And it usually comes at a later stage of learning through more of a listening experience. Bhaavam comes with a lot of listening, self-analysis and self-realization. Students need an ability to recognize their own mistakes.

PSM: Would you then say that bhaavam is related to devotion?

NM: I don’t think so… There are great singers who are not necessarily great bhakthas, perhaps they just have great devotion to music. But I would say that just like music is the easiest route to God, God is a slightly easier route to bhaavam. But of course bhaavam with devotion would be the greatest ideal, something that was achieved by the saints of old. Bhaavam transcends any melody and transforms the song. Bhaavam is to a song as life is to a human.

PSM: In your opinion, how does Carnatic music contribute to Indian culture?

NM: Carnatic music is India’s pride. It is a beautiful and divine art and it showcases India’s cultural heritage. It is truly art, science, even math, and divinity all rolled into one.

RR: Yes, Carnatic music is an integral part of Indian culture and even Indian life. If you take Western music for instance, it has many influences in it, but Carnatic music is only influenced by India and its heritage, so it is therefore an emblem of Indian culture.

PSM: What do you find is the most prominent difference between performing in India and in America?

NM: No difference (Smiles). Equal commitment is required to perform anywhere.

RR: I feel that certain cities in USA are performing centers; they differ like the sabhas do in India. It is obvious that interest in certain cities in the US is more prevalent, whereas in India you can perform anywhere. But of course, commitment and dedication are required anywhere (laughs).

PSM: What do you think of the students in America and their involvement in learning Carnatic music as compared to students in India?

NM: Students in India and America really have the same engagements and stresses. There isn’t any difference in pressure. Students should pursue music through their own passion. But I will say that exposure to live music in India is greater. This is the primary difference.

RR: Same


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PSM: What are the prospects of a child today aspiring to choose music as a career?

NM: They are great! A top-ranking magazine in India stated that the current age is the golden age of Carnatic music and I think this is true. Musicians are well-respected and they can live in monetary comfort, comparable to other professions. A reasonably good performer is surely getting his or her due.

RR: Thanks to yesteryear vidwans who came here (MLV was first to come on an international tour), Carnatic music is more globalized and internationally recognized especially when compared to earlier years. I came to the US first in 1991, and even since then listeners and learners in the US have increased and performers are even coming to Chennai and singing. So the future is definitely bright.

PSM: Who would you consider as your role model?

RR: All vidwans and stalwarts of yesteryears! All of them have something special and understanding what makes them special is enough.

NM: My Paati [grandmother] and my guru

PSM: Whose compositions do you like to deliver during a concert?

RR: Trinity’s compositions. They are really the benchmark aren’t they?

NM: Trinity

PSM: Who is an ideal teacher? Can you prescribe ideals for a teacher?

NM: The Guru’s position is before that of God in India, no matter how the Guru is. The Guru’s role is very important. One derivation of the word ‘Carnatic’ comes from the fact that it is a genre of music learned through a tradition of listening (Karna Parampara). There is no shortcut to learning face to face from a Guru and I think that learning through various types of technology is secondary.

I have had several ideal teachers in my life. I always thought that Jayaram mama was a great Guru with great vaathsalyam [affection] towards his students. He was a rare combination of a great performer and a great Guru. Pattamma and amma were very soft and sweet and they taught all others like they taught me. So a Guru has to guide students in the right path and adapt to their differing needs. Not all performers are great teachers and not all teachers are great performers.

Hats off to Gurus like you outside India. Without you, there is no music scene outside India. You people allow these children to be in touch with our culture. It is a great service that you are doing.

RR: One other derivation of the word “Carnatic” is that which is ‘Karneshu adathi’


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[pleasing to the ears]. I had four gurus who were very passionate about teaching and they did not care about time or fees. Music cannot be taught by the clock. An ideal teacher should be patient with all types of kids and go in their way. Extreme discipline or strictness will not work these days.

PSM: Can you describe an ideal student? What is Guru Bhakthi?

NM: Carnatic music is not entertainment, it is enlightenment. It is a divine art form. The Guru leads us into the threshold of this divinity. An ideal student should have the utmost faith and trust in the Guru even to the point of describing it as loyalty. An ideal student should also be punctual and prompt, and this would show his or her interest and sincerity.

RR: Guru Bhakthi is ‘truth in the mind.’ An ideal student should show determination and dedication. He or she should practice everything that the Guru says. Guru Bhakthi and passion will bring forth your best. You know the song Gurulekha! [The song referenced by RR is a composition of Saint Tyagaraja in Gowri Manohari that explains that it is the Guru who imparts true knowledge of the Supreme to the student.]

PSM: Thank you so much for your time! I’m sure everyone, especially the students of Pranavam will benefit greatly from these words of wisdom.

NM: Thank you so much. I wish Pranavam School and all its students all the best.

RR: Thank you for having us and all the best for the school.

Smt. Nithyasree Mahadevan Sri. B.V. Raghavendra Rao

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

• Our Gurus, our parents, family and friends, all well wishers and music lovers

• All students of Pranavam and their parents

• Chief Guest Prof. Dr. Dowling and his partner

• Accompanying artists Sri. Santosh Chandru, Sri. Sridhar Nagarajan and Smt. Himabindu Devata

• Swami Sarveshananda (Chinmaya Mission) for his blessings

• Mrs. Lalitha Seshadri for her good wishes and blessings

• Mrs. Rachna Raman for contributing an article to our brochure

• Sri. Malolan and Kesari Foods for catering

• Ms. Keerthika (Delta Video Prints) for website maintenance

• Mrs. Madhu Kapoor (Caddy printing) for invitation card and brochure printing

• Mrs. and Mr. Anand Venkateswaran for tri- board presentation of the kids’ homework, ambience, photography and for being on the reception committee.

• Mrs. and Mr. Subramanian Ghantasala for help with sound arrangements and stage décor, for video recordings and for the tri-board presentation of the musical lineage (parampara) of our students

• Mrs. And Mr. Sridhar Kodela for sound engineering.

• Mrs Lalitha Prabhu and Mrs. Vidya Seshadri for being on the food committee

• Mrs. Vidya Seshadri and Mrs. Sujaya Rajesh for being on the student discipline committee

• Cactus awards for all the mementoes and trophies

• Allen Civic Auditorium authorities and Mr. Kevin Waught (auditorium)

• MC- Govind Krishnan.

PRANAVAM SCHOOL OF MUSIC SINCERELY APPRECIATES, ACKNOWLEDGES AND EXPRESSES ITS HEARTFELT THANKS

TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE

Documents

THIRD ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS - Pranavam …pranavammusic.com/Pranavam Brochure Proof2.pdfTHIRD ANNUAL DAY CELEBRATIONS ... in the Geetham category, ... the rich and varied cultural