Music Piece for Depressive Patient

I have attched the Piece of Music for Assinment 5. Coincidently, when I was in my PG I used this piece of music on several clients of mood disorder with instructions. I found this music energetic and capable of changing one's mood.

Apart from that I would like to give steps to be followed for a highly depressed and dull client who is a modern Indian who never likes classical music:

1. Identify the nature and intensity of his depression and dullness.
2. What type of music and nusic instrument he prefers.
3. Accordingly select pieces of music and arrange in sequence (Depressed to full of joy), because once they will be identified with the music, music itself will take care of him.
4. After each music, get the feedback or measure his condition through medical equipments (if available).
5. Repeate the process by regular basis (Daily or Weakly).
6. Signify the result.

Durgesh K. Upadhyay

1. Upadhyay, D. K. (2011). Exploring the transformative nature of music in the context of Hindustani music tradition. In S. Kumar & S. B. Yadav (Eds.), Positive psychology, pp. 211-216. New Delhi: Global Vision Publishing House.

Exploring the Transformative Nature of Music in the Context of Hindustani Music Tradition

Durgesh K. Upadhyay

This paper aims to explore the transformative nature of music at both personal as well as interpersonal level particularly in the context of Hindustani musical ethos. Moreover, the focus is on, in what ways and how do such transformations take place and what are the contributing factors. By the analysis of meaning and origin of the words “Music” and “Transformation,” I will simultaneously discuss the shared meanings of the musicians (belonging to Hindustani music tradition) of their lives from musical experience (Dillon, 2007) in the light of traditional beliefs and practices of Hindustani music and related works done in this area.

Music: Meaning and Origin

The word “Music” comes from the ancient Greek ‘mousike’ meaning ‘like the muses’ – the goddesses through whose blessing humans could be inspired (Lourdes, 2009). Hazrat Pir-o Murshid Inayat Khan describes in his book The Mysticism of Sound Music and Word (Vol. 2):

“What we call music in our everyday language is only the miniature, which our intelligence has grasped from that music or harmony of the whole universe which is working behind everything, and which is the source and origin of the nature.”

He further puts his view at all the different religions unite is that all creation has come from vibrations, which the Hindus have called Nād; and in the Bible we can find it as the ‘Word,’ which came first of all.

Cosmically, the union of purusa (subtle dimension of manifestation) and prakriti (gross manifestation) is the cause of all manifestation; nād, causal sound, arises from the union of prāna (breath) (Na) and dāh (burn) (Da); tāl itself is the union of tāndava (movement) (Ta) and laya (rhythm) (La). Nād – the eternal sound, one of the five elements (earth, water, fire, ether, and air) of the natural phenomenon, gave birth to the music of the orient and the oxidant (Bandyopadyaya, 1977). Etymologically, 'Nā' means breath and 'Dā' means fire or energy. Nād is thus a combination of breath and energy. It implies that the sound produced by living beings emanates from the lungs and comes out from the mouth.

There are two kinds of nād: Āhat and Anāhat/Anāhad. Āhat nād is a sound produced by the collision of two things or by physical manipulation, as for example cymbals and human voice respectively. In both cases, vibrations produce the sound which dies away as the vibration comes to an end. This is the sound with which we are concerned in music. Anāhad nād is a self-producing sound, or what is called "unstruck sound", as for example the music of the spheres due to the vibrations of ether in the upper regions. Rabindranath Tagore wrote in his connection; "The life-breath of Thy music runs from sky to sky." Nād, it is also called subtle or Suksham nād. This is the sound which the yogis or highly spiritual personal hear within themselves when they get into a state of higher consciousness.  

 Nād is related to Dhvani (a kind of sound). Music is concerned with sweet and pleasant dhvani. Manju Sundaram, a classical vocalist and senior disciple of Girja Devi, shared: ‘music is the exact miniature of the cosmic laws. It contains harmony, rhythm, and order.’ She further said that music is like liquid and has the capacity to enter deep into the soul. Dillon (2007) in his book Music, meaning, and transformation rightly observed:

Music making has a powerful influence on emotions and can contribute to our identity and its formation. Musical experiences can help us know ourselves, communicate with others in wordless ways and contribute to our understanding of our place in our own distinctive culture. These experiences in these locations have the capacity to be meaningful and lead to transformation of self.

What we mean by the term “Transformation”

Literally, ‘transformation’ means a marked or qualitative change. Change may be in terms of character or behavior or attitude, usually for the better at various levels. Here, concern is only for personal and interpersonal transformations. Prof. Ritwik Sanyal, disciple of Dagar brothers, shared that in Indian mythology in general and particularly in Hindustani music ‘transformation’ has conceptualized as a pathway of spirituality which leads you towards perfection, liberation or freeing, and salvation at the same time where there is something which is constant (śāśvat). The Advaita Vedanta aims at freeing (mukti) a person from an inner bondage (bandha) that ties a person to the chain of the consequences of his or her own past thought and action, and it tries to reach this goal through the conscious acceptance of certain truths about the nature of the Self (Paranjpe, 2002, p. 131).

Indians, particularly the Hindus, belief that salvation can even be obtained through the practice of music, that is why, it is said that to be a good musician, a man must live retired from the world like an ascetic (Bandyopadhyaya, 1977).

Music and Transformation

Dr. Manju shared that music (whether singing, practicing, listening or performing) enhances acceptance and brings down resistance and resentment. And hereby, it gradually transforms our whole being. The Advaita Vedantic texts provide a complex model of the same. It assigns the tasks of perception, cognition, recollection, and others to an entity conceived as the “inner instrument” (antahkarana). The inner instrument includes the mind (manas) manifesting attentivity, the intellect (buddhi) meaning the capacity for determination and ascertainment, and citta, a storehouse of past impressions and memories. The inner instrument is a crucial aspect of the embodied person that coordinates the functions of the senses and the body while in constant interaction with events within the body and its surroundings. The inner instrument is said to “reach out” to objects in the environment through the senses, and to become transformed into their shapes, so to speak. The inner instrument is constantly undergoing modifications, depending on the objects it reaches out to, and it tries to “know” them by itself being transformed into their shapes. (Paranjpe, 2002, p. 217)

Such transformational mechanism takes place not only at personal level but also at interpersonal levels. Dr. Manju found its evidence and shared. Once she was performing in a concert organized after the concluding session in an International Convention by the Theosophical Society in Madras, one lady came to Dr. Manju and requested for her leader (a Russian delegate) who wanted to meet with Dr. Manju. The leader conveyed via his interpreter that ‘although he could not understand and follow a single word or a single syllable of what you chanted, but it has transformed his whole being.’ This discourse proves the transformative nature of music beyond the personal and cultural barriers. Dr. Manju further argued that it was the power of eternity and universality of the nād (music) that came out and got communicated.

In Tom Kenyon’s (Director of Research and Development Acoustic Brain Research, U.S.) work with groups and individuals he found that the use of mantras or chants can seemingly transport one to other dimensions of consciousness. He has also found that these vibratory keys work even if they are not inherent in the culture of the participants. He concludes that touching the depth of one's nature through sound seems to have a universally transformative effect.

Along with it, Paranjpe (2002) observed the commonalities in Indian communities of artists and aesthetes to consider art, especially classical music, as a form of “meditation,” although several others see the performing or listening to music as no more than entertainment. Be that as it may, two medieval scholars, Jiva Gosvami and Rupa Gosvami used the rasa theory in the understanding of religious devotion as a means to self-transformation (p. 275). On psychological and aesthetic level, the term “rasa” connotes a direct apprehension of a quality or a state of being (Siegell, 1988, p. 58). Rasa refers to an immediate interior perception of a moment or a particular state of existence provoked by the functioning of the methods of artistic expression. It is neither an object nor an emotion, nor a concept; it is an immediate experience, a gustation of life, a pure joy, which relishes its own essence as it communes with the ‘other’ (Daumal, 1982, p. 41).

Further, in translation of the Natyasastra (1982, p. 41) he stresses that bhāv is the experienced outcome of a fundamental rasa, which will:

…express all the emotions and incidental psychic states which vary and give nuances to the fundamental savor (rasa)…(and which) express the dominating emotion when it becomes potent enough to subject man to physiological actions, which…supply indubitable signs (expressions) of the…interior state.

Rasa deals with emotional behavior and also works within individuals as “an awareness of the totality of the emotional situation.” (Deva, 1981, p. 73)

What Music does?

Such awareness of the emotional situations, as Prof. Sharda Valenkar, Head of the Department of Music, BHU shared, provides control over our emotions in various supportive as well as in adverse situations. She further told that this control of emotions enhances acceptance and in turn gradually transforms our whole personality. Dr. Ritwik further elaborated:

…it is a natural, gradual and a continuous process of growing. Music, certainly changes our attitude, our life, and you constantly grow and evolve.

Prof. Premchand Humbal, a Bharat Nāťyam dancer, expressed:

…as we grow with music, it increases our emotional sensitivity. Now when I look at my earlier compositions and compare them with latest composition, I find that its creativity and maturity has been increased. My energy has centered.

Prof. Shashi Kumar, a vocalist, explained the effect of music as mental healing. He suspected whether music could transform the blood character and the character acquired in our childhood through upbringings and socialization. Moreover, Dr. Sanjay Verma, a classical guitarist, discarded completely such effects. He shared that for him, it is not the music but certain spiritual practices like meditation, and etc. has transformed his behavior.

Contributing Factors

Talking about the factors that also affect and in turn conducive for the transformation of the musician’s behavior, attitude and life, Prof. Shashi and Prof Sharda has the same view that our inborn nature and characters acquired through upbringings and socialization during earlier ages certainly ascertain the intensity and depth of transformation towards spirituality. Prof. Praveen Uddhav, a table player, shared that music does not direct everybody to spirituality. It depends on one’s sanskāras (innate dispositions).

Apart from that, Prof. Humbal and Dr. Manju focused on the role of knowledge, experience (musical and otherwise), and the surroundings. Manju showed her gratitude by saying:

…I am so grateful to life that has so kind to keep on giving me the right atmosphere, the right environment, the right milieu, the right surroundings, the right people, so that I could live my life on my conditions.

In terms of interpersonal transformation, when music gets communicated, Dr. Manju found that it’s a matter of receptivity which determines the intensity and depth of transformation. The more intense the receptivity will be, the deeper it will enter into the soul. Dillon’s explanation of the term ‘transformation’ seems meaningful to quote:

I have become aware of that the way I think “musically” has affected the way that I do things and solve problems, beyond the process of making music, in fact my music making experiences have had generic consequences…. Through the process of making and thinking about music, I have also been “made” by it. (p. 4)

Concluding Comments

After the discussion about the transformative nature of music both at personal as well as interpersonal level in the context of Hindustani music and Indian ethos, I found that music and individual are mutually inclusive. They both, in many ways, transform each other. In the words of the artist Jorge Oteiza (In Patxi del Campo’s Creative Psyche and Music Therapy):

“Art does not transform anything, it does not change the world, it does not change reality. What really transforms man in his evolution and completes his languages is he himself. And it is this man, transformed by art, who can try to transform reality through life”.

There is no doubt that music has transformative effects but what kind of music making has this effect and where is the change in self-located and to what end? The notion of measurement and evaluation of music’s impact on human nature, health and so on, is not within the bounds of this chapter but it is perhaps the next most important step in this enquiry and needs to be pursued rigorously and accountably. For now, I am taking a position that music is and has transformative effects on people of all cultures (Hallam, 2001; Simpson, Bodlovich, Harvey & Owens 2003). There are researches particularly dealing with the different type of sounds and their physiological, hormonal and neurological effects. There is an intense need to measure and identify the neural changes, altered brain activity, actual physical and micro processes (such as genetic and neurotransmitter alterations) while transformation is taking place.

Acknowledgment

I would like to thank my all the participants for their kind support. I evince my gratitude to my teacher Prof. Ajit K. Dalal and to also my seniors Dr. Sunil Verma, Shail Shankar, Namita Chandra and the environment of my department that is helpful in grooming me as a researcher.

References

Bandyopadhyaya, S. (1977). The origin of rāga. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt Ltd.

Daumal, Rene (1982). The origin of the theatre bharata. In Rasa (Trans.) Louise Landes Levi. New York: New Directions.

del Campo, P. (2002). Creative Psyche and Music therapy, Music Therapy Today (online), June, available at http://musictherapyworld.net

Deva, B. C. (1981). An introduction to Indian Music. New Delhi: Publication Division.

Dillon, S. C. (2007). Music, meaning and transformation. Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Hallam, S. (2001). The power of music: The strength of music's influence on our lives. London: Performing Rights Society.

Kenyon, T. (2000). Sound as a Modulator of Consciousness. Available at http://www.soundhealersassociation.org/tom-kenyon-sound-as-a-modulator-of-consciousness

Kan, H. I. (1988). The mysticism of music, sound and word. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas Publishers Pvt. Ltd.

Lourdes, L. (2009). Lifesong: Transformation…, Spring – Rapport.

Paranjpe, A. C. (2002). Self and identity in modern psychology and Indian thought. New York: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Siegell, M. M. (1988). Finding it as oneself: A psychological enquiry into the classical music tradition of north India. Unpublished PhD thesis, Union Graduate School, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Simpson, A., P. Bodlovich, I. Harvey, and J. Owens. (2003). The power and the passion (or It's a long way to the top if you want to rock n roll). Melbourne, VIC: The Australian Contemporary Music Working Group.

Bio

Durgesh Kumar Upadhyay, is a research fellow in the Advanced Centre for Behavioral Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

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Peculiarities of North Indian Music System

Durgesh K. Upadhyay

Lecturer

AIBAS, Amity University

Lucknow

"To appreciate Indian music, one has to adopt a completely different sense of values... one must orientate oneself and at least for the period concerned, forget there is a time-clock ticking away and merely sink into a kind of subjective, almost hypnotic trance. In that condition, the repetitive features of Indian music, both rhythmic and melodic, acquires an extraordinary fascination and charm... despite the domination of this hypnotic mood, a characteristic of Indian music is that far from deadening the intellect, it actively liberates the mind."

Yahudi Menuhin

I am familiar with the North Indian system of classical music often referred as Hindustani music. I am also acquainted with Bhojpuri (a regional dialect of the Indian states Bihar and Uttar Pradesh) Folk music. There are two major forms of Indian classical music: Hindustani music and South Indian or Carnatic music. Hindustani music cannot only be distinguished from Carnatic music but also from all other music survived in all over the world. North Indian music is the assemblage of different music systems. It shows its flexibility and ability to incorporate the peculiarities of each music system. The north was subject to numerous waves of invasions by Muslim rulers to a degree not experienced by southern regions, with strong Persian and even Arabic influences finding their way into Hindustani music. The courts of the Muslim rulers in the North became the primary centers for musical activity, thereby severely restricting the availability of the music except for a growing governing and connoisseur class. In his fashion, classical music in the North developed as a hereditary vacation that largely came to rely upon the support of patrons and sponsors for it to flourish.

Although the Vedic founts of these two major forms of Indian classical music remains the same, from about the 13^th century onwards (Shankar, 1968:46) various historical and cultural forces influenced the development of distinctive systems and styles of India’s music. Carnatic musicians sometimes proclaim the relative “purity” of their music, which purportedly retains considerably less non-indigenous influences than in the North. For a variety of reasons, the bastions of orthodox Hindu cultural life in the South became the temples, which are closely associated with the everyday life of the people. Music, like the other arts, became allied with numerous temples and therefore religious activities, thus assuring wide access to the music for many of the common people.

Although there are many shared melodic and rhythmic elements between the two systems, there are important differences between the conception and structuring of these elements and the approach to performance within Hindustani and Carnatic music. Both place a high emphasis on soloists in performances. The Carnatic system is characterized by a plethora of fixed compositions, often intensely religious in content and traced to specific composers that are religious figures in their own right. In general, Hindustani music places a greater emphasis on improvisation and the imaginative interpretation of the music by individual performers than is done in the South. This is the most peculiar characteristics of Hindustani music. In an Indian musical performance, while the grammar of melody and rhythm is fixed, the skill and ingenuity of the musician lies in his improvisation and creativity, especially in evocation of the mood and rasa of the particular raga.

Improvisation means an artist giving his own individuality to the music that he has learned from his Guru. In Indian music, it always demands reverence for the tradition and a sense of the history of one’s artistic lineage as well. Creativity and experimentation in Indian classical music is therefore defined as something that “is regulated by the tradition, not bound by it. Pt. Ravi Shankar has noted:

…I am amazed that a musician who upholds the highest tradition can be a creative artist and brings about many innovations. The great Tan Sen and then Sadarang and even Allaudin khan faced some short of criticism early in their careers, but later their “innovations” became part of our musical tradition, and were well established through their disciples. That is one of the beauties of Indian classical music – that since the Vedas it has never stood stagnant, but has kept on growing and being enriched by the great creative geniuses of successive generations.  

The great strength of Hindustani music is its flexibility and resilience to absorb new nuances and ideas. It enjoys the freedom of experiment both in theme and practice which is rare in Carnatic music. We can understand it by considering the example of Kumar Gandharva. Often in the musical tradition, one is taught that the lyrics or poetry of the work is subservient to the mood of the raga. That means every ‘Khayal’ or ‘Bandish’ of a Raga should sound like the Raga from which it is born and not have a distinct identity of its own. Kumar Gandharva was among one of the few people who dared to challenge this fixity. For him every lyrical form had its own life and needed to be honored for its own sake, and not alone the sake of Raga (Sharma, 2005). Kumarji sang out of the Bandish and not out of the Raga. He subordinated the Raga to the Bandish, never letting the Raga take priority over the Bandish. This was a unique turnaround in the culture of Hindustani classical music (Menon, 2001).

Initially, Hindustani music was fixed. Dhrupad Style of singing is the best suited example. Dhrupad is the oldest, most formal and respected genre of the North Indian music tradition. It has a very rigid way of singing but at that time, Dhrupad was the most prevalent style in Hindustani music. Then the other form Khāyāl was created as a reaction to the rigidity of dhrupad. Literally, khāyāl means "imagination" or "fancy". When the singer, complying with the rules of music creatively embellishes a song with alāp, tān, and tāl, the composition is called khāyāl. It is said that Amir Khusro (1235-1325) popularized this form of singing in the thirteenth century. Sultan Hussain Sharque of Jaunpur (1458-1480) created a new form of khāyāl. Khāyāl deals with more than one rasā (emotions) while thumri is limited to shringār (erotic) rāsā.

Peculiarities of Hindustani music:

1.      Only Bandish of a lyric is sung in a fix manner whereas all other improvisations and Badhat (elaboration) are sung freely;

2.      It is ‘Swara-pradhān’ (importance of musical notes);

3.      Ragas have been generated only from ten primary scales or ‘Thāths’(A thāth is a group of notes from which raga can be built), therefore they are easier to understand and learning, whereas in South  Indian or Carnatic music has 72 primary scales called melas, produced by variations of seven fundamental notes (shudh svaras) which makes it complex and fixed;

4.      It consists only one-liner literature and musician has to just improvise this Rāgā for a long time;

5.      It is eclectic, having absorbed the influence of its Muslim singers;

6.      Emotion and devotion are the essential characteristics of Hindustani music;

7.      It also contains the beauty and sweetness of regional Folk music, like Bhojpuri, Punjabi, Bengali, etc.;

8.      Melody and rhythm are more developed and offer a great variety of subtleties, not possible in Western music. Indian notes are divided into small units called shruties (22 microtones in all), whereas Western music has only 12 semitones. The microtones are more subtle then semitones. These microtones adorned with gracetones (gamakas) produce a magical effect;

9.      It has generally a principle mood or emotion in a rāgā;

10.  Ragas are classified on the bases of the nature of notes, time-associations, and the seasonal variances;

11.  Ragas are used therapeutically to cure different types of psychosomatic ailments;

12.  Hindustani music relied on Gharanas (a family based musical tradition) and has been still preserved its genuineness and grace, etc.

Music as a Therapy: personal experience

There has been general notion that rāgās with strong time or seasonal associations are most potent and have their full effect only if played at their appropriate time. These are generally the rāgās that are said to describe or embody the feeling of that time or season, and in this sense is what music psychologists term “referential.” (Dowling and Harwood, 1986)

The purpose of putting these above lines here is that I firmly believe and have experienced the decisive effect of my vocal riaz (music practice). When I practice or perform a rāgā according to its classified criteria resonated with my own mood and feeling, it creates an esoteric effect. It produces lot of positive energies. These energies are able in strengthening my immune system for the better defense to outer disturbances that can harm me physically as well as psychologically. I am working on a project with the topic, “Curing the psychosomatic ailments by positive energies.” The basic idea is to share my personal experiences related to this context.

            I do not know whether it is only my illusory belief or indeed, there is something like that. There are many sources of positive energies. Nevertheless, the most significant source for me is my music practice that continues endlessly whenever it gets opportunity. Moreover, simply there is a cutoff from external stimuli. This cutoff from surroundings helps me to restore and acquire more energy that is positive. Music has always helped me from many emotional problems and cured my different physical problems like coughing, sneezing, body aches, etc. However, I want to share one of my recent experiences of this year. I got two Asthmatic attacks within the period of six months. Only a vocal artist can feel this embarrassing situation. Initially I relied on some medications but after some relief, I decided not to continue despite the strict prescription.

            Meanwhile I had continued my riaz and right now, I am substantially cured. I am not denying my cautiousness that has increased of course. Undoubtedly, my music practice bricked my damaged wall again. I will stop just by quoting the Mother’s saying:

An ailment of the body is always the outer expression and translation of a disorder, a disharmony in the inner being; unless this inner disorder is healed, the outer cure cannot be total and permanent.”

References:

Integral Healing, pp. 21, 24, 32-38, 73-79

Mansukhani, G. S. 1982. Indian classical music and sikh kirtan

Menuhin, Yehudi (1976). Unfinished Journey. New York: Random House

Siegell, M.M. (1988). Finding it as oneself: A psychological enquiry into the classical music tradition of north india. A Bell and Howell information company, USA

The Mother: questions and answers, Vol. 5, p. 21, 122-124, 185, 186.

Vasant 2002. Sangeet visharad, pp. 52-63. Sangeet Karyalaya, Hathras

Transcribed Narrative of Prof. Shashi Kumar on Musical Creativity

Prof. Shashi Kumar

R: What do you think that music is God gifted or one can nurture it?

P: According to my experience, to get something you should have some inborn talent. See a person how, for example, if somebody is playing the Tabla what happens, certain Guru, if he gives you to count the money, say suppose, you are counting the money in proportionate, you know the pattern. You have that rhythmic background…so a person with a certain rhythmic theme, whether he is able to grasp i.e. called as inborn talent. If I am saying a note, and if you are able to repeat it then you have an inborn talent…otherwise whatever you press out on it it will not work out. So the knowledge of grasping the thing should be learnt.

That is why we say that it is God gifted. That’s the talent or you can say ‘inborn talent.’

R: Do you think about some past life connections?

P: If you will see a child prodigy, an ordinary person who practices for 50 years and get to a matured level that you can see in a child in his 8 years or 10 years. So there is a belief, out of lac may be one i.e. if a person or a musician who has not fulfilled his achievement and he died then he get this. There are certain examples not hundred percent. For example in South, Shashank, a flutist, at the age of very small he started to do that and in Mandolin, G. Srinivasan, at the age of 6 or 7, he started playing Mandolin and he has developed his own style of playing it.

R: Kumar Gandharva can also be the example.

P: Yeah. So that is the thing. Bal Murali Krishna, at the age of 13, he started composing and singing. Later he awarded by Padma Vibhushan. So, these are the certain persons. But whether they are connected to the earlier one’s I think nobody has done before.

R: When did you found that you have potential for music firstly during your childhood?

S: Actually personally telling about my life in music, my family belongs to a caste called ‘Marar.’ We are actually Kanakya – a temple ritual. We are the players of playing drums in the temple, called as ‘Devavadyas.’ This instrument should be played in front of the God. Still this is continuing throughout the Kerala. So our family, our work for a Brahmin, means he has to do the Pooja. There is a person called Warrior – they actually have to make the garland of flowers for the God. They should do it or ‘Nambisha,’ these follows. Ours’ is Marar, means we have to play instruments and sing ‘Ashtpadi’ in front of the God. Still it is continuing. But what happened, my great grandfather was a very great scholar who was a Maddalam player. So, that instrument he played and he got the award from the king, when my father was five years old and that night he got the golden bangle from the king and the next morning he died. The reason is somebody gave him poison in the night. Because he was a great scholar, out of jealousy…….that talent got to my father’s elder brother who was a very famous Maddalam scholar called Krishna Bala. So what I say that, that is the Parampara what I have in the field of music, but as Carnatic music, nobody was in my family but rhythmic playing and these things were there. And my father was not even, though he played at his younger age, going to school, he used to play instruments. Then after the temple he goes to school. That much liberty was given. So after that he did B.A., M.A..

R: Before your father, that freedom was not for other family members, besides playing drum and then going to school?

P: No. No. Because, because they have that. They know that this boy has to earn something for the family because the father is not the…that is elder his elder brother. So they have to look after the family. So we have…which is called Kulattodi – job of the family, in the temple where you are appointed, so that you have to be, because it is an offering to the God. We can’t just leave that. So after playing the instrument, go to the school. Until his age was 12. Then he…has been given to some other person. Then he studied and came to Chennai ad he did a job and…then he learnt B.A. privately.

R: So when you came to your senses…

P: No, why I am telling, there is a reason for this. So he came and he has totally easy line and then all the other…his generation then his children…they took different professions. We all studied different different things. But in his mind he was thought that something should be taught for the children. My eldest brother learnt ‘Mridangam.’ Second brother learnt Guitar and the third brother learnt Violin. We have five brothers and last myself and a brother. I was forcefully told that you should learn music. So that’s why I came. Because my younger brother, he used to sing very well right from a small kid. So, for him, when he is playing you also learn. That’s how I learnt. So he brought the instruments from Kolkata, then he brought the Guru to our house. So every weak he came to my house. So forcibly I was put in music with my studies. So at the age of around 8 or 9, I started learning music. But, what happened, then the Guru understood my talent and at the age of thirteen, I gave my first performance on the stage. So in Kerala, all the schools you know, they develop a lot. In the schooling you have groups like 3-4 groups. Then you….

R: So when you have been converted into music domain totally?

P: Then after 12^th standard I was totally doing music privately. Then performance, so I got several awards, prizes and all. My younger brother also. He was also doing the same way. But after +2, my younger brother went to some other things. He became M.B.A. So after 12, my father told me that no, you should go for music. It is your main profession. Then I went to Chennai.

R: So, it was your father’s decision?

P: Yeah, the father’s decision. I was having the interest but that time the I.Q. is different than the present I.Q. is different. That time people think what to do. Then I thought, can I do music, then I think ‘you have to do music.’ Forcibly I was told that all have gone to different fields then you should adopt your own profession. The reason for that is getting so many awards to me in schools and college levels.

R: Then what you thought about?

P: then I thought its ok. I will do it. Then once I did ‘Sangeet Vedanta’ for 3 years then I got the knob. Now I should be more serious. Then I went and join in Madras University for doing B.A. and M.A. as soon as I finished M.A. I got the job. In 1987, I have joined.

R: Then I will talk about the motivation. The sources of motivation what you find as you have forcibly told by your father?

P: Motivation (thinking), my personal motivation was that, forcibly, during the…even when we are children… forcibly making us to practice, because that age is a wavering age…So, before the Guru comes and make us practice, the song at least, you should make ready for the next week class, so that you need daily practice.

R: So, actually there are two types of motivation. One is extrinsic and one is intrinsic. So what do you find that intrinsic i.e. internal and extrinsic i.e. external sources of motivation.

P: So, to be very frank that time it was external source…and the other thing I was awarded of my inspiration of Dr. Yashudas, because he is an excellent singer of classical music and also of film songs. So, he makes, you can say, all the Kerala people good musicians and good listeners and throughout the India if you will check I can challengingly say that the best audience who like real classical base songs only in Kerala, even now in film industry. Out of fifty songs minimum 10-12 songs will be on Raga based songs in a film. Only in Kerala. So that, why it is that because from the childhood all, any children for 50s 60s onwards, they are listening Yashudas. That make them inspiration.

R: Then I will talk about the background. Actually we have categorized background. We have three types of participants. First who belong to Gharana as we have Banaras Gharana, Gwalior Gharana. And then other participants are outsiders. And outsiders are divided into two parts. First who have preferred the Guru-Shishya Parampara because we have that lineage and the other who relied on institutional system. So what do you think, what is your background as you have told about? What is the privilege of having such background over the others and over the outsiders?

P: I couldn’t follow what you said.

R: Means, being a Gharanedar, being some family tradition. What do you think that is it privilege or not?

P: See, earlier time it was a privilege. Not the present living time. Earlier, the Gharanedar had the privilege. The privilege is that, you are a musician and you are put up in the Guru’s house. He has to work all the things to the…

R: I think that it is the 24 hours learning.

P: Yeah. It depends upon the condition, why the Guru is doing like that. There is the logic behind that. The Guru knows what the categories of shishyas are. See, one shishya, he has lesser grasping power or lesser thing, lesser I.Q., he has to work more why? When he is working, automatically he will be concentrating on his work but his ear will be in the listening of the songs of his Guru. Who is 24 hours practicing or practicing for the evening songs or he is teaching for the next session. So when you are in the house itself you will get a chance of listening more. Music is just like, my definition is – music is like a saving account in mind. If there is no money in your account, you can’t take it out. So, internal reading should be done. Listening is very, very, very important. So without that you can’t do it. So I the brain, if your Guru has some certain special impression of a special Raga, will click on you after 25 years or 30 years when you are singing on the concert from some part of the brain belong. Then you will be shocked, how I got this. This is what improvisation. So this is actually the listening.

R: So, that is the grace of our music system, know?

P: Yeah, that is what we are loosing is that is the thing. Now, present children, they don’t listen the concerts and perfect concerts. What are the things they should listen, what are the things they should neglect. So, this is what looking now. Even our generation we have listened ample things. My degree time or PG time you will not believe that I may be sleeping for 8 hours and 9 hours even for a whole student life. I have my private Guru in Chennai plus institution. OM

We don’t sit like that. If a class is free automatically either seniors or juniors we all sit together and practice. That is the practice and that time what we did is the thing what we are getting now.

R: So, you have got privileged know?

P: Yeah, in that way. But I was not in Guru-Shishya Parampara. But I used to go to my Guru. It is the modern age. So, I used to go to my Guru’s place and spent 3-4 hours. He will be singing or he will be teaching or he will be sitting or teaching the juniors so you should not think that why should I go and sit. No. we think that whatever we get, it will be in our mind. So even fro the concerts also we go and listen a lot. Even now you can do because everything is available at your desktop. Just plug in listen it. Listen, listen, listen, listen. That is what all the musicians even now do. See, all the great, I mean all great artists; especially in South India they will be having either a MP3 player or an IPod. It will be plugged and they are always listening whether travelling in the flights or in other places or in the house also. So this is the routine thing. Unless and until you put in your head, you are not going to get. That is very important. But do you think that I am not at certain stage and why I would listen, why I should do, whatever I do. That’s not the thing. Till your death you have to do. There is no end for this. Its’ like Samudra.

R: What type of supports you find and what types of adversities faced in your music life?

P: Rigorous practice.

R: What types of support you got?

P: Supports, I have full family support.

R: But you have forced, aren’t you?

P: Yeah, that is at the time of school age. When I went to Chennai, I was very serious about it. Then I took it as a challenge and I had challenge with others. So, I had to come out with that. Then monetary benefits…the thing is, since I started at a very younger age, started performing I don’t have stage fear i.e. very important psychologically. If you are a performer you should not have nervousness or you should not feel tension. And you should not think somebody is laughing and talking something. You should not psychologically think, O’ he is thinking of me, he is thinking of my song. No. And you should not have fear that O’ he knows more than me. What can I sing? If I think like that, that’s all. You are gone. So, regarding the performance part, again coming toward the subject what you said but psychologically you must be prepared well to perform. Be confident and do whatever is best for you. Don’t try something which you don’t able to do in the stage.

R: Don’t take risk.

P: Risk. It’s so necessary because see. Get bad names is so easy, get a good name is so difficult. So, you should have certain planning also.

R: So you have lots of supports I think?

P: supports in the sense I had monetary supports, then family supports because I learnt and my brothers the thing. If I am practicing in my room they will not disturb me.

R: Then in terms of adversities, what types of problems you faced personally as well as…

P: Problem….? I don’t think that. The problem you create yourself in your mind. That is what my policy. Any problem.

R: Frustrations?

P: No. frustration was not there. If you will have jealousy then you will have frustration. If you are friendly singing and you are having frustration.

R: So, you got stage appropriately?

P: Yeah, appropriately, because I know that I have worked hard and I believe in God.

R: So, you believe in God. Faith is there.

P: Yeah. Faith is there. So I got lot of performance so that I got money also little bit. So that monetary also it was benefitting during the time of school age and also during colleges. I don’t have to disturb much my parents also. It was not a huge amount but that will be enough for to survive for one month.

R: OK. So, you have enjoyed the whole music life?

P: Yeah.

R: Then, I think what I found that in terms of coping strategy, the best for you is the practice. Just practice a lot.

P: And even in that case my friends also, I used to call them to my house. So they also come and till night we practice so that we will know each other. What are the things we can do or what we can learn. So, say, he will say some Swara, I will say something else better. Then you think Ok, I have to do better than that. So, that type of things will be having more and you can create more and more.

R: So, you have a very sound competition?

P: Yeah.

R: Environmental factors were very conducive?

P: I can say, in this way of practicing, what we developed at that time and a good friendship among our friends that made us…

R: But it’s very-very rare, although it’s very important. Now days.

P: Yeah. This is what I am seeing lacking among the things. We never thought of seniors or juniors. That is also not there. When senior is singing we also come with them. That’s what I do.

R: Then. It was just the development phases that we have talked about, how you were developed. Then the second portion is “behavioral dispositions.” What type of behavior you have manifested? What do you find that what is the difference between you and others which don’t belong to music domain or any music background?

P: I never compared with others.

R: You have never compared?

P: No. Generally because I think it is not necessary much.

R: But bit you compared?

P: Compared in the sense what I judge myself in the performance, what are the good qualities, what are the bad things happened to me on that concert and what is lacking. You record it and listen it again and again. And you know that, O’ these things should be improved. His is what I did and it is not possible to compare a person with other person or a singer with another person because they are at different stages. And there are limitations among the voices. So, a range, what voice range you developed you by practicing. Then what voice throws how you throw it, how do you do the qualities and technical things? I was much advanced in technology also because that was my area of interest. So, during my schooling time, also I mean during my college time, in Chennai, I had also the friends of the cine film also. Whenever I get a chance I usually sit with the film musicians and then while they are doing the re-recording, recording parts I sit and listen the things. And I got several…

R: No. personal characteristics. What types of personal characteristics, what type of behavior you have manifested, know?

P: Yeah. I have, when I have got lot of privileges to talk with musicians.

R: Not actually. The exact question is what type of human behavior, being very jealous, being very emotional or being…

P: I don’t have much jealousy, I don’t think like that. See whatever I think, whatever you do, if it is good you will get a good fruit. This is what my policy. And I am not bothered about what is happening to the next door. Whether he is getting program, whether he is getting famous I don’t bother. What I am? In this way I am very selfish. How to develop myself? But any kind of help anybody asks, even in the faculty you can ask to anybody about me, whether he is a peon or Dean or a office person or a Tabla accompanist or a student. Whatever I can help I help.

R: Did music transformed or changed your behavior?

P: What I am saying the certain things can be but not all the things. It is the behavior of your parents how you (what we call Samskara), how they are, they have balance brought you up? That makes you the sense from the childhood. There is a phrase in Malyalam – whatever habits you have been followed since you childhood you can not forget till your death. So, our life was it that way. Morning get up, beause my grandfather was very strict. To be very frank. Morning get up. Take bath and immediately go to the Pooja Kaksha. Do pooja. Whether you would say ‘Om namah shivay,’ ‘Ram-ram.’ Whatever it may be may be 5 minutes or 10 minutes or 15 minutes. It doesn’t matter. You have to do it. Then after learn. Have breakfast and take your cloth. Go to school at 8:30. After coming back keep the bag there, have food, immediately you should go to the playground. Must. You have to play. You can’t say that no, I will not play today.

R: Very prescribed routine?

P: Yes. You go and play for half and one hour. 6 o’clock you have a bell, first bell. He will call Shashi come. So, immediately we have to come. They say one minute but its maximum five minutes. That’s all. Come back, wash your feet, do the     . Go to the Pooja Room. Again do the evening pooja (Sandhya). Then go to read. Then after that have food at 8 o’clock. And if you want to read then read for ten minutes. It is not like that. Then my grandfather show films. He says you are doing all other works, why not cinema. So take us for 12 o’clock, especially on Saturday and Friday. Because Saturday and Friday are holidays for us. That much rigidity was there but also the flexibility. That is the thing, how we are related to each other (brothers) and friendly. I can’t say the music can change the behavior. No. right from the childhood, it should be there. But it helps you something or you can be matured in certain things. And mainly I think that it is more than behavior, your mental healing is much good in music.

R: I think music can increase your acceptance and it’s a…

P: What we say that each blood has its own characteristics. It is not actually blood, but what we say that is the situations of the boy who has come out from these things because, one who came from poor family, he might have frustrations and one has been deprived of deserved things, when he comes and got up got Ahankar. It should not be. I always say my students – don’t be Aham. Don’t be an unbaked cake. Also when you are at the 15 years you have performed a lot and O’ I am the greatest personality in the world. If you are thinking in this way then that’s all. Then it will not happen in future. Second thing, when you are performing on the stage, on the spot if you get a fever or voice choked or cut in fingers then what can you do? As much you practice, or if you get the lose motion at that time, what can you do? You can’t. As much you try you can’t. So, you need a blessing from your Guru or any eternal power should be there, when you perform. This is what I believe.

R: What type of mental as well as physical setting you prefer for you Riaz –daily practice?

P: Again if you take that – somebody says it ‘Mizaz’. They need a particular mood. So, generally what people think, it depends upon the character. For me I need a neat and clean thing and soothing things. And most of the musicians you can see they like perfumes and other things or praying and firing incense-stick while starting practicing. You know another thing is ‘freshness.’ So, before practicing I always take bath. If you don’t take that day bath and perform you can’t. Even if you are in abroad, in extreme cold I will take bath. Then only I can perform. That makes you really fresh. Psychologically that thing makes you fresh. Even if one day I don’t take bath I feel drowsy. So, that is the must.

R: And then during performance, what type of setting you want? What type of audience?

P: Nothing. I don’t prefer anything. Only thing, I should have a good mice system. It should cooperate with you. Earlier, may be 15 years before I get angry, because if the mice is not set properly but I have seen, because of that it affects my concert also.

What is available out of that what I can do. So, I just go and do the microphone parties available according to the developments.

R: So, gradually you understood that?

P: Yeah, understood. Why should I take unnecessary…

R: Have you ever found that musicians are very moody and arrogant?

P: Yeah.

R: There are many examples. When I am going to perform and prescribed time is delayed, may be postponed I will be totally disturbed.

P: Yeah. Or you have to wait a lot. That also makes boring. And even you don’t get a mood to sing. That is very important. You are saying that say 5 o’clock is your performance and suppose 8:30 or 9:00 o’clock your performance. Then you have really a bad mood to not to perform. Then what will be having. If you are thinking about the 100 % performance or duty we can have only 40 %.

R: Just you have to complete.

P: Because that makes us like this. And also you can see the audience mood and all. Even I will be thinking to perform of 1 hr or 1 and half hr. If you think that they are not, I mean that much capable of grasping these things, so why should I waste my time and energy. So you finish it or sometimes it is asked to act according to the privilege of the organizers. If they have some other program, if they have given me half an hour or 45 minutes, why should I take one hour? Even in 10-15 minutes I can show my talent. So, why should I take two hours? And nothing is going to be different whether you take two hours.

R: Because most of the people feel bore.

P: Yeah, Yeah.

R: Because not all people can hang for 2 hours. You must be precise.

P: But you will not believe, at one place, when I went I was shocked. I went there and nobody was there. 8 o’clock there performance had to start. Why? They said that no, no. Here normally performance starts at 9 o’clock. I said, Ok. I will come may be at 11 o’clock. No, no, no. I said why? Minimum 5 hours you have to sing.

And you can see that when the audience like, you can see they will all be sitting there. I went than they asked me after 1 hour. They said no, no, you follow. Then I sung for 5 and half hours without taking food. Because, if I take heavy food I can’t perform. So, accordingly you have to behave also.

R: Process. It is very important for me personally as well as for the novices, the learning process you have adopted. What do you think that if you have to explain it in a systematic manner?

P: Actually, to be frank, the Carnatic music procedure is very systematic. All the people are following the same thing whether he is musician, vocalist or an instrumentalist. There is no certain difference between instrumentalists and vocalists. They have to learn both the way and Swami Purandara Das has systematically composed many compositions in 14^th c. So, that is still followed. So, we have obviously 2-3 hours practice all these swaras , alankaras. Then akar, ekar, ukar. After that only slowly, like constructing a house you build up the base, foundation and add water. That process will take…

R: Can you give example?

P:

You have to practice these basic things. You can’t have a bypass. First, practice these things, make your voice ready, then only you can sing a Varnam. Demonstration

So, first make your voice ready to warm up – like an exercise – befor running you have to warm up. So, one day you can run for half an hour, and then like that it increases. It is called as Asurya Sadhna. And these things should be practiced (traditionally). In a water till your neck. Then you practice. …..Why? Reason?  Your whole body will be cold. You need more strain to practice. The reason why we practice in morning is this. When we practice in the morning, whole body will be loose. The same thing you can easily practice in the evening. But morning will be more rigorous. The more strain you practice, evening will be east to give. This is scientific.

R: then the last one. We can conclude here. Creative process.

P: creation comes, again I told, after the listening so many things. For me, creative part – earlier we have to certain things will do something. Again how much you filled yourself, how much you do these things. It is not actually copying. It is called as like as band.

R: Because we don’t follow the imitation.

P: You have to have your own. Then you have to develop your own style. It will take so many years to reach that stage. The more you labor, the more you improvise – for example Swaras what you use to do. Even in the colleges they will take exercises. How many patterns you can make out of set of certain swaras.

To be frank, I loved this so many times while coming back my home from the college. I was doing created like this and no body will be sitting… I have lost my bus stop around. This is how creation evolves.

R: Completely involved?

P: You have to have. And certain…

R: Can you give a very significant example for that. Something special you have created in your life. May be many. Give one or two examples.

P: Creation, I just started composing myself in so many. Creation, in the forms of recordings, video recordings, studio songs recordings and all. For creations everything I always got inspiration in the evening. I don’t want any disturbance. In the morning time either telephone or anything. I always personally while composing in the night I switch off my phone and I will be sitting alone in the room…process…you think…you think over Rag, whether it is appropriately or properly suits for that song and what will be the more according to the mood what you can compose. That’s all. And visualize also.

R: Can you make very specific? Why and when one can visualize?

P: It is very difficult to explain because until and unless you have self-experienced, you can’t. Because certain things may be connected with the drama or dance. It is something different. Or when it is also for example – demonstration

Let that logic thing should be with the music also. So, composing is not just we use any swara or play any swara. No, there should be some logic also. Whether it is Western, Indian or Classical anything you can see good composers, they think in such a way. Composing is another part. That is another life. See, you can’t be a good teacher that is another thing. You can be a good performer that is another thing. You can be a good composer, you can do another thing. By God’s grace I am able to keep all my hands in all these areas. Even I have composed instrumental music also. Vadya Vrind. I got 3-4 CDs released. So, what I did, even in 1992, I was in U.S.. That time I saw certain place where they were doing the chanting – OM healing.

Demonstration.

P: You are in trance?

R: Yeah.

P: So, this type of experience or the spirit, when you get yourself while performance. It is not those just close your eyes and do the thing. That experience should be in your mind. When you transmit to others, that’s what I did it. Then that other person can also learn it. Whether it is recording, whether it is singing, and person involved in that and transmit. To reach that you need little bit time. Stage by stage you reach. Experience is the Guru.

Ethnomusicology, what they do. Anything should be very systematic. In West you say something like that, no; you need a proof for it. We should prove it. We need evidence for anything. So, it should be in a systematic way, systematic theory and practical should be proved. That is very important.