Date:15/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2008/08/15/stories/2008081551320500.htm

Back Friday Review Bangalore Chennai and Tamil Nadu Delhi Hyderabad Thiruvananthapuram

It is a students’ show all the way

Twenty volunteers from each college met and the topics were finalised for ‘Svanubhava.’

The aim was to bridge the gap between students and performers, and that was to a large extent realised. “We were overwhelmed and touched by the response, and we were surprised by some of the questions the students asked. They were forthright and completely at ease.” Bombay Jayashree

Photo: S. Thanthoni

LEGACY: The Parur quartet, led by M.S.Anantharaman, at the Music Academy.

As at the other venues, a group of students ushers in the guests, briefing them on the programme, N. Pandimurugan, a fourth year student at the Music Academy Music College, explains how they came up with ideas for Svanubhava. “Each student was asked to put down the topics he or she wanted to be discussed. Similarly students in the other colleges too came up with their preferences. Then we had a meeting of 20 volunteers from each college, and the topics were finalised.” S. Jayalakshmi can’t believe her luck. “Earlier batches of students weren’t so lucky. They didn’t have such programmes,” she gushes.

At 10 o’clock, there is a concert by the Parur quartet, followed by a question-answer session. Dr. Pakkiriswamy Bharathy, Principal, Government Music college, wants to know how things have changed in the music scene, from the perspective of aspiring musicians. M.S. Anantharaman says the present generation is afraid to take up music as a full time profession, for fear that it might not be lucrative. But if they work hard, and are devoted to music, music too can be monetarily rewarding, he reassures them.

Bowing for tanam

There is a question in Telugu from a student, who wants to know how to practise bowing for tanam. Anantharaman gives a demo, and says that Dwaram and Chowdaiah were experts in this respect.

In response to another student, Srimushnam Raja Rao says that a mridangam player must learn to sing too. He compliments the young audience for not treating the thani avarthanam as a break to visit the rest room.

Abhishek Koundinya, a class V student, tells me that he took half a day off from school, to attend the inaugural at Kalakshetra, and he plans to be at the Academy during the weekend.

In her lec-dem on niraval singing, R. Vedavalli points out how when accompanists play in consonance with the vocalist, the quality of the vocal is enhanced. “Pakka vadyam must be ‘pucca’ vadyam,” she says.

Suguna Purushothaman’s lecture on pallavis has a captive audience. The lone student leaving the venue happens to be Tejaswi, a student of Integrated M. Sc. He has one complaint. Most of the lectures were in Tamil, and he is from Karnataka. “Maybe we can rope in some translators next time,” is Krishna’s response.

S.K.