Guest Author
By Srinika Srinivas & Athulya SathyaNarayan
Music, whether it is learning or listening, transforms a person from being mindful to mindful. Impressions are created with musical expressions.
The whisper of the winds, the rustle of the trees, the flow of the river – everything has music in it. Sunken souls awake when touched by music.
Music is the smile of the soul.
Music is a whisper of the divine.
With our passion and love for music as the framework, we decided to start interviewing fellow musicians to understand their journey through our YouTube channel. Many of the kids growing up here, including us, start music lessons in Carnatic or Hindustani music styles, not only because it enriches them, but also helps them to stay connected to their cultural roots. However, the pressure of high school and other various distractions make it difficult for them to continue the process. Through our interviews, we were able to understand how each of our fellow musicians overcame this challenging situation and, with persistence, continued their musical journeys.
With the advent of AI, music making through AI has become an inevitable concept. Attempts and achievements have been made by trying to design a violin that is totally automated and imitates the human player. Different perspectives on this topic have been discussed, and various opinions have been shared in our interviews.
When someone has a sibling that plays an instrument or sings, it becomes easier to do impromptu musical jams at home and in a Carnatic concert, supportive accompaniments can be done. This has helped in shaping their learning experience.
Every raga is unique and when we did our interviews, everyone was able to relate their personality to a particular raga due to the various shades of the raga. We also explored some of the different thoughts relating to fusion music. While some were ready to experiment, some chose to stick with the sanity of the classical form. These dimensions were clearly seen in our conversations.
A flautist was able to explain how playing certain ragas were a little easier than the others and how to achieve breath control. A Kathak dancer helped us to understand how a small body movement can help one to achieve continuous spins without getting dizzy. A Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam dancer emphasized storytelling as the core of both dance styles, while also explaining the similarities and differences between the same.
A violin player explains how learning Carnatic and Western styles of the same instrument has enabled her to think differently and adapt. A Veena player explains how listening and connecting swaras to play sahityam is very crucial and the beauty of tanam in Veena. One of the singers gave us ideas so that practicing songs doesn’t feel like a chore–simple strategies to make practice comfortable goes a long way.
We were even fortunate enough to interview an audio engineer who helped us understand the use of condenser mics and got to know that not all microphones are not designed for all artists. A mridangam artist elaborates on how he is able to accompany everyone, even though every individual style of singing is different and unique in its own way.
Just as vivid colors are used to paint an art form, the artists we interviewed use different techniques and strategies to paint a beautiful and lively picture in their concert performances. We were able to learn and take away from each and everyone as part of our interviews.
Visit the YouTube channel, NiReSquared – Dha, to explore more into these interviews.
Srinika Srinivas is a sophomore at Enloe High School and is a music lover who plays violin and sitar. She loves reading books, enjoys traveling and watching Cricket.
Athulya SathyaNarayan is a high school student and aspiring Carnatic vocalist, vainika, and violinist. She blends tradition with creativity, combining Carnatic discipline with Western harmony to shape a unique musical voice.
