Music = Bliss

My Parents put me on to music class sometime around when I was 5 or 6. Initially, I looked forward to it and as much as I can remember, things went ok for a year or so. Then, my cousin also enrolled for the class and her voice was sweeter than mine. I don't remember the reason or the underlying cause, but I don't know what got into me, I started being a rebel when it comes to paatu class . I wouldn't open my mouth, I sang in very low voice and I don't remember what all mischief I did, but one thing that I can clearly remember is I created such a big fuss and did a big drama in the weekly 2 or 3 classes that we used to have. Amma even gave me a break thinking a break would calm me down , but none of it helped. My paatu miss, being the gentle soul that she was tried all possible tactics from chocolaty treats to taking the effort to send everyone else and lock the room and teach me..

Then , we moved from Chennai and finding a new paatu miss was a a big challenge in the new place , my sis came into our lives, and I got busy with co-curricular and school and paatu was forgotten. But,somewhere in between I developed an affinity towards music. Combined with the fact that my mother being trained in carnatic music in her growing up years and my dad being a connoisseur of good music (He had an eclectic collection of music cassettes from carnatic to ghazal to movie songs back in  80's), I too started enjoying listening to songs. It started with movie songs,carols and prayer songs at school, devotional songs for competitions and slowly graduated to listening to carnatic music.

Music has been my companion during college hostel days and during travel. Thanks to all these private TV channels and the round the clock music channels, at one point of time, if I turned on the TV, it would be only to these music channels. If I dont like any of it, the TV would be promptly turned off. 

And thanks to the organisation I worked for and the people seated around me, first thing I would do just after checking emails in the morning is to visit musicindiaonline or raaga and put on my head set. Anyone who walks into our office will wonder if it was a call center  for you can find most of them having their head sets on, just that people will only listen and not talk :)  I used to have more than 3 headsets and would be happy to give the spare to anyone who asks for.  There was also a phase (when I changed jobs , that is) that I simply forgot what it means to relax and listen to music..I was so caught up with the routine that I forgot that something called music existed. Neither did I listen during travel nor at home, forget about office hours. 

When I started to work,  an aunty who was a music teacher  stayed in the same PG as mine and a few of my PG mates were learning music/veena from her. I started taking classes from her but couldn't continue for long as the timings didnt work out. 

First music teachera evvalavu paadu paduthi irupen, thats why my wish to learn to carnatic is still unfullfilled. Ippo voice ellam very bad a iruku enpadu vera vishayam. 


Coming to the music that I listen to, it varies on the mood, obvious nah. majorly, I would prefer soft soothing ones compared to loud ones. Loud ones are also good to listen to during  the appropriate mood or situation. 


The Christmas weekend, I happened to attend a Live concert at Phoenix Market City after a very very long time (I forget when I listened to a live non-carnatic music concert last). Thanks to our proximity to a sabha, I have had the opportunity to enjoy carnatic music concerts from stalwarts like Unnikrishnan, TMK, priya Sisters and Nithyashree a few years ago. 

This one from Pudhu Pudhu Arthangal : Kalyana Maalai Kondadum penne is one of my most favourite songs,:the lyrics, and the distinct notes from various instruments are superb in this song I can make a huge list of my favorites from songs from Paasa malar movie to the most recent Aananda Yaazhai . I'm no expert to comment, due to the synthesiser and the technologically adavnced keyboards,  I feel the songs in the recent times fail to bring out the beauty of   the different musical instruments. The tune , the music,the voice behind the song, everything is good, but somehow,I crave for raw , un-adultered instrumental tunes many times.