One whole day of music for me... Ah what bliss!!! Well... not complete bliss.. I had to study the entire day. But since I was just doing lots of mechanical, non-thinking work, I listened to music while studying. I was listening to all my favourite english songs ranging from Toni Braxton to Alanis Morissette. Then came evening... I had to get ready and go for Bharath Cultural, a traditional Indian concert performed by the Indian Instrument Ensemble (IIE) of NUS!
The programme was amazing. Its been such a long time since I listened to classical Indian music. It was about 90 minutes of pure, unadulterated bliss for me...
After listening to western music the entire day, I was able to appreciate our classical Indian music even better! There is something about attending such concerts that you will never find in any other concert. Its not just the melody. There is an element of grace in watching the artists perform. There is elegance in the way the hand of the sitar player moves, elegance in the way the bow moves across the violin strings, elegance in the rhythm from the tabla and mridangam, elegance in the way a veena player slides her hand across the instrument with such apparent ease, elegance in the movement of fingers across the flute, elegance in everything! And thats just the appearance... the melody that comes out of all this... well.. what can I say? Its just mesmerizing!
I was hesitant initially to go for Bharath Culturals, but I am really happy that I finally did. The past two weeks have been gruelling for me and this concert was just what I needed. It did something to me that neither Toni Braxton nor Alanis Morissette could have done. It refreshed my mind the way a long, blissful and dreamless sleep would have. I entered the concert hall feeling quite numb. Its been a long day trying to analyze Singlish for my project. I came out feeling like someone had finally breathed some life into me! Maybe this wasn't as great as an M.S.Subbulakshmi concert, but to an Indian starved of classical music for God knows how many months... I can hardly find anything to complain :)
One of the greatest regrets I have so far was the fact that I never learnt to play any Indian instrument. I tried to learn singing, then quit half-way through. Now I regret that. I wish there was some way I could turn back time and go learn the violin. Or even singing is just fine. But some form of music....
Because today, as I sat there watching all my friends play those instruments, I felt a pang of jealousy.... each time my friend tells me that she played the veena to take a break from a hectic schedule of studies, I feel bad that I let go of something precious that could have been mine........they have one of the greatest gifts of all times at their disposal......
Music.
3 comments:
Aw, honey. Its never too late to learn anything! Maybe next sem, if we're lucky enough, we'll get into some music classes (instrumental/vocal...it doesn't matter). I'm sure it'll be great fun!
And yeah, as I was sitting watching the concert, I was just amazed at the way all the Veena players looked so synchronised! I mean, when they play, their hands move in the same direction (unlike violin players, whose bow hand moves differently with each person), so it was like it was choreographed or something. Splendid to watch. And everybody looked very colour co-ordinated too, so the concert was as much a feast for the eyes as it was for the ears. :)
appu..
music is bliss, isnt it? yeah.. classical music, intitally seems way off what we like, but then we soon develop interest dont we? i mean in my house they used to play classical music like m.s all the time, that i took it for granted. once i moved out of home to study, i realised what i was missing. I even stopped learning classical music, something i will regret always and yes, if i do find the time, will definitely get bcak to it. as usual.. gr8 post :)
#clueless
it sure was enjoyable, wasn't it? :)
#outlaw
i miss m.s. too!!!! i was just thinking abt that while in the concert!
#reverend
Hi! I dont wanna learn music for a sense of accomplishment. Thats not exactly wat it is abt. I just want to learn it coz i am interested in it and i just want to know atleast a little bit to be able to play some instrument when i am bored or something. When u miss indian classical, i think instruments are the best methods to take u back to ur traditional and cultural roots :)
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