@Sripriya Venkatraman, a student of Mathrubrundam, and full time mum and part time German scholar, writes the following piece after taking closer look into the artistic merits of the Bodhana system of learning Carnatic music... Why is music the food for the soul? Unlike may other artistic pursuits, music stays with you even after you have stopped singing or playing the instrument. You just cant get the music to stop in your head. It permeates your being. You are oblivious to the fact that you are constantly humming or even sometimes softly singing that song as you go about your day. But the others around you are definitely aware of it. Thank God for the Bodhana method of teaching nobody asks you to shut up! This method has been devised, tried and tested by Sangeetha Kala acharya smt. Seetha Rajan, that anyone with love for singing could be trained to sing in absolute harmony with the shruthi. The insistance on synchronization with the shruthi is one of the pillars of Bodhana system. Students, right from the beginning, are made to understand the swarasthanas of each swara in the carnatic music system very accurately. There are 12 swaras in the carnatic music system and the student following the Bodhana system is well acquainted with each of them. They are initially introduced only to ragas with a pentatonic scale or five swaras. This method does not overwhelm the beginner and helps her to understand the exact position of each of these 12 swaras perfectly. The exercises like janta, daattu and combination of janta and Daattu help the novice to gain perfect grasp over these 12 swaras. Though the training starts with the basic learning of the swarasthanas of a straight forward raga like Mohanam, you procced to sing simple pleasing numbers in no time. The lessons are planned such that the learner not just imbibes the basics but also improves the quality of her voice. Specially designed vocal exercises are an integral part of this system that the singers voice acquires a rich timbre that makes even those simple numbers sound absolutely divine. In addition to this, ample attention is also given to laya or the rhythm. Apart from the Alankaras, more Laya exercises have been planned keeping in mind the temperament of the beginner. The beginner is gently led through the various gatis and nadais with the help of simple yet competent varisais. These help the students achieve rhythmic perfection. Guru Smt. Seetha Rajan has set to tune some famous sanskrit slokas written by great saints like Shankaracharya. With this the student is compelled to cultivate a good diction and clear pronunciation of the lyrics of musical pieces as well. Another aspect of the training, that makes this system infallible, is the audio CDs that accompany the book Bodhana. These have all the songs and the swara exercises that are taught in class. Students are urged to listen to them as often as possible instead of practicing at home. With frequent listening, the mind internalizes the song and swarasthanas perfectly and effortlessly. With the confluence of the audio lessons and impeccable classes with the specially designed exercises, the student is bound to succeed in her efforts to produce good music. So as a result of this holistic approach, after a few months into this kind of musical training you can happily keep singing the whole day without worrying about the reactions of your neighbours! (The photographs of Ekambareswara Temple were provided for this artistic piece by Shri K Srinivasan, 72, for whom photography had been a passion for over 40 years)
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:12:45 +0000