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Music Matters .....continued..

by Pushpa Raghuram
(Bangalore, India)

That day Janaki went about her daily chores, with a light heart. Her face was lit with Bhava, her footsteps responded to a Rhythm, her heart and the pulse played like two musical instruments in unison without missing Tala.

After a couple of hours, she sat before the ipad in the cross legged position, bent a bit forward, put on her classy headphone, which was V Moda’s Crossfade M-100, her latest prized possession, and touched it on an Icon to begin her class! The song she chose was ‘Vathapi ganapathim bhaje’ of Mutthuswamy Deekshitar. Raga ‘Hamsadwani’ and Tala ‘Aditala’. For a moment her memories raced back in time, when she was announcing the songs during music festivals. However that was not for long. Janaki came back to the present moment mentally and physically and bent further forward (thankfully not backwards) straining her ears to listen to the song and learn. It was a unique listening experience. She felt wrapped in the music.

The End

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P.S: This was the second prize winner in the Short Story contest held in November 2012.

Comments for Music Matters .....continued..

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Jun 15, 2013
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music matters
by: shraddha haridas............Anonymous

Dear writer,

I read your short story full of ur experience regarding learning music.it clearly depicts your intesity to learn music and your mental fight with d gurus. this will inspire all learners that we should not underestimate our teachers rather have faith in them. Keep writing. All d Best!

Mar 18, 2013
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Music Matters
by: Anonymous

Thank you, Kishore, for your comments. Thank you for taking time to read the article and writing your comments too.

Pushpa Raghuram

Mar 18, 2013
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Very Nicely written.
by: Anonymous

Very nicely written and made for very good reading.

Also highlights the choices one must make in life and trade off decisions between pursuing a hobby and work life balance.

In the end, alls well that ends well. Technology came to her rescue! Must compliment her for adapting to change! I guess that is the way of life.

Look forward to many more such stories!

Best wishes
Kishore Badami

Feb 05, 2013
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Music Matters
by: PUSHPA Raghram

Dear Ms. Chetna Sharma, Mr.Prakruthi, Mr.Prabhakaran and Mr.Sridhar,

I thank all of you for your encouraging comments. Such response from readers motivates one to continue to pen one's thoughts.
Thanks again,

Feb 05, 2013
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Nice Story
by: Chetna Sharma

The story very well highlights the plight of a student who seriously wants to pursue an art form. But its hard to find a true master which is actually a reality. Search for a teacher with a higher calibre than yours is always tough.

Feb 03, 2013
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Excellent Story
by: Sridhar

It just goes to show how difficult it is learn classical music. One should be lucky to find the right kind of guru. It also requires resolve and single minded pursuit of your goal. Over and above all, you should love whatever you are doing. Besides all this, it requires talent. Otherwise, however hard you pursue your goal; the results would not be noteworthy.

Modern day technology comes to Janaki’s rescue. I have always believed that the computer is a great tool to aid any kind of learning. From music and languages to mathematics, computer can teach you anything. Music of all the great singers, present and past is available on the internet. Most of the music recorded on tapes over the years by the All India Radio has been transferred to the internet.

Janaki’s trials and travails are very well narrated. The story is gripping and the narration is exquisite.

Feb 03, 2013
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Appreciation
by: K P Prabhakaran

It was well depicted to keep me engrossed till the end. Thanks for the interesting story.

Feb 02, 2013
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About 'Music matters... ' By Pushpa Raghuram
by: Prakruthi N. Banwasi

Well done again...

Firstly I assume that u r d 'Janaki'... The three answers to the three questions in diff teacher-students meetings are a giveaway... and the iPad helped to place it in the right generation!

Awesome that you won the second prize... one of the greatest desires of a short story writer is to be judged and accepted as accomplished on a contemporary note and an award in Nov 12 is like a cat way of getting above satisfaction! :)

Looking 4ward to many more such writing...

In all of us there is a singer who seeks the spotlight and I felt it to be a personal insult when one pointed out that I could not sing! Your writing is an ode to the singer in all of us... who would have had some similar journey and some similar conclusion too...

It is true that Gurus of caliber are few and hard to seek... Ages back I frequently bought the walkman (must hav bought 30 in 6-7 years) to keep lisning to music that I liked... The radio, computer, mobile and ipad have today become the Gurus...

Reading this also reminded me about my own search 4 a 'Guru'... I went to a few (big names now!) right from the age of 7 to 27 (in vain as there is truth in the saying that a great singer is not automatically a good teacher!) and it was only after I was 34 that the right Guru (Pandit Shri. Indudhar Pujar) finally found me! ('cos it is beautifully stated in India that the student is incapable of finding the teacher n it is the teacher who appears to d student when he deems it fit!) Yet the fascination for music among my parents, maternal aunts and uncle made it magically a revered aspect that needed to be a part of my life!

Your journey brought back all those memories and that is what I luvvv about your writings that makes the reader reach out to his cherished but neglected memories...

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