Food for Soul

Friday, February 19, 2010



My son went to his first ever music class yesterday to learn Hindustani Classical Music from a lady teacher residing in our township. I had been making inquiries about a vocal music teacher for quite some time, and then, all of a sudden, every other mom I talked to about it, started singing praises of the singing and teaching capabilities of this particular teacher. I went to meet her and found her a warm and affectionate person. She agreed to fit my son into a relatively smaller and newer batch of young students.


I had heard my son singing a devotional song in Raag Bhup taught by his school music teacher. I found myself making mistakes in singing that song with my son. I told him that he could already sing better than his mom, and with some really good training, he could really do wonders with his voice. He looked unimpressed with my ‘high talk’, but gave his consent to join a private music class. I have always thought highly of my son’s voice, and was eager to know the opinion of his new music teacher in this regard. Before I could ask her about it, she herself told me that my son is blessed with a beautiful voice and that he could sing with ease a particular note that kids his age find very difficult to sing. I thanked her for the evaluation and requested her to train him under her guidance.


I had attended with my family the musical program called ‘Antarnaad’, and was deeply moved by the gayaki of Hindustani Classical Music Maestros Pt. Rajan and Pt. Sajan Misra. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji’s simple message to let the power of music rule over us, struck a chord in me, and I decided to give my son the gift of a proper training in classical music.


Both my paternal Grand-parents are in their nineties, but when in one of their sublime moods, can still be witnessed deeply immersed in the waters of music – my Grandfather gliding his trembling fingers over the keys of his Harmonium, and my Grandmother matching the soulful tunes with her steady singing voice. They believe to the core in a Sanskrit shloka that says - ‘sahitya sangeet kala viheena, sakshat pashu puchcha vishan heena’ (a human being devoid of interest in literature, music, and art is similar to an animal without a tail ! ) and therefore, show their children by their example that music is the food for soul and one’s pursuit of it should go on till the very end of one’s life.