Learning Classical Music

I was reading over Hemu's intervew in Maa TV transcript and there was a part of the interview when the anchor asked him if he liked singing since he was a kid. He, very honestly, said no and that his father used to hit him for not practising. It wasn't until later he realised its importance and then took it up seriously.

That line interested me, because it was the same with me, well almost. I used to learn classical, but completely out of interest. It was like the worse 2 hrs of my day for me. I used to see if I can make excuses to cut it. Learnt it somehow till I reached my 6 ot 7th Varnam.. and a few kirtanas in between but NEVER with interest. Today, so mny years late, I wish I hadn't stopped.. coz NOW I realise what classical music is.

For those of you who learnt or learning music, was there a time when u didn't enjoy it? do u enjoy it now or are u still learning it by force and if there was a time u didnt enjoy it, what prompted u to get back on track ?

For those of you who didn't learn music, do u plan to learn classical music after seeing what power Nihira and Hemu had or just want to learn singing semi classsical and light songs ?

Awaiting your comments...

Originally posted by: madhavir108

I was reading over Hemu's intervew in Maa TV transcript and there was a part of the interview when the anchor asked him if he liked singing since he was a kid. He, very honestly, said no and that his father used to hit him for not practising. It wasn't until later he realised its importance and then took it up seriously.

That line interested me, because it was the same with me, well almost. I used to learn classical, but completely out of interest. It was like the worse 2 hrs of my day for me. I used to see if I can make excuses to cut it. Learnt it somehow till I reached my 6 ot 7th Varnam.. and a few kirtanas in between but NEVER with interest. Today, so mny years late, I wish I hadn't stopped.. coz NOW I realise what classical music is.

For those of you who learnt or learning music, was there a time when u didn't enjoy it? do u enjoy it now or are u still learning it by force and if there was a time u didnt enjoy it, what prompted u to get back on track ?

For those of you who didn't learn music, do u plan to learn classical music after seeing what power Nihira and Hemu had or just want to learn singing semi classsical and light songs ?

Awaiting your comments...

My god Madhavi that is so so true! I used to hate it when my teacher showed up twice a week in the evenings. I would rather be out playing with my friends! I hated to wakeup in the morning to practise. Well, I must say, I developed a taste and appreciation for classical later on, but by then I had to go college. I was in hostels throughout after that 😔 and after college, busy with job. 

Nihira and Hemu are definitely role models for youngsters today. I'm sure a lot of young teens would have been inspired by how a good classical base has helped Hemu and Nihira. 

As for me, I lost years, but I definitely plan to start all over...this time it won't be for others, it would be just for myself 😊.

I started learning Carnatic music since the age of 4 and although at that age I wasn't as interested I didn't know how and when but I fell in love with it. I currently don't have the time to learn or practice even 😕 but I will always remember how important it is in my life. I still sing now with a band and there isn't one day when I don't thank my stars for having given me the opportunity to be trained in music. I don't think I can hate it but I agree that the realisation has to come from within....

I wish I had had the opportunity to learn when I was young. When and where I was grew up, there were more dance teachers than sangeetam teachers. But I've always been interesting in singing. My hubby on the hand, had a few years of training in his early teens, but he said with his voice cracking somewhere in that time frame, he kind of lost interest. 😡 I would have had my own personal classical singer.

I always give him a hard time about that.   😆 Edited by ab_srgmp - 18 years ago

My interest in Indian classical music took place when I was 13. I guess what prompted me to that was my siblings and my parents would listen to music which would seem to frivilous, whether it was the melody or lyrics. When I was 13, I got re-acquainted to the music of India and Vedic literatures such as the Bhagavad-Gita. Once you find something truly genuine, you begin to develop an interest and it becomes one of the many driving forces in life.

I have to thank God for that.

Thanks for the replies.

Aruna ji, its the same plight with classical dance also. Till a certain age we learn it by force always but at one point of time, it kicks in that its really not that bad !

I learnt classical dance for 6 years before learning classical music (yes, jack of all trades master of none sadly!). I was really young then.. 4 yrs maybe when I started, that age I used to go by force almost coz my mom pushed me. Initially it was tough, very tough, and I used to cry a lot 😳 But when I became slightly older like umm 8, I started to enjoy it more. After giving a couple of stage performances, I fell in love with classical dance. I quit that when I was 10 and then started off with music.. but even today, I enjoy classical dance more than classical music, probably because the enjoyment factor came in before music.

I owe a lot to my dance teacher for that. How important is the role of teacher in trying to generate the interest ?

Originally posted by: madhavir108

I was reading over Hemu's intervew in Maa TV transcript and there was a part of the interview when the anchor asked him if he liked singing since he was a kid. He, very honestly, said no and that his father used to hit him for not practising. It wasn't until later he realised its importance and then took it up seriously.

That line interested me, because it was the same with me, well almost. I used to learn classical, but completely out of interest. It was like the worse 2 hrs of my day for me. I used to see if I can make excuses to cut it. Learnt it somehow till I reached my 6 ot 7th Varnam.. and a few kirtanas in between but NEVER with interest. Today, so mny years late, I wish I hadn't stopped.. coz NOW I realise what classical music is.

For those of you who learnt or learning music, was there a time when u didn't enjoy it? do u enjoy it now or are u still learning it by force and if there was a time u didnt enjoy it, what prompted u to get back on track ?

For those of you who didn't learn music, do u plan to learn classical music after seeing what power Nihira and Hemu had or just want to learn singing semi classsical and light songs ?

Awaiting your comments...

This is absolutely true.. The same thing happened with me too.. I learnt classical music for 9 years.. That too without interest.. Never wanted to learn it at all.. I thought it was jus a time pass... But, now realise the true life of it... Now, i ve started learning again... 👏 👏

Kash main bhi singing line mein hi hoti... 😭 😭

Originally posted by: adwarakanath

Can we have a video of a dance attuned to a composition in the Shringara Rasa madhavi? Maybe my heart will go...ta ka dhi mi, ta ka jha nu. 😛 😉

Wah, wah!  What a pick up line! 😆😆😆

Originally posted by: adwarakanath

Thanku😆😆😆, do, does it work?😛

Madhavi se puch na padega. 😆😆😆

But I don't think you're going to have much luck with her unless you sing like, look like and dance like Hema. And yes, your name must be V.HemaChandra.😆
Edited by ab_srgmp - 18 years ago

My whole family is into music and dance ...my grandparents used to play violin and sing .....all my uncles are into carnatic music and two of my aunts into kuchipudi.. ......i started learning classical dance from age 5 prob due to pressure from my aunt and parents ....until i got married i was busy with studies and going on tours with my aunt .....but now when i look back i always wanted to learn music and that was my real passion....last year i found a teacher where i live and started learning Hindusthani classical music .....i enjoy it very much .......when we are young we tend to do so many things for others .....better late than never 😊