Making good music
ARUNA CHANDARAJU
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R.S. Ramakanth gives valuable insights on all that goes into the creation of the perfect musician
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PHOTO: K. GOPINATHAN
SOUND BYTES R.S. Ramakanth: Listening is actually half the learning
When you are a respected musician and the disciple-son of a Sangeeta Kalanidhi, you are indeed privy to valuable insights into what makes for good music. So, we asked R.S. Ramakanth, son of R.K. Srikantan, for those insights.
"The early years, when the mind is very receptive, are critical," says Ramakanth. "Here, the parent's role is vital - - they have to take the child to concerts regularly, provide an enriching musical atmosphere at home (radio, recorded music) and have to know how to identify good gurus and lead their child to them."
"Students and professionals must practise everyday or alternate days, saralisvaras and jantaswaras in all three kaalams - - first with swaras and then with akaara sadhana.And not just in Mayamalavagoula as is the norm, but also in other sampurna ragas like Thodi, Kalyani, Shankarabharanam or Kharaharapriya.And they should practice at least three ragas a day in this manner."
Ramakanth says: "Listen to stalwarts and borrow the best features of their music, as I did.Listening is actually half the learning."
Ramakanth from the age of three, did three kinds of listening - when Srikantan was practising, teaching students and giving concerts. "In fact, this constituted my entire learning from my father. I never learnt even a single syllable directly from him in the conventional guru-student paddhati!" "Never over practice. It is as harmful as under practice," says Ramakanth. If their voice does not have the strength to support that, the results can be disastrous. "There is no universally applicable duration for daily practice. Every individual has to decide the length based on his own constitution and voice strength."
But how do we know we are over practising? "The signs are a sagging of voice, loss of original timbre, and difficulty in talking."
Ramakanth says voice-maintenance is vital for vocalists. So, physical fitness is important since a bhavya sharira (healthy body) leads to divya shaarira (divine voice).
"Eat warm food. Avoid cold/oily food. These increases phlegm which reduces voice clarity, causes double voice, obstructing its free-flow. Protein-rich almonds are good - - protein builds muscle and strong muscles contribute to strong voice. No alcohol. No smoking - - active or passive - - this harms lungs and thereby, voice power. Keep the mind pure since negative emotions impair concentration and mar the quality of music produced.
For good manodharma, Ramakanth says: "One needs good pathantharam, wide repertoire, and swaragyanam. Knowing the maximum number of compositions in each raga, gives the capacity to paint the raga on a wide canvas, whether in alapana, nerval, thanam, swarakalpana. To improve swaragyanam, the student should be asked to sing a ragalaapana and then reproduce it in swaras. The guru should sing rare ragas and ask students to identify them. For improving swara discrimination, the guru should sing allied ragas and Poornachandrika and ask students to distinguish between them, then teach them how to. Knowing at least 20 varnams (in two speeds) increases voice flexibility necessary for manodharma."
About planning for concerts, Ramakanth says: "A disciplined musician will plan a concert and rehearse it three to four times. Each item should have a composer, raga, thalam different from that of the preceding item. One must perform compositions that are relevant to the occasion. And don't take undue liberties with lyrics. Like singing ragamalika swaras in a single-raga kriti or singing slow-tempo kritis in fast speed and vice-versa."
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