September 23, 2002 (Monday)
Swami came to Ganesh portico at 3.30 pm.
Swami: (To a Music College student) Did the Principal teach you all any new songs? Did Madam teach any songs?
Student: Yes, Swami.
Swami: How many Veena students are there?
Student: Swami, there are three students.
Swami: How many Mridangam and Tabla students are there?
Student: Swami, there are six who play Tabla and five who play Mridangam.
Swami: Where is that Hindupur student? (He comes forward. To the student) How many singers are there?
Student: Swami, there are 14 singers.
Swami: How many Tyagaraja’s Keertanaas did you learn?
Student: Swami, I learnt more than ten.
Swami: You learnt more than ten! What is your course?
Student: Swami, my course is vocal.
Swami: What is meant by vocal?
Prof. A. K.: Swami, vocal means ‘Gaatram’.
Student: (Pointing to another student) Swami this boy sings very well.
Swami: But he cannot take high pitch. He should practice.
Student: Swami, we are practicing every morning. Now he is able to reach a higher pitch.
Swami: (To all the students) How many songs did you all learn? (Students tell the names of some of the songs which they had learnt.) Did you learn all the songs?
Student: Swami, a few are there in second year syllabus.
Swami: Tell me whether you know or not?
(Pointing to a teacher) Can he sing those songs?
Student: Swami, I do not know.
Swami: How many good singers are there? (One boy came forward, Swami asked the same question in Kannada.)
Prof. A. K.: Swami he belongs to Kerala. (Swami started speaking in Tamil.)
Swami: How many good singers are there?
Student: I know 150 Keertanas.
Swami: How many good singers are there?
Student: Fourteen.
Swami: How is your Principal?
Student: Swami, he is feeling better.
Swami: Is he taking rest?
Student: Swami, today he came to College.
Swami: Tell him to come to Mandir tomorrow with his wife. If he cannot come, I will send My car. (To another student) When are your exams starting?
Student: 27th Swami.
Warden: Swami four papers are there for them. One is English, second is Theory of Music and so on.
Swami: You divide yourselves into two groups, seniors and juniors, since their Shrutis (pitch) are not matching. The Veena students can sit in between these two groups.
Student: Swami, I am forgetting whatever I study.
Swami: Forgetting! Can you forget your name? Study with Shraddha (faith). If you study with Shraddha you will not forget. (Swami blessed the birthday boys and asked their names and the places they came from.) If you have so many desires, you will get heart attack. Do you know Tirupati Raghunathacharya. He was a great scholar. He went off due to heart attack. Do you know, what is the meaning of ‘went off’? It means ‘passed away’. (To Prof. Anil Kumar) Do you know Raghunathacharya?
Prof. A. K.: Swami, do we get heart attack due to excessive desires? Many say it is due to tension and stress that one gets heart attack.
Swami: Yes, excessive thoughts lead to tension and stress, which leads to heart attack and many other problems. (Seeing Swami perspiring, one boy got up and gave kerchief.) Good boy, Good boy. What are you learning?
Student: Swami, I am learning Veena.
Swami: How much have you learnt?
Student: Swami, I am learning the Alankaras (musical variations).
Swami: Where do you come from?
Student: Swami, I am from the West Godavari district.
Swami: (To the Music College students.) Singers, if you do not practice, I will not allow you to perform on the stage. Practice early in the morning.
(Taking a boy’s letter) A letter should have only five or six lines. Don’t write too much. Mention only the important things. Do you sing alone? (Pointing to another student) Do your voices match now? Sing a line now. (The boys sang a few lines.) Is there any other such pair? Sing a song for which all of you know the Swaraas (notes). (The boys sang a song.) When you are practicing, you must keep your eyes closed.
Student: Swami, when I sing my throat aches.
Swami: (Jokingly) Then sing through your nose. (After a pause) Don’t bother, with all the instruments playing, it will get covered up. The problem comes when you take higher pitches. Close your eyes while singing and everything will be all right. (The boy sings again.)
(To a teacher) Now it is sounding much better.
Swami then went back into the interview room.
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