My tryst with music...

This post is about my experience with Carnatic vocal music which I have been learning for the past 3 months. Music and me were always poles apart. I loved to dance but music what something I wasn't too familiar with. So the desire to learn Carnatic music formally was a big one, given that I had no inkling of what Raagam, Taalam or Shruthi is all about. Anyways this craving in me got kindled thanks to the devotional bhajans we sing during our meditation sessions. I started getting quite good at it (ahem!) and thought I could do better justice to the devotional songs if I had some formal training. I signed up for an online Carnatic music course where my teacher is remotely located and we can schedule classes based on our convenience. Thus began my Carnatic vocal music sojourn.

I must say that after starting the classes, I realized that it is something which I have terribly missed all these years without even realizing it. I just wish I could have started learning music some 25 years back. But better late than never I hope. My life after music has changed a great extent and hence this post is dedicated to my experience post-music.

First of all, music really opens up avenues in our brain which you didn't even know existed. Generally after one hour of music class I feel so refreshed and energetic and my brain is usually at its peak performance! Also my cognitive faculties and those pertaining to paying detailed attention have also improved quite a bit. I think people who are into music know this already but I guess it is one of the best exercises that our brain can have!

But my joy with music doesn't end at a mental level only. I have come to realize and experience the fact that music is the direct step to ascend in our spiritual connection with the divine. It is so easy to connect to the Divine with music. Our ancestors knew very well that each musical note (Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma...) corresponds to one of our energy centres (chakras). This means that a true musical person will also be spiritually elevated. I guess it is one of the reasons why all the saints of ancient India were known for their musical compositions in praise of the Divine.

I personally like different kinds of music but after my spiritual aftermath I feel that music should be of the elevating kind. There are lots of genres of music and people do feel uplifted in varying degrees spiritually or otherwise but the real question I guess is, is the music is helping us ascend spiritually? Is the music in tandem with our spiritual system? This will help us filter out through a lot of clutter that is being marketed as music today. I personally feel that it is not just the technique of music but how connected we become when we sing / listen to a piece.

I would also like to thank my music Guru Mrs. Chamundeeswari P for sustaining my interest in music. The things I have mentioned in this post may not be new to the person who already is familiar with the alphabet of music but for the ignorant, I hope this blog would inspire them in some way to start pursuing the musical journey right away. Ideally, music should be made mandatory for all junior classes in all schools because I do not want children to miss out on this divine nectar. Also there is no room for doubt that it is also one of the best ways to relate to our culture. I have just started on this journey...I still have a long way to go...like they say, the journey of a thousand raagas begins with the Sapthaswaras...Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma... :-)