So it turned out there was some kind of miscommunication about my potential violin teacher. She thought I wanted to learn singing. And I thought she taught the violin. After a 40 min drive to her house, we both realized something was not quite right. Well, at least it wasn't a complete waste of time. Through her, I managed to get the phone number of somebody else who was supposed to be a violin tutor.
I've been very specific about my search for a violin guru. I wanted to learn classical carnatic music. Not western, not hindustani, only carnatic. And its hard to get started on violin classes if you are so picky. Its taken me half a year of intense searching, that culminated to one phone number.
Turns out I hit the jack pot! This teacher is completely worth it. He is worth the wait, worth the long drive, worth the fees, worth the pain in my right arm, worth the peeling skin on the tips of my fingers, worth spending an hour each day practicing. Bottom line, he is so much better than what I had imagined him to be.
Yes, I have to start from scratch... all over again. Its going to take me a long long time to reach the place where I left off. But thats alright. As long as I learn music the way its supposed to be learnt, its alright if it takes time.
Usually stuff like finding tutors for your musical interests is something that your parents do for you when you ask them to. And thats how its always been for me. But this time, for the first time I found my own violin tutor and arranged for everything by myself. I drive myself to classes, take care of my own practice, pay for my own fees etc. I feel so grown up!!!!
Thank God I had that initial miscommunication! Otherwise by now I would have settled for something less! :D :D :D
(One man's pudding is another man's poison. My happiness is my room mate's sorrow :P :P :P Well, not really, I practice in lab after everybody has left for the day so she is spared till I get better at music!)
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Monday, October 25, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Grad School Musical
After spending a year in Dallas, I have run out of excuses to procrastinate my quest for a violin teacher. I now have a car, my finances are kinda ok, I have the time and those are all the resources that I really need for a good musical education.
So this weekend, I set aside all laziness and all the questions buzzing through my mind and actively sought out a music teacher. My first class is going to be this Thursday.
But I am still not sure.... her advertisement in the classified just said "carnatic" music and usually that refers to vocal training more than instrumental. Its just not the same. But when I talked to her, it seemed like she had more students who were learning violin from her. So I don't know, maybe I am mistaken, maybe she is multi-talented, I have no idea.
Here's hoping for a good beginning to what I hope will be a life long journey :) :)
So this weekend, I set aside all laziness and all the questions buzzing through my mind and actively sought out a music teacher. My first class is going to be this Thursday.
But I am still not sure.... her advertisement in the classified just said "carnatic" music and usually that refers to vocal training more than instrumental. Its just not the same. But when I talked to her, it seemed like she had more students who were learning violin from her. So I don't know, maybe I am mistaken, maybe she is multi-talented, I have no idea.
Here's hoping for a good beginning to what I hope will be a life long journey :) :)
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Lost Musician
Its hard for me to believe I used to play the violin. Yeah, its gotten to the point where I have to say I "used" to play the violin. I haven't touched that sacred instrument in more than a year. And I feel ashamed. I felt the exact opposite 3 years ago after performing in my first ever concert (I am listening to the audio of that piece right now! Seriously, I cannot believe I actually played that quite fluently!). I used to be incredibly satisfied with the direction my music was going.
Today I miss all that. I should have learnt violin for longer. I should have performed more (performance practise sessions are so rigourous, they'll make anybody an expert in the instrument!). Basically, I just shouldn't have stopped learning.
Each step in my academic life seems to take me one step away from a chance to dive back into classical music. Singapore doesn't seem half as bad an option right now to pick up the violin again. My latest excuse - USA is not the place to learn classical carnatic music on a violin!
If I miss playing the violin so much, what's preventing me from just going against all odds and picking up from where I left off? Fear. Its as simple as that. I am scared of failing, of finding myself worse than when I left off, of having to start over again from the beginning (Sarali varisai!!), of having forgotten to tune the violin, of so many things. Right now its just so much simpler for me to sit on my rear and say "oh yeah, I used to be a violinist in an orchestra, but I cannot play anything for you now because I didn't bring my instrument... luggage problem, you see".
I wonder if I will gather the courage to take the next step. To get myself an instrument, find myself a mentor, and start playing an instrument I am so fond of, and that I miss so dearly....
P.S.: I also miss my orchestra and organising concerts every semester! If anybody from my orchestra is reading this, you people rock! The classical way! \m/
P.P.S: Its like the blogging gene in me has been knocked down since I moved to the USA. In spite of having so many things happening around me, why am I not writing more often?!
Today I miss all that. I should have learnt violin for longer. I should have performed more (performance practise sessions are so rigourous, they'll make anybody an expert in the instrument!). Basically, I just shouldn't have stopped learning.
Each step in my academic life seems to take me one step away from a chance to dive back into classical music. Singapore doesn't seem half as bad an option right now to pick up the violin again. My latest excuse - USA is not the place to learn classical carnatic music on a violin!
If I miss playing the violin so much, what's preventing me from just going against all odds and picking up from where I left off? Fear. Its as simple as that. I am scared of failing, of finding myself worse than when I left off, of having to start over again from the beginning (Sarali varisai!!), of having forgotten to tune the violin, of so many things. Right now its just so much simpler for me to sit on my rear and say "oh yeah, I used to be a violinist in an orchestra, but I cannot play anything for you now because I didn't bring my instrument... luggage problem, you see".
I wonder if I will gather the courage to take the next step. To get myself an instrument, find myself a mentor, and start playing an instrument I am so fond of, and that I miss so dearly....
P.S.: I also miss my orchestra and organising concerts every semester! If anybody from my orchestra is reading this, you people rock! The classical way! \m/
P.P.S: Its like the blogging gene in me has been knocked down since I moved to the USA. In spite of having so many things happening around me, why am I not writing more often?!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
In memory of his music...
I usually don't get up before 10am during vacation. But surprisingly, for the past one week, I have been waking up at 6am each day! Today was no different. And as soon as I woke up, I did what I usually do, check email to see if my new grad school has written to me. As I opened my browser, I saw the shocking news splashed all over my home page!
"King of Pop" Michael Jackson dies at 50.
I know that Michael Jackson has been better known for his controversies off late. But to be honest, I never really read the tabloids or even cared about the news seeping in about him through the years. I have loved Michael Jackson for the music that he has given to the world and I look at him as an exceptionally talented musician. Michael Jackson holds a special place in my life as far as music is concerned.
When I was a little kid, dad had gone to Germany for a few months on a sabbatical. And when he came back, he brought along with him a bunch of music CDs that caught his fancy. One of them, or rather two of them (it came as a 2-CD pack) were the greatest hits of Michael Jackson, a compilation album called "History". Those CDs were how I was introduced to the world of western music. Till then my music-life revolved solely around bollywood. Since then, my english playlist has expanded beyond recognition!
But I'll always remember that compilation album. I can forget the classic "Heal the world" that was featured ever so often in our annual days as a save-the-world message performance! Of course there is the all time favourite "Thriller". As a kid, I used to be scared to listen to that song when I was alone at home because of the scary narration... "darkness falls across the land... the midnight hour is close at hand... creatures crawl in the search of blood... to terrorize your neighbourhood!" But all through, I have always loved his songs. Ever heard him sing as a young kid as a part of the Jackson 5? You should listen to him singing "Blame it on the boogie". I just have to mention his song "cry" because my dearest friend has a soft spot for that song :)
I could keep listing all the songs of his that I love, but that list would be far too long. So let me conclude this post instead with the song that I love the most that he had sung. Its one of my most favourite songs and it has always been like that. I had even mentioned in back in my first year here in my blog!
Michael Jackson truly earned his place as the King of Pop out of sheer talent, the Elvis Presley of our age. He had begun his life as a performer when he was just five years old. He bridged the gap between the black and the white communities with his talent in music. He was the first black star of MTV and steadily climbed the ladder of fame and success. It is true that his life might have spun a bit out of control towards his final years. But its truly worth remembering him for his gift as a singer, dancer and performer.
Michael Jackson, no matter what the world says, to me you'll always be the artist who introduced me to a whole new world of music and in that process, you gave me a song that I have fallen hopelessly in love with, and from which I have always derived great comfort. It doesn't really matter if you are black or white!
Wherever you are, may you rest in peace... and may your music live on forever
Video Courtesy - Youtube
"King of Pop" Michael Jackson dies at 50.
I know that Michael Jackson has been better known for his controversies off late. But to be honest, I never really read the tabloids or even cared about the news seeping in about him through the years. I have loved Michael Jackson for the music that he has given to the world and I look at him as an exceptionally talented musician. Michael Jackson holds a special place in my life as far as music is concerned.
When I was a little kid, dad had gone to Germany for a few months on a sabbatical. And when he came back, he brought along with him a bunch of music CDs that caught his fancy. One of them, or rather two of them (it came as a 2-CD pack) were the greatest hits of Michael Jackson, a compilation album called "History". Those CDs were how I was introduced to the world of western music. Till then my music-life revolved solely around bollywood. Since then, my english playlist has expanded beyond recognition!
But I'll always remember that compilation album. I can forget the classic "Heal the world" that was featured ever so often in our annual days as a save-the-world message performance! Of course there is the all time favourite "Thriller". As a kid, I used to be scared to listen to that song when I was alone at home because of the scary narration... "darkness falls across the land... the midnight hour is close at hand... creatures crawl in the search of blood... to terrorize your neighbourhood!" But all through, I have always loved his songs. Ever heard him sing as a young kid as a part of the Jackson 5? You should listen to him singing "Blame it on the boogie". I just have to mention his song "cry" because my dearest friend has a soft spot for that song :)
I could keep listing all the songs of his that I love, but that list would be far too long. So let me conclude this post instead with the song that I love the most that he had sung. Its one of my most favourite songs and it has always been like that. I had even mentioned in back in my first year here in my blog!
Michael Jackson truly earned his place as the King of Pop out of sheer talent, the Elvis Presley of our age. He had begun his life as a performer when he was just five years old. He bridged the gap between the black and the white communities with his talent in music. He was the first black star of MTV and steadily climbed the ladder of fame and success. It is true that his life might have spun a bit out of control towards his final years. But its truly worth remembering him for his gift as a singer, dancer and performer.
Michael Jackson, no matter what the world says, to me you'll always be the artist who introduced me to a whole new world of music and in that process, you gave me a song that I have fallen hopelessly in love with, and from which I have always derived great comfort. It doesn't really matter if you are black or white!
Wherever you are, may you rest in peace... and may your music live on forever
Video Courtesy - Youtube
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Rap on the Head!
I got a
Heart full of pain
Head full of stress
Handful of anger
Held in my chest
Uphill struggle
Blood, sweat and tears
Nothing to gain
Everything to fear
Some of you must have identified where these lines come from. Yup! Its Linkin Park's "Nobody's Listening"! I was listening to that song today on my way to the lab and something struck me. The lyrics of most of their songs and certain other rap groups and all are pretty similar, aren't they? Talking about pain, struggle, anger, frustration and a few other such things. And we listen to it. In fact, we love these songs! Personally I love every Linkin Park song I've ever listened to! But only today it hit me that the songs are so full of anger, frustration and all. Sorta describing a struggle over a lost cause where there's nothing to gain. Then I thought of something else.
The chameleon in Dr.Dolittle 2! Remember? The one which had trouble changing colours? When Dolittle's daughter stomps out of the room all angry and pissed, the wise 'ol thing says
"So young, so angry, damn that rap music!"
I thought of Harry Potter too! The fifth book where we are introduced to Phineas Nigellus Black, the old headmaster of Hogwarts. Here's a scene in Dumbledore's office
"'I know how you are feeling, Harry,' said Dumbledore very quietly.'No, you don't,' said Harry, and his voice was suddenly loud and strong.....'You see, Dumbledore?' said Phineas Nigellus slyly. 'Never try to understand the students. They hate it. They would much rather be tragically misunderstood, wallow in self-pity, stew in their own- ''That's enough, Phineas,' said Dumbledore."
Which brings me back to what I started off since Phineas has so aptly described most of the rap music that we listen to and love!. I guess most teenagers love these songs full of anger coz they look at themselves as misunderstood rebels of sorts who have to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders!
And I guess we tend to forget that those whom we rebel against (in most cases- parents) understand us completely since they were also rebels once! Strange thing it is... adolescence... dontcha think so? /:)
Another strange thing.... this post coming from me!!! The biggest rebel ever! Ask my parents, they'll tell you :P :P
And damn those people for capitalizing on our teenage anger and frustration! ;)
Sunday, October 08, 2006
We will we will ROCK YOU! (the indian classical way!)
It ain't like I am the best player in my group.... I most certainly am not....
But I sure am the leader of the pack!!! And am I proud of my group or am I proud of it!!! :D :D
In case you were wondering what the hell I was talking about... I am talking about the new post I got in the executive committee of an Indian Instruments Orchestra here in NUS. I am the coordinator for the violin group!
When I came into this orchestra as a normal member last year, one thing that I had resolved was never to get into the exco of this group... Life would be too hectic then. But then, in the beginning of my secondyear, I realized that I needed CCA points! (CCA= Co-curricular activities.. in case you didnt know already). Thats when I decided, I had to join the exco of the orchestra... just for the 10 extra points that came along! Yeah, I know I was being selfish... and I am very ashamed of that... but wait and listen to my story!!!
I stood for the election... and won! (obviously!) And then the mania started.... Violin group just happens to be the largest group in the entire orchestra. There are 40 beginners, 25 intermediates and 11 advanced players! While every other group in the orchestra has only a couple of hours of practise every week, violin group alone takes up 4 hours every Thursday, plus 1 hour on Sunday! The coordinator has to be there for every practise session! And to add on to all that, the coordinator has to take care of the 30 odd violins that are there! I seriously thought I had invited my doomsday by becoming the VIOLIN coordinator.. of all things I could have done!
Then Shabdam happened... "Shabdam" is our in-house concert which is like a prelude to our main concert in March. Shabdam is a major event for the orchestra as each group shows off their talent (in the March concert, we will function as an orchestra... so we show off as an orchestra then! :P). The one month before shabdam was all it took for me to fall in love with my job...
Only the 10 senior players in the group performed for shabdam. Our piece was amazing, our players are amazing, our tutor was amazing... over all, everything was an amazing experience! We sounded brilliant in the practise sessions! For about a month, we practised without any other instrument to accompany us... then came the mridangam and the flute. Along with them... our piece was like.... WOW!!!!
Till the day of shabdam, I hadn't heard what the other groups were performing. So during the dry run, I sat and listened... And from what I heard, I could tell...
My group rocked!
And I wasn't the only one who thought so! Everyone came upto me and said they just loved the way we played our piece! And you know what??? During the dry run, we made about a million mistakes! In spite of that, people loved it!
We spent the rest of the day with tech runs and sound checks and a few more practise sessions to perfect our coordination. Towards the evening, just before it was our turn to perform (ours was one of the last pieces of the evening), we bonded as a group... We played anthakshari and a million other things. Thats when I realized that I was the luckiest person in the world... I am the coordinator of an extremely talented group. All the members are so cooperative and the seniors (who were members of the previous excos) were so helpful... On the day of the concert, they did half the work for me without complaining. My group was amazing, not just because they were talented violinist... but also because they were excellent people by nature.
The performance went on well. I didn't know what to think of it once it was done because I was also on stage performing (don't look so surprised! I can also perform on stage after just 3 months of training!). I came to know that violin was the best piece that evening (closely followed by the tabla group) only because loads of people who were in the audience told me later on. That night and the following day, I got a few scraps in orkut and a several messages on messenger telling me how stunning my group was. The president of the orchestra said in her appreciation mail that the violin group's piece sounded grand and the coordination was stunning!
The next day, I got the audio recording of the entire concert. I had no patience to listen to the other groups so I fast forwarded to the violin piece and listened to it... for the first time... from the audience point of view... It was brilliant... a tear actually rolled down my cheek as I listened to the notes... Shabdam was over... and I enjoyed every minute of it. And I learnt so much!
I was truly proud of my group...
Today, I know most of the juniors by name, am friends with most of them from the intermediate batch and know the senior batch extremely well. I know every single violin that is there... I know each senior's choice of instrument... I know which are the good ones, the bad ones, which need better strings, which need fine tuners etc... the bottom line is... I love my job... and though I joined the exco for CCA points, right now, I couldn't care less if they actually denied me the 10 extra points that come with all the responsibilities. The reason I am able to get through a hectic academic schedule is because I have violin to fall back to when I get bored.
Life maybe hectic... I have never been busier.... but then again, I have never been happier :)
P.S. Please dont get me wrong here... The other groups were also excellent on shabdam. In fact, this year's shabdam was the best our orchestra has ever seen. Loads of practice had gone into each group's piece. But I guess I looked at the whole concert as a VIOLIN coordinator rather than an unbiased judge. I love my group... gimme a chance to glorify it and boast about it!!! To the other performers of shabdam... you guys rock!!! :)
But I sure am the leader of the pack!!! And am I proud of my group or am I proud of it!!! :D :D
In case you were wondering what the hell I was talking about... I am talking about the new post I got in the executive committee of an Indian Instruments Orchestra here in NUS. I am the coordinator for the violin group!
When I came into this orchestra as a normal member last year, one thing that I had resolved was never to get into the exco of this group... Life would be too hectic then. But then, in the beginning of my secondyear, I realized that I needed CCA points! (CCA= Co-curricular activities.. in case you didnt know already). Thats when I decided, I had to join the exco of the orchestra... just for the 10 extra points that came along! Yeah, I know I was being selfish... and I am very ashamed of that... but wait and listen to my story!!!
I stood for the election... and won! (obviously!) And then the mania started.... Violin group just happens to be the largest group in the entire orchestra. There are 40 beginners, 25 intermediates and 11 advanced players! While every other group in the orchestra has only a couple of hours of practise every week, violin group alone takes up 4 hours every Thursday, plus 1 hour on Sunday! The coordinator has to be there for every practise session! And to add on to all that, the coordinator has to take care of the 30 odd violins that are there! I seriously thought I had invited my doomsday by becoming the VIOLIN coordinator.. of all things I could have done!
Then Shabdam happened... "Shabdam" is our in-house concert which is like a prelude to our main concert in March. Shabdam is a major event for the orchestra as each group shows off their talent (in the March concert, we will function as an orchestra... so we show off as an orchestra then! :P). The one month before shabdam was all it took for me to fall in love with my job...
Only the 10 senior players in the group performed for shabdam. Our piece was amazing, our players are amazing, our tutor was amazing... over all, everything was an amazing experience! We sounded brilliant in the practise sessions! For about a month, we practised without any other instrument to accompany us... then came the mridangam and the flute. Along with them... our piece was like.... WOW!!!!
Till the day of shabdam, I hadn't heard what the other groups were performing. So during the dry run, I sat and listened... And from what I heard, I could tell...
My group rocked!
And I wasn't the only one who thought so! Everyone came upto me and said they just loved the way we played our piece! And you know what??? During the dry run, we made about a million mistakes! In spite of that, people loved it!
We spent the rest of the day with tech runs and sound checks and a few more practise sessions to perfect our coordination. Towards the evening, just before it was our turn to perform (ours was one of the last pieces of the evening), we bonded as a group... We played anthakshari and a million other things. Thats when I realized that I was the luckiest person in the world... I am the coordinator of an extremely talented group. All the members are so cooperative and the seniors (who were members of the previous excos) were so helpful... On the day of the concert, they did half the work for me without complaining. My group was amazing, not just because they were talented violinist... but also because they were excellent people by nature.
The performance went on well. I didn't know what to think of it once it was done because I was also on stage performing (don't look so surprised! I can also perform on stage after just 3 months of training!). I came to know that violin was the best piece that evening (closely followed by the tabla group) only because loads of people who were in the audience told me later on. That night and the following day, I got a few scraps in orkut and a several messages on messenger telling me how stunning my group was. The president of the orchestra said in her appreciation mail that the violin group's piece sounded grand and the coordination was stunning!
The next day, I got the audio recording of the entire concert. I had no patience to listen to the other groups so I fast forwarded to the violin piece and listened to it... for the first time... from the audience point of view... It was brilliant... a tear actually rolled down my cheek as I listened to the notes... Shabdam was over... and I enjoyed every minute of it. And I learnt so much!
I was truly proud of my group...
Today, I know most of the juniors by name, am friends with most of them from the intermediate batch and know the senior batch extremely well. I know every single violin that is there... I know each senior's choice of instrument... I know which are the good ones, the bad ones, which need better strings, which need fine tuners etc... the bottom line is... I love my job... and though I joined the exco for CCA points, right now, I couldn't care less if they actually denied me the 10 extra points that come with all the responsibilities. The reason I am able to get through a hectic academic schedule is because I have violin to fall back to when I get bored.
Life maybe hectic... I have never been busier.... but then again, I have never been happier :)
P.S. Please dont get me wrong here... The other groups were also excellent on shabdam. In fact, this year's shabdam was the best our orchestra has ever seen. Loads of practice had gone into each group's piece. But I guess I looked at the whole concert as a VIOLIN coordinator rather than an unbiased judge. I love my group... gimme a chance to glorify it and boast about it!!! To the other performers of shabdam... you guys rock!!! :)
Thursday, July 13, 2006
The perfect music teacher... Finally!
I gave music classes my best shot when I was something like 10-12 years old. I swear I did! I learnt to sing! Well... actually... I tried to learn to sing. I was with this music teacher for a little more than two years. Somehow, he only made me dislike classical music. So I stopped classes and decided to stay away from classical music..... FOREVER! And I had a good reason for that. Carnatic music, or any other form of Indian classical just seemed... well... very scary and difficult! So many songs, so many raagas and so much of technical stuff! So I stayed away....
Till about two and a half months ago...
My second semester hadn't gotten over yet. It had been almost one year in Singapore. And I realized that I was actually missing Indian classical music. That was a surprise! But I decided that something had to be done. So I gave my parents a call and told them to get the violin at home repaired and to try and find a good violin teacher. I told them I didn't mind going anywhere to learn how to play the violin, as long as it was a good teacher. I decided that it didn't matter how scary learning music seemed. It just HAD to be done.
My parents did everything that I had asked them to. They managed to find a teacher who taught a few kids in the neighbourhood. He goes to the house of the student to teach. That was just perfect! Everything was set. I was to learn how to play the violin as soon as I got back home.
Just the day after I landed here, I was taken to my Dad's friend's house. His son has been learning violin from this teacher for about 2 years. We met my teacher there, who immediately told us to go back and wait for him in our house. I have to admit that when I first saw the teacher, I was terrified! He looked like one of those strict, no-nonsense type of a person who would rarely smile and never crack a joke! Scary!
Anyways, the important thing is that I ignored all the fear and nervousness. I was getting back to music and nothing was going to stop me! I had only 3 months to learn whatever I could.
Now I have been learning for about two and a half months. And I am loving it! There's nothing scary about Indian Classical music and the theory behind it! Its actually really interesting! And my teacher isn't what I thought he would turn out to be! He isn't strict and never hesitates to smile! I guess it takes time for a proper student-teacher relationship to develop. And now that it has developed, classes are so much of fun. If you don't believe me, then ask my Mom! She'll tell you how broad my grin is as soon as class is over and the teacher leaves :D Thats how happy my classes make me :) (You see, I couldn't possibly grin like that before he left. Then he would think I was mad and run away and never come back!)
This man is an amazing teacher. He teaches me not just violin, but also dishes out very nice and philosophical stories and lots of jokes! Classes are never boring 'coz you never know what to expect from him! I have learnt to appreciate music better, and now I am not that bad at playing the violin :) I have not just learnt to play the instrument, I have also learnt that whenever I am bored, frustrated, depressed or angry, all I need to do is to play the violin and then, voila! my moods have changed! And all this was made possible by my teacher!
A couple of days back, I was trying out this particular song. I wasn't able to play it at all! Hell, I couldn't even remember it after having played it continuously. He was quite surprised, 'coz even though my violin skills aren't the best, my memory is quite good! ;) My Mom just happened to be passing by that room at that moment and let slip to him that when I was practising over the weekend, there were times when I'd just give up out of sheer frustration. Then he looked at me and told me this story... Its an Indian folktale...
There was a time when Lord Shiva felt that people didn't respect him at all. He got angry and went to Lord Vishnu. It is said that whenever Vishnu blows his conch, it rains on earth. Shiva told him not to blow his conch till Shiva himself gave him permission. Vishnu agreed to this. And so it began... year after year without rain... people suffered a lot. This went on for around 20 years. All the farmers had given up farming except for one man. He continued to plough his fields and do all the things that a farmer normally does, year after year. He never gave up farming like his friends had. Shiva and Vishnu were curious. They decided to come down to earth and talk to this man and find out why he was still farming when there was no rain. They asked him why he was being so foolish and farming when there was no rain and why he didn't just give up. He replied to them, "So what if it hasn't rained this year or the last year or the year before that? Someday Lord Shiva will cool down and it will rain again. I am sure that will happen, its just a matter of time. In the meanwhile, I have to keep farming, no matter what happens to my fields. What if I stop farming like my friends did, then it rained and I came back only to find that I have forgotten all the tricks of the trade over these 20 years? What will I do then? I must keep practising. I must keep working. Even if the results aren't the best, I must go on. Someday, it will rain and someday, my results here will improve." On hearing this, Lord Vishnu got worried... He immediately went and blew his conch... just to make sure that he hadn't forgotten how to do that after all these years! And it rained again on earth.
The point of this entire story? Just keep practising the violin, even if what you play doesn't sound like the desired tune. Keep correcting yourself and don't give up, someday you will get the desired tune. And once you do, don't stop practising! As you just learnt from the story, even God can forget stuff if he doesn't practise it regularly! There are no excpetions when it comes to practising to be perfect and remain perfect :)
Macho Girl has finally returned to Carnatic music. She has finally overcome her fears and is chasing her dream of being able to play a musical instrument....
Macho Girl is happy...
Macho Girl is very happy...
In fact, Macho Girl must be the happiest girl on earth! A little music can do wonders to your life :)
Till about two and a half months ago...
My second semester hadn't gotten over yet. It had been almost one year in Singapore. And I realized that I was actually missing Indian classical music. That was a surprise! But I decided that something had to be done. So I gave my parents a call and told them to get the violin at home repaired and to try and find a good violin teacher. I told them I didn't mind going anywhere to learn how to play the violin, as long as it was a good teacher. I decided that it didn't matter how scary learning music seemed. It just HAD to be done.
My parents did everything that I had asked them to. They managed to find a teacher who taught a few kids in the neighbourhood. He goes to the house of the student to teach. That was just perfect! Everything was set. I was to learn how to play the violin as soon as I got back home.
Just the day after I landed here, I was taken to my Dad's friend's house. His son has been learning violin from this teacher for about 2 years. We met my teacher there, who immediately told us to go back and wait for him in our house. I have to admit that when I first saw the teacher, I was terrified! He looked like one of those strict, no-nonsense type of a person who would rarely smile and never crack a joke! Scary!
Anyways, the important thing is that I ignored all the fear and nervousness. I was getting back to music and nothing was going to stop me! I had only 3 months to learn whatever I could.
Now I have been learning for about two and a half months. And I am loving it! There's nothing scary about Indian Classical music and the theory behind it! Its actually really interesting! And my teacher isn't what I thought he would turn out to be! He isn't strict and never hesitates to smile! I guess it takes time for a proper student-teacher relationship to develop. And now that it has developed, classes are so much of fun. If you don't believe me, then ask my Mom! She'll tell you how broad my grin is as soon as class is over and the teacher leaves :D Thats how happy my classes make me :) (You see, I couldn't possibly grin like that before he left. Then he would think I was mad and run away and never come back!)
This man is an amazing teacher. He teaches me not just violin, but also dishes out very nice and philosophical stories and lots of jokes! Classes are never boring 'coz you never know what to expect from him! I have learnt to appreciate music better, and now I am not that bad at playing the violin :) I have not just learnt to play the instrument, I have also learnt that whenever I am bored, frustrated, depressed or angry, all I need to do is to play the violin and then, voila! my moods have changed! And all this was made possible by my teacher!
A couple of days back, I was trying out this particular song. I wasn't able to play it at all! Hell, I couldn't even remember it after having played it continuously. He was quite surprised, 'coz even though my violin skills aren't the best, my memory is quite good! ;) My Mom just happened to be passing by that room at that moment and let slip to him that when I was practising over the weekend, there were times when I'd just give up out of sheer frustration. Then he looked at me and told me this story... Its an Indian folktale...
There was a time when Lord Shiva felt that people didn't respect him at all. He got angry and went to Lord Vishnu. It is said that whenever Vishnu blows his conch, it rains on earth. Shiva told him not to blow his conch till Shiva himself gave him permission. Vishnu agreed to this. And so it began... year after year without rain... people suffered a lot. This went on for around 20 years. All the farmers had given up farming except for one man. He continued to plough his fields and do all the things that a farmer normally does, year after year. He never gave up farming like his friends had. Shiva and Vishnu were curious. They decided to come down to earth and talk to this man and find out why he was still farming when there was no rain. They asked him why he was being so foolish and farming when there was no rain and why he didn't just give up. He replied to them, "So what if it hasn't rained this year or the last year or the year before that? Someday Lord Shiva will cool down and it will rain again. I am sure that will happen, its just a matter of time. In the meanwhile, I have to keep farming, no matter what happens to my fields. What if I stop farming like my friends did, then it rained and I came back only to find that I have forgotten all the tricks of the trade over these 20 years? What will I do then? I must keep practising. I must keep working. Even if the results aren't the best, I must go on. Someday, it will rain and someday, my results here will improve." On hearing this, Lord Vishnu got worried... He immediately went and blew his conch... just to make sure that he hadn't forgotten how to do that after all these years! And it rained again on earth.
The point of this entire story? Just keep practising the violin, even if what you play doesn't sound like the desired tune. Keep correcting yourself and don't give up, someday you will get the desired tune. And once you do, don't stop practising! As you just learnt from the story, even God can forget stuff if he doesn't practise it regularly! There are no excpetions when it comes to practising to be perfect and remain perfect :)
Macho Girl has finally returned to Carnatic music. She has finally overcome her fears and is chasing her dream of being able to play a musical instrument....
Macho Girl is happy...
Macho Girl is very happy...
In fact, Macho Girl must be the happiest girl on earth! A little music can do wonders to your life :)
Monday, May 29, 2006
Be afraid.... be very afraid....
Darkness falls across the land... The midnight hour is close at hand...
Its been a long day for her... the kids are asleep in their room... She walks into the living room and settles down on the comfortable couch. She needs rest... and she knows she has earned it. A few peaceful moments to herself is what she needs before she goes to sleep. Thats what she gets every night. She loved her house. It was right in the middle of a small forest... and she wasn't the only one who lived there. There was another house right beside hers. Her house shared a common wall with the other house. She truly believed that the place her house was situated in was paradise. Who could get such silence each night in the middle of a big city. Little did she know that her peaceful nights would come to an end...
because that very night, the silence that she loved so much, was shattered brutally by a high pitch screech...
She froze. A chill ran down her spine. She knew that her house was surrounded by trees which housed several animals, including bats, but that sound was nothing close to the screech of a bat... It was the most unearthly noise she had ever heard... then she heard something else...
A low moaning sound....... just as unearthly as the screech...
She was a brave woman... atleast, thats what she thought till she found herself shivering uncontrollably on hearing those noises. She turned on the TV hoping to drown any more sounds... But that did not help her one bit... for she heard the screech again... this time, she followed the sound... it led her right upto the wall... the common wall that she shared with her neighbour. Then she heard the noise again... it was definitely coming from the otherside of the wall... She remembered something at that point of time... her neighbour's front yard had a large banyan tree and the backyard had a huge tamarind tree... the tree of the ghosts... she was convinced...
Her neighbour's house was haunted...
Again she hears the screech... this time she faints....
On the other side of the wall................
A girl is sitting on the floor, with her back turned to the common wall. Her hair is all messy, looks like she hasn't combed it in days. In her hand, she holds the source of all the screeches and moans that her neighbour had heard, the sounds which made her faint...
She holds.... a violin.
Thats me folks!!! The story of the first time I played the violin! I imagine thats what happened when my neighbour heard all the weird sounds. I had decided to learn to play the violin over my looooong three month summer vacation. And I love every minute that I spend with that beautiful instrument. Initially when I started learning (about a couple of weeks ago), I was so bad that i used to give myself a headache. Now after loads of practise, I still give myself a headache, but it is really mild... So i must be improving right?!
I always kinda regretted that I never had any training in any form of Indian classical music. So now I am really really happy with my violin classes. In fact, I am so much in love with it, that I carried my violin with me all the way to Bangalore when I went there for a week. And yes, I tortured the Bangaloreans too! :P
Now I have improved loads. I may not be perfect. What the heck... I am FAR from perfect. I am so far away from perfect, that I can hardly see it! Till the day I get there, my family members and my neighbours are going to have to put up with the strange noises...
Macho girl picks up her violin again... she pulls the bow across the strings slowly... the entire neighbourhood can hear the screech... She smiles and thinks to herself...
Macho girl is back, and this time she is not alone... she has a violin... and she will not hesitate to use it against whoever crosses her path...
you have been warned...
Be afraid....
Be very afraid...
The girl with the out-of-tune violin is here....
MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Its been a long day for her... the kids are asleep in their room... She walks into the living room and settles down on the comfortable couch. She needs rest... and she knows she has earned it. A few peaceful moments to herself is what she needs before she goes to sleep. Thats what she gets every night. She loved her house. It was right in the middle of a small forest... and she wasn't the only one who lived there. There was another house right beside hers. Her house shared a common wall with the other house. She truly believed that the place her house was situated in was paradise. Who could get such silence each night in the middle of a big city. Little did she know that her peaceful nights would come to an end...
because that very night, the silence that she loved so much, was shattered brutally by a high pitch screech...
She froze. A chill ran down her spine. She knew that her house was surrounded by trees which housed several animals, including bats, but that sound was nothing close to the screech of a bat... It was the most unearthly noise she had ever heard... then she heard something else...
A low moaning sound....... just as unearthly as the screech...
She was a brave woman... atleast, thats what she thought till she found herself shivering uncontrollably on hearing those noises. She turned on the TV hoping to drown any more sounds... But that did not help her one bit... for she heard the screech again... this time, she followed the sound... it led her right upto the wall... the common wall that she shared with her neighbour. Then she heard the noise again... it was definitely coming from the otherside of the wall... She remembered something at that point of time... her neighbour's front yard had a large banyan tree and the backyard had a huge tamarind tree... the tree of the ghosts... she was convinced...
Her neighbour's house was haunted...
Again she hears the screech... this time she faints....
On the other side of the wall................
A girl is sitting on the floor, with her back turned to the common wall. Her hair is all messy, looks like she hasn't combed it in days. In her hand, she holds the source of all the screeches and moans that her neighbour had heard, the sounds which made her faint...
She holds.... a violin.
Thats me folks!!! The story of the first time I played the violin! I imagine thats what happened when my neighbour heard all the weird sounds. I had decided to learn to play the violin over my looooong three month summer vacation. And I love every minute that I spend with that beautiful instrument. Initially when I started learning (about a couple of weeks ago), I was so bad that i used to give myself a headache. Now after loads of practise, I still give myself a headache, but it is really mild... So i must be improving right?!
I always kinda regretted that I never had any training in any form of Indian classical music. So now I am really really happy with my violin classes. In fact, I am so much in love with it, that I carried my violin with me all the way to Bangalore when I went there for a week. And yes, I tortured the Bangaloreans too! :P
Now I have improved loads. I may not be perfect. What the heck... I am FAR from perfect. I am so far away from perfect, that I can hardly see it! Till the day I get there, my family members and my neighbours are going to have to put up with the strange noises...
Macho girl picks up her violin again... she pulls the bow across the strings slowly... the entire neighbourhood can hear the screech... She smiles and thinks to herself...
Macho girl is back, and this time she is not alone... she has a violin... and she will not hesitate to use it against whoever crosses her path...
you have been warned...
Be afraid....
Be very afraid...
The girl with the out-of-tune violin is here....
MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Let the music take control........
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.
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.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Choreographing my opinions
Videos do matter sometimes for songs... I know in my previous post I mentioned that the tune of the song and its lyrics make the biggest impact. I still stand by that. But recently I realized that the videos for the songs also matter.
Somwhere between my 6th grade and 9th grade, backstreet boys were really popular... especially among the boys in my batch. In fact, they were so popular, that it got on my nerves.... not the backstreet boys, but my class boys. All they needed was a mere announcement that there would be an event in which students were invited to perform, and voila.. you pretty much know what they are going to dance for... its either "everybody (backstreet's back)" or its "Get down (you're the one for me)". And we also knew exactly how they would choreograph the dance. Their choreography was good... but we had all seen it one too many times. The first time that we ever watched them perform, we were quite stunned because they were all good dancers and had done a good job by not lifting too many steps from the song. They were original. They became popular in school and after that the inevitable happened. Every other person dancing for these songs copied their steps. It almost became a religion! The originality was lost.
I think it was last year... my parents got me a backstreet boys CD with their greatest hits. I loved every song in it! I used to listen to the entire CD again and again in a huge never ending loop... well.... ALMOST the entire CD. I used to skip "everybody (backstreet's back)" and "Get down". No prizes for those who guessed that was coming! It just reminded me again and again of the cold-blooded murder of good choreography that the guys in my batch had exhibited.
I never had cable TV at home. I never watched MTV, Channel V or any other music channel. Only about 2 or 3 years back, we got cable at home and even then I used to visit those channels very rarely. I had never seen the original videos for those two songs... I saw the video for "everybody" just a few months back when an extremely shocked clueless heard that I never saw the original video. So we sat and watched the entire video... I liked it very much! It was so completely different from the "backstreet boys" of my school! I thought it was quite cool.
After God only knows how long, I listened to my Backstreet Boys CD today... and found that I really did not feel like skipping those songs! Just one video was enough for me to change my mind about the song.
After this little discovery of mine, I flipped through my entire song collection to see if there were any other CDs that found their way to the collection just because they had a good video... whats the answer???? 50% of them are in my collection because the songs had some awesome videos which totally complimented the song! The videos influence my mind (by about 5% I guess) in the CD shop as I stand debating whether or not to buy the CD. Even though it is only a 5% influence... it is enough to tip the balance to one side! The rest found their way into my collection because they have awesome tunes for which my mind creates amazing videos! But whether it was because the videos created by the artists were great or because my own imaginative videos were awesome... I realized one thing...
VIDEOS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!! They either make you love the song... or hate it or in some cases.. just ignore it!!
Somwhere between my 6th grade and 9th grade, backstreet boys were really popular... especially among the boys in my batch. In fact, they were so popular, that it got on my nerves.... not the backstreet boys, but my class boys. All they needed was a mere announcement that there would be an event in which students were invited to perform, and voila.. you pretty much know what they are going to dance for... its either "everybody (backstreet's back)" or its "Get down (you're the one for me)". And we also knew exactly how they would choreograph the dance. Their choreography was good... but we had all seen it one too many times. The first time that we ever watched them perform, we were quite stunned because they were all good dancers and had done a good job by not lifting too many steps from the song. They were original. They became popular in school and after that the inevitable happened. Every other person dancing for these songs copied their steps. It almost became a religion! The originality was lost.
I think it was last year... my parents got me a backstreet boys CD with their greatest hits. I loved every song in it! I used to listen to the entire CD again and again in a huge never ending loop... well.... ALMOST the entire CD. I used to skip "everybody (backstreet's back)" and "Get down". No prizes for those who guessed that was coming! It just reminded me again and again of the cold-blooded murder of good choreography that the guys in my batch had exhibited.
I never had cable TV at home. I never watched MTV, Channel V or any other music channel. Only about 2 or 3 years back, we got cable at home and even then I used to visit those channels very rarely. I had never seen the original videos for those two songs... I saw the video for "everybody" just a few months back when an extremely shocked clueless heard that I never saw the original video. So we sat and watched the entire video... I liked it very much! It was so completely different from the "backstreet boys" of my school! I thought it was quite cool.
After God only knows how long, I listened to my Backstreet Boys CD today... and found that I really did not feel like skipping those songs! Just one video was enough for me to change my mind about the song.
After this little discovery of mine, I flipped through my entire song collection to see if there were any other CDs that found their way to the collection just because they had a good video... whats the answer???? 50% of them are in my collection because the songs had some awesome videos which totally complimented the song! The videos influence my mind (by about 5% I guess) in the CD shop as I stand debating whether or not to buy the CD. Even though it is only a 5% influence... it is enough to tip the balance to one side! The rest found their way into my collection because they have awesome tunes for which my mind creates amazing videos! But whether it was because the videos created by the artists were great or because my own imaginative videos were awesome... I realized one thing...
VIDEOS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!! They either make you love the song... or hate it or in some cases.. just ignore it!!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Smile! Its your favourite song!
I have an incredibly huge list of songs that I love from the very bottom of my heart. There are different classes in that huge list though. I can't exactly explain why I find so many different classes in it. I just know there is this one particular class that I love beyond anything else. Because those songs are special in some strange way. I don't understand how those songs just weave a magical sense of happiness or comfort around me. Some songs in a way behave like friends. They know just the right things to say and make you feel better.
One such song, which is among the top 5 in my list is "Smile" by Michael Jackson. I have no idea what is about that song that captures me. It might be a combination of amazing lyrics with the most beautiful tune. I discovered that at times when I felt there was something on my mind that was troubling me, this song used to just make me feel so much lighter. I used to cry a bit while listening to this song. But it never failed to make me feel better and try to work my way around whatever it was that was troubled me. I was so glad that my dad bought that CD. That song made a huge difference to me for some strange reason.
Nothing in this world is permanent. Same rule applies to CDs. And unfortunately, this particular CD started detoriating and soon started giving problems. It has 15 songs totally and the 15th song is "smile". And it was that very song which used to skip and get stuck towards the end of the CD. I got really annoyed and sad at the same time. That song used to make me feel great whenever I was down. Amazingly, it had become almost like a friend to me. Now it was not working properly.
That happened a few years back. Since then, I listened to that song only in emergency situations. I probably listened to that song only twice or thrice a year. And each time it used to get stuck. I never listened to the entire song without some interruption or the other.
Recently, I learnt that songs could be saved from a CD to a computer. And today, when I was just going through my CD collection in my room, I came across this Michael Jackson CD which I hadn't heard in a long time. Its been a year since I last listened to "smile". I decided to give it a shot and try saving only that song to see if it skipped and stalled even when saved on to my computer. I saved the track, played it and waited with bated breath. And to my greatest surprise and joy, it did not skip even once! After God only knows how many years I was able to listen to the entire song without any interruption!
Even though I have become less dependent on that song to handle my emotions, listening to the entire song was like getting an old, long lost friend back.
Songs like this make me wonder.... why does music make such a big impact in some of our lives? Why is it that listening to certain songs can change your mood instantly? Hmmm.... there must be some explanation to that... Do you have a special song that comforts you when you are down and depressed?
Anyway.. as far as the explanation is concerned, I am sure I'll find out sooner or later. Even if I never find out, I don't care. That song is working again and I couldn't be happier. I have been listening to that song in a loop for a long time now! And I just can't stop grinning :D :D:D:D
Long live music! Especially music that touches the heart and soul. :)
One such song, which is among the top 5 in my list is "Smile" by Michael Jackson. I have no idea what is about that song that captures me. It might be a combination of amazing lyrics with the most beautiful tune. I discovered that at times when I felt there was something on my mind that was troubling me, this song used to just make me feel so much lighter. I used to cry a bit while listening to this song. But it never failed to make me feel better and try to work my way around whatever it was that was troubled me. I was so glad that my dad bought that CD. That song made a huge difference to me for some strange reason.
Nothing in this world is permanent. Same rule applies to CDs. And unfortunately, this particular CD started detoriating and soon started giving problems. It has 15 songs totally and the 15th song is "smile". And it was that very song which used to skip and get stuck towards the end of the CD. I got really annoyed and sad at the same time. That song used to make me feel great whenever I was down. Amazingly, it had become almost like a friend to me. Now it was not working properly.
That happened a few years back. Since then, I listened to that song only in emergency situations. I probably listened to that song only twice or thrice a year. And each time it used to get stuck. I never listened to the entire song without some interruption or the other.
Recently, I learnt that songs could be saved from a CD to a computer. And today, when I was just going through my CD collection in my room, I came across this Michael Jackson CD which I hadn't heard in a long time. Its been a year since I last listened to "smile". I decided to give it a shot and try saving only that song to see if it skipped and stalled even when saved on to my computer. I saved the track, played it and waited with bated breath. And to my greatest surprise and joy, it did not skip even once! After God only knows how many years I was able to listen to the entire song without any interruption!
Even though I have become less dependent on that song to handle my emotions, listening to the entire song was like getting an old, long lost friend back.
Songs like this make me wonder.... why does music make such a big impact in some of our lives? Why is it that listening to certain songs can change your mood instantly? Hmmm.... there must be some explanation to that... Do you have a special song that comforts you when you are down and depressed?
Anyway.. as far as the explanation is concerned, I am sure I'll find out sooner or later. Even if I never find out, I don't care. That song is working again and I couldn't be happier. I have been listening to that song in a loop for a long time now! And I just can't stop grinning :D :D:D:D
Long live music! Especially music that touches the heart and soul. :)
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Music for the soul...
Ahh.. music... I just can not imagine life without it... to me life has been about music. I can listen to just about any type of music and don't generally complain. Be it english, hindi, tamil or even german and french for that matter! As long as it has a good tune.... its fine with me (i used to have "Sensible lyrics" as a criteria.. but if i continue to keep that, i don't think i would have a playlist of my own!!!)
Back at home, i used to have a balance between the english songs and the desi songs that i used to listen to. Life was just complete... But somehow since i came to Singapore, I lost that balance! I started listening to english songs only most of the time! I have no idea why i did that... Initially i didn't feel anything missing. But try listening to just english songs for over a month! You will eventually find that something is missing in your life, the way i felt around last week. I tried a variety in english songs... It didn't help. No matter what i listened to.. there was always something missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was... Apparently i was not the only one bored with my playlist.. Clueless was also just as bored with her english playlist! We were on the same boat!
Then all of a sudden, I got the inspiration from a chat session that i had with my dad to dig out some of my old desi favourites and listen to them! We were discussing the lyrics from different tamil songs and their translations... Thats when i realized how much i was missing all the desi songs.
Since then Clueless and I had been on a hunting spree for our favourites. You should see the conversations that we have had over the past few days! Its all about desi songs! I got to listen to my own list of favourites and discovered many more beautiful songs from her playlist!
For a couple of days now, i have been listening to a mix of tamil and hindi songs. Now somehow... nothing is missing anymore! I don't listen to music now with the dissatisfied feeling that used to fill me up when i was listening to my western playlist.
What is it that makes desi songs so special??? Well.. I have no idea.. All i can do is guess. Perhaps its the tune. Maybe its the lyrics (in some cases!). Or probably its just the language! I have somehow found Hindi and Tamil to be more musical languages than the english language! Some messages are best conveyed in these languages... and what better way to convey them than in the form of music? Perhaps thats what makes desi songs so special...
I love all the songs that clueless has on her playlist... But here are some of my own!
My life is complete once again.... and i couldn't be happier :)
Back at home, i used to have a balance between the english songs and the desi songs that i used to listen to. Life was just complete... But somehow since i came to Singapore, I lost that balance! I started listening to english songs only most of the time! I have no idea why i did that... Initially i didn't feel anything missing. But try listening to just english songs for over a month! You will eventually find that something is missing in your life, the way i felt around last week. I tried a variety in english songs... It didn't help. No matter what i listened to.. there was always something missing. I couldn't quite put my finger on what that was... Apparently i was not the only one bored with my playlist.. Clueless was also just as bored with her english playlist! We were on the same boat!
Then all of a sudden, I got the inspiration from a chat session that i had with my dad to dig out some of my old desi favourites and listen to them! We were discussing the lyrics from different tamil songs and their translations... Thats when i realized how much i was missing all the desi songs.
Since then Clueless and I had been on a hunting spree for our favourites. You should see the conversations that we have had over the past few days! Its all about desi songs! I got to listen to my own list of favourites and discovered many more beautiful songs from her playlist!
For a couple of days now, i have been listening to a mix of tamil and hindi songs. Now somehow... nothing is missing anymore! I don't listen to music now with the dissatisfied feeling that used to fill me up when i was listening to my western playlist.
What is it that makes desi songs so special??? Well.. I have no idea.. All i can do is guess. Perhaps its the tune. Maybe its the lyrics (in some cases!). Or probably its just the language! I have somehow found Hindi and Tamil to be more musical languages than the english language! Some messages are best conveyed in these languages... and what better way to convey them than in the form of music? Perhaps thats what makes desi songs so special...
I love all the songs that clueless has on her playlist... But here are some of my own!
- Kishore Kumar's Dil Kya Kare and Hum Bewafa (Instant Karma's version is also not bad... Shaan has done a good job)
- Tu hi re and kehna hi kya from the movie Bombay
- Gori Teri Aankhen by Lucky Ali and Kavitha Krishnamurthy (gosh.. i almost forgot how much I used to be crazy about that song!)
- Tera Mera Pyaar by Bombay Vikings (melodious duet and one desi song where I don't mind english lyrics)
- Ek tu hi bharosa from Pukar
- Krishna by the Colonial Cousins (remember them??? :D)
- Dhaani by strings
My life is complete once again.... and i couldn't be happier :)
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