A Tribute to Ustad Asad Ali Khan

Yesterday, on the 13th of June, 2011, as the sun set, a shining star of Hindustani classical music was lost in the unknown horizon. The sudden demise of Ustad Asad Ali Khan, the illustrious Rudra Veena maestro left all of us in shock. This is the tragedy not only for all his near and dear but it is a great loss to the Indian music. He was amongst the very few exponents of Rudra Veena, an instrument that is on the brink of collapse. Presently, when the great tradition of Rudra Veena is on the verge of extinction, I think I should attract the attention of the readers to this wondrous instrument and one of its very rare exponents, who tried his level best and in every possible manner to preserve, protect and spread the tradition.

Ustad Asad Ali Khan belonged to the 12th generation of Beenkaar Jaipur gharana (family or school) of the Indian classical music. His great grandfather Ustad Rajab Ali Khan Beenkaar, grandfather Ustad Musharraf Ali Khan Beenkaar and father -- also his tutor -- Ustad Sadiq Ali Khan Beenkaar were court musicians in the princely state of Alwar, where Ustad Asad Ali Khan was born. His father later moved to the princely court of Rampur where his father undertook to teach him music and for the next 15 years he learnt to play the Rudra Veena, practicing 14 hours a day.



For continuation of gharana, he successfully guided and trained his son and successor Ali Zaki Haider, who is going to carry Guru-Shishya Parampara further.

Although he is physically no more with us, his diligence and devotion have now placed him among tile top galaxy of Indian classical musicians. In India Ustad Asad Ali Khan was venerated for his superb musical skill and knowledge and received recognition and awards galore:

• Indian Civilian honor, Padma Bhushan in 2008 from President of India.

• Senior fellowship from ministry of cultural affairs, India in 2007-08.

• ITC Award from Sangeet Research Academy, Calcutta in 2007.

• Tansen Award from Madhya Pradesh Government in 1994

• Award of the Sangeet Natak Academy, Lucknow(U.P.) in 1985

• Award of the Sangeet Natak Academy, Delhi in 1977

• Veena Visharad, the highest music degree, from the Banaras Hindu University.

He is a top-grade artiste of the All India Radio and participates in Radio sangeet sammelans (i.e. music conferences), national programs and musical performances all over India. He has also been a professor of music in Delhi University.

He has given concerts in Afghanistan, Australia, Holland, Italy, New Zealand the United Kingdom, the United States of America and other countries.

May his soul rest in peace and may God give his family the power to bear with the tragedy.

Corruption in Public life

These days, in electronic as well as the print Media, corruption is the 'hotspot' and perhaps the shortcut most recklessly used to increasing 'circulation' or 'TRP ratings'. Let us concentrate over it and find out as to why corruption has taken the central idea in our lives although everybody is in agreement with everybody else over the ill-effects of this social menace.

What is corruption?

There are different meanings of the word found in different dictionaries. I am presenting only those ones which are relevant to the article.

Corruption Noun:

1.  Lack of integrity or honesty (especially susceptibility to bribery); use of a position of trust for dishonest gain

2. Moral perversion; impairment of virtue and moral principles

3. Destroying someone's (or some group's) honesty or loyalty; undermining moral integrity

4. Inducement (as of a public official) by improper means (as bribery) to violate duty (as by committing a felony)

Through the above description of the word 'Corruption', we can conclude the following:

1 It relates to human behavior,

2 It is regulated by one's moral values.

3 Generally, money is involved in the act of corruption.

It is the human behavior which is mainly responsible for the act of corruption. It is, in fact, the expression of degeneration and defects in our society. Corrupt practices are more visible in the communities which have lesser regards for the moral values. Therefore, it is the signal which tells that we are gradually developing a kind of disregard towards the principles and the ideals based upon the ethical norms. It also shows the hypocrisy and dichotomy of one's actions.

Those who are engaged in corrupt practices think that it is the only solution. Most of us wish to achieve their targets by hook or by crook. They conveniently forget that achieving the goals is surely important but equally important is the means used to reach that goal. In the political circles, the scholars have very rightly established the connection between the power and the fraudulent practices. "Power corrupts power and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It shows that those holding the most powerful positions, may be involved in the highest levels of corruption.

That is why, these days we read in the Media about the crooked behavior of our political class. Our leaders who have the responsibility to show us the correct way of life by setting a model through their examplery actions, have failed to do so. There is a very old saying, "As is the king, so shall be the subjects." The common men and women see their rulers as models. Not only the ruling class, all those who attain a respectable position in the society, are seen as the model and hence they influence the masses directly or indirectly. Their behavior in the public life determines the behavior of the general public. If they show ethical character and human values in their actions, the common people follow it and the opposite is also is followed with the same commitment. Thus, it is the duty of our political class and other prominent personalities that they should demonstrate to us through their actions as to what kind of society they would like to live in. their attitude towards the corruption would decide the level of corruption in the society. If they wish to give a corruption-free society to their discendants, they ought to follow the path of simplicity and and modesty.

Music and Stress Management

Introduction:

In this era of rapid growth and nail-biting competition, life is getting full of tension. This tension leads to different diseases like the hypertension, heart problems, and insomnia and so on. In psychological terms this tension is called 'stress'. Many ailments occur due to the lack of physical exercises. Our life-styles have become so comfortable and relaxing, thanks to the science and technology, that most of our day-to-day activities are performed automatically by different machines. For example, we have remote control devices for TV, air conditioners, fans etc and therefore need not trouble our legs in order to use them. Outdoor games have been replaced by very meticulously designed video games. Hence, most of us need not go out and play. Mobile phones have made it possible to sit at home and replace important meetings with the video conferencing. There is just no scope for physical activities. This physical inaction leads to hypertention, and other psychological disorders which generate stress. In this article, we'd see as to how we can manage stress through the use of music.

What is stress?

There are many definitions given to the mental stress. Some are as under:

1 Stress is the body's reaction to a change that requires a physical, mental or emotional adjustment or response. It can come from any situation or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, nervous, or anxious.

2 Stress is caused by an existing stress-causing factor or "stressor."

3 Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.

Considering these definitions, we can conclude that the stress is the result of our mental fatigue which may occur due to a variety of reasons. Your co-workers do not behave your way and you get tensed; you are waiting for someone but he/she gets late and you get frustrated; you do not succeed in the mission undertaken by you and your blood pressure shoots. There are numerous excuses for stress but in fact it is in your mind. In the same unfavourable situation, some get stress and some other do not. This shows that stress is not something that comes from outside; it is within our own mind.

The stress begins with frustration. We do not like someone's actions or something and we get frustrated. This frustration, if suppressed, generates anxiety which, in turn, gets transformed in anger. We try to suppress this anger as most of the time we cannot express it. That leads to more mental imbalances and finally we fall prey to the stress. If the situation prevails for a long time, this state of mind can lead to mental depression which can cause more psychological problems.

The solution:

There are many simple actions which can curtail our stress and we can get rid of it. Psychologists have devised means and methods whereby one can cope up with these kinds of situations. However, fine arts in general and music specifically can be of great help in controlling the mental stress.

Stress-management through music:

The basic cause of the mental stress is that our mind sometimes does not accept, or does not wish to accept the reality of circumstances. For example, you are watching your favourite show on TV and suddenly the the electric supply is off. If you accept the situation and keep cool, it is well. However, many of us take it very sentimentally and think that the power fails only when they are watching TV and they are not very lucky and so on. These types of feelings generate stress. If our attitude towards life is negative, we are stressed. If the attitude is positive, the situation changes rapidly to our favour.

Music makes positive. We feel relaxed and comfortable. As we listen soothing and sweet music, all our frustrations, tentions and other mental imbalances keep on evaporating and we feel very light and free of all stress. If one happens to be a musician, he/she can cure the ailment of mental stress very easily. The Swara Sadhana, which is essential to Indian music, is very helpful in controlling the stress. As we listen to the rich drone sound of Tanpura, we feel a kind of peace in our mind. When we mingle our voice in tune with Tanpura, our mind gets concentrated on Shadja, the key note of Indian music. As we tune the instrument, we need too much of concentration of mind towards the basic note. All these activities lead us to the state of meditation. In terms of Yoga, this meditation is the basic prerequisite for attaining the state of Samadhi. But the musicians have the privilege to get this state of mind without Yogic practices. Music in itself is a kind of Yoga. It can cure many mental illnesses including the mental stress.

In the fourth Chapter of Sangeet Ratnakar, the author has elaborated upon the characterstics of a good Vaggeyakara, i.e. the good musical composer. One of the characteristics mentioned herein is 'Avadhana' which means the concentration of mind. Thus, we see that the composers of Indian music need the concentration of mind in order to create music. It applies to any kind of music. If we can practice to concentration of mind, we can strengthen our will power. If our will power is strong, we can easily can overpower the mental stress.

Not only musicians, but the listeners of music can also benefit from the positive qualities of Indian music. Here, let us make a distinction between the quality music and the popular music. It is not that the popular or the mainstream music cannot fall in the category of the quality music. But more often than not, the popular music is different from the quality music. Music which is meant for generating excitement and action, fails to give relaxation. Those who wish to use music to suppress the original mental feelings, have to face the consequences. This is the reason, that disco jockeys are able to make us dance but their kind of music is far from the peace of mind. It can generate excitement but cannot create pleasing effects. Therefore, one should choose soothing and relaxing music if he/she wants to get rid of the mental stress.

Indian classical music has the capacity to shun the negative feelings and create the positive attitude. Therefore, it is recommended that one should develop the habit of listening to the Indian classical music if the mental stress is to be curtailed.

Conclusion:

There is a very famous saying: "caution is always better than cure." Therefore, it is advisable that before it is too late, before we fall prey to the mental stress, let us develop the liking towards the Indian classical music. All of us try to learn a bit of Indian music. If it is not possible, at least we can listen to the good music. We should try to keep away from the loud amplified kind of music which is amply available on the electronic media. We should rather be inclined to the real classical music. This will surely make our lives more fruitful and productive in all respects.

Effect of music on plants

These days, potentials of music, other than its entertaining value, are being tapped vigorously not only in India but the world over. The therapeutic powers of music are very hotly discussed presently. In the West more scientific and logical research has been taken up than here in India. It is during such research that some new facts have emerged which indicating that music can be beneficial to the growth of plants. This article shows how music affects plants in a positive manner and how it helps them grow faster.

Although music is a universal language yet we would restrict our article to the Indian conditions only as we are more adapted to Indian circumstances. Moreover, we cannot forget that it was Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose who initiated an elaborate research on plants. He was probably the first scientist of the modern age who had an inkling that the sound of music does wonders for plant growth. He performed some experiments which show how music affects plant growth. Scientists from all over the world have researched on the question "how does music affect plants". So, does music affect plant growth? Well, yes, it could be said that music does affect plant growth. It is just like what music therapy is for human beings

Living systems show sensitivity to specific radiant energies – be it acoustical, magnetic or electro-magnetic. As the impact of music could be easily gauged on emotions and thereby on mind, it can be used as a tool to control the physiological, psychological and even social activities of the patients. My understanding is that if music can affect our mind, it can also influence the growth of the plants. I begin my assumption with a simple experiment. Indian classical music can be classified into two forms: A. kalpita sangita or composition, which is previously conceived, memorized, practiced and rendered, B. manodharma sangita or the music extemporized and performed. The latter can be equated to the honeymooner’s first night as it conceives both spontaneity and improvisation. It is fresh and natural as it is created almost on the spot and rendered instantly on the spur of the moment. Both kinds can be used to perform an experiment on plants; however, the pre-recorded music would be better as the same experiment may be repeated again and again.



The experiment:



The experiment which I am talking about was originally done by Dave Williams, faculty, Anne Arundel Community College, New York, USA, on Saturday, March 22, 1997.

Does music help or hinder the plants growth?

Many studies have been done and it has become a very interesting subject. This experiment will give us an understanding on whether or not music effects plant growth. In our experiment, we will use rock music and classical music to test the plant growth.

Hypothesis:

We think that the classical music will help the plant growth and that the rock music will hinder its growth since studies have showed that classical music even concentrates the human brain and is good for you.

Material:

1. Three of the same type of plants,

2. 2 small stereos or boom boxes with CD players,

3. A rock CD,

4. A Classical CD,

Procedure:

Take the three plants and label them, one with classical, one with rock, and one with no music. Put all them in separate rooms and put the rock music by the rock plant, put the classical CD by the classical plant and leave the other plant in a quiet room with no exposure to music. Water them daily and after a week, record your results on how each plant is doing.

Record And Analyze Data:

After one week of experimenting, the following were the results. The one that was in the best condition was the plant that was in the room with classical music. The second best plant was the one in the room with no music and the one that didn't do so good was the one in the room with rock music.

This experiment needs more attention. It should be done again and again to ascertain the results obtained and also to make more authentic. Although many more experiments have proved that the musical tones effect the growth of plants in a very positive manner, yet in the world of science there is still uncertainty over the issue. Here I am presenting some more:

Dorothy Retallack published a small book on vegetation with melody, in 1973, which was based on her experiments of the music effects on plants, in a Colorado College, in Denver. She found out that, out of the plants in three different chambers, with different conditions, those exposed to soothing music grew better than the others. In one case, the plants had bent towards the music playing device. These plants were lush green with healthy stems.

However, it is note-worthy that if there is a constant monotone that is being played, then it does not significantly affect plant growth. But if it is mild, classical music, definite change of rate can be observed, in the growth of plants. It is a lengthy process, though. How music affects plant growth, cannot be observed within days of the plant being exposed to music. It takes weeks to identify the effects of music on plants.



Classical Music and Plant Growth



Classical music, for that matter has had a prominent effect on plant growth. The Ragas (a formation with a group of notations) in Indian classical music are believed to have worked wonders for plant growth. In addition to that, the occident has also been a witness to experiments on how does music affect plants. The vibrations of the music created are responsible for plant growth.



Another dimension:



But everything said and done, even if music is believed to affect plant growth, it is somewhat controversial. The naysayers hold that there are no sensory devices in plants, like the ears or the brain. Music is all about vibrations, but then, they may not be so powerful that they can initiate an improved growth in plants.

So, does music affect plant growth? This is still a question mark in the fraternity of scientists. But there is no problem in believing that music does affect plants. Who knows our belief will give such an incredible power to the music we play, that it will compel the plants to flourish. How beautiful it would be! Even when the sun leaves them, melodies will always be there to cheer our green friends up.

Medha Godbole, who has written extensively on the topic, suggests that plants do like noise. Plants exposed to a set frequency of sound tend to germinate more quickly, grow taller and weigh more than those kept in silence. Both 50,000 Hz ultrasound (above the human hearing range) and 5,000 Hz sound seem to work. Therefore, there's a good chance that plants like any sound you might play for them, including music. Plants also like good, attentive care. If you are playing music you like for a plant, it may lead you to take better care of it. You will be more likely to carefully water and feed the plant and make sure it has good light. It might look like the music helps the plant grow, when you are actually taking better care of it. Plants like carbon dioxide. If you are standing by a plant, singing to it, it is going to absorb some carbon dioxide from your breath.



Conclusion:



Although there is no conclusive evidence to show as to how music helps plants to grow, yet there is ample reason to believe that music helps them in their growth. How music is helpful in the growth of plants, is different matter. Our focus of attention is that music surely benefits the plants in their growth. Therefore, the persons who are connected to farming Industry, are advised to experiment with their plants listening to good quality music, preferably the Indian classical music and observe the result. We are sure; in no way it will harm them.

Why does music chill and thrill some people?

Most people feel chills and shivers in response to music that thrills them, but some people hardly feel them at all. People who are particularly open to new experiences are most likely to have chills in response to music, according to a new study. Researchers Emily Nusbaum and Paul Silvia of the University of North Carolina in the US asked students about how often they felt chills down their spine, got goose bumps, or felt like their hair was standing on end while listening to music, reports the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

They also measured their experience with music, and five main dimensions of personality: extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and openness to experience, according to a North Carolina statement. People high in openness are creative, curious about many things, have active imaginations and like to play with ideas, and they much more frequently feel chills in response to music.
People with a lot of openness to experience were more likely to play a musical instrument themselves and they rated music as more important in their lives than people low in openness. Not surprisingly, people high in openness also spent more time listening to music.
"There are a lot of ways in which people are basically alike, but the experience of chills isn't one of them," said the authors.
"Some people seem to have never experienced chills while listening to music - around eight percent of people in our study - but other people experience chills basically every day."

Valmiki Ramayana

National Bird’s Day

January 5 was National Bird Day. A day to celebrate the beauty and song of

birds that have long been a source of inspiration to all of us. But did you know that today, nearly 12 per cent of the world's 9,800 bird species may face extinction within the next century, including nearly one-third of the world's 330 parrot species.

Birds are sentinel species whose plight serves as the barometer of ecosystem health and alert system for detecting global environmental ills.

Many of the world's parrots and songbirds are threatened with extinction due to pressures from the illegal pet trade, disease, and habitat loss.

Public awareness and education about the physical and behavioural needs of birds can go far in improving the welfare of the millions of birds kept in captivity.

The survival and wellbeing of the world's birds depends upon public education and support for conservation.

Budhaditya receives Sangeetnatak Akademi Awards

Eventually, Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized the talent of one of the illustrious Sitarists of the era Pt. Budhaditya Mukherjee and conferred upon him the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for 2010. It is also a pleasant coincidence that one of his fans Dr. Ravi Sharma, who has been the disciple of his great father and has also got training from him, got the information of these Awards from the reliable sources and conveyed the same to Pt Mukherjee on 20/01/2011 in the evening. He became the first person to break the news. Pt. Mukherjee has never been hungry of recognitions but it is sad that Sangeet Natak Akademi recognized his skills so late. But better late than never.

Budhaditya Mukherjee (1955–) is a Hindustani classical sitar and surbahar player of the Imdadkhani Gharana (school).

He was taught by his father Bimalendu Mukherjee from the age of 5, and started making a name for himself at a young age. In 1970, he won two national-level music competitions, and soon after was famously endorsed in glowing terms first by film maker Satyajit Ray and then South Indian veena maestro Balachander, who proclaimed him to be the sitar artist of the century. In 1975, Budhaditya became a grade A artist with All India Radio (he was promoted to top grade in 1986). Since then, he has become an established sitarist, known for virtuosity, speed and precision.

He is the first artist ever in the history of the British Parliament to have performed in the House of Commons. It was on June 30, 1990 when the British Parliament was mesmerized by the finest tonal quality and the delicacy of his Sitar.

Mukherjee has toured the world extensively, giving concerts in over 25 countries, and from 1983 and 1995, respectively, taught from time to time at the Istituto Interculturale di Studi Musicali Comparati in Venice and the Rotterdam Conservatory. He has also recorded widely, and at the age of 47, his discography spanned exactly 47 CDs, LPs and cassettes. In 1995, he started recording on the surbahar (bass sitar), first as a two-part series (Brilliance of Sound) for Beethoven Records in Kolkata (ragas Yaman and Marwa), then raga Komal rishabh Asavari for RPG/HMV on Tribute to My Father, My Guru (STCS 850362). In 2003, he was the first Indian classical musician to have an enhanced CD published: Thumriyan (RCD-2224), on Bengali label Rhyme Records in Kansas, containing ragas Piloo and Bhairavi.

His son, Bijoyaditya, was born in 1984, and started training with grand father sri Bimalendu Mukherjee and father Budhaditya Mukherjee at the age of 5.

Budhaditya Mukherjee also holds a degree in metallurgical engineering.

The other recipients of the Award

Date:21/01/2011
URL:
http://www.thehindu.com/2011/01/21/stories/2011012157192200.htm

Girija Devi, Nataraj Ramakrishna, Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The general council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi elected two eminent personalities from the field of performing arts — Girija Devi and Nataraj Ramakrishna — Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellows (Akademi Ratna) at its meeting held here on Wednesday.

It is a rare honour, and there are only 34 fellows of the Akademi at present.

Thirty-eight people from the fields of music, dance, theatre and puppetry were selected for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for 2010.

In music, nine artists — Channulal Mishra and Shri Yashpal (Hindustani vocal); Budhaditya Mukherjee (sitar) and Nityanand Haldipur (flute, Hindustani instrumental); Suguna Purushothaman and Mysore Nagamani Srinath (Carnatic vocal), Nagai R. Muralidharan (violin) and Srimushnam V. Raja Rao (mridangam) and M.V. Simhachala Sastry (Harikatha) have been selected.

Dance awards

In dance, Malabika Mitra (Kathak), Kalamandalam Kombil Govindan Nair (Kathakali), Phanjoubam Iboton Singh (Manipuri), Ratna Kumar (Kuchipudi), Aruna Mohanty (Odissi), Manik Borbayan (Sattriya), Uttara Asha Coorlawala (creative and experimental dance), Kalamandalam Painkulam Rama Chakyar (other major traditions of dance and dance theatre — Kutiyattam) and S. Rajeshwari (music for dance — Bharatanatyam) have been selected.

In theatre, eight eminent persons have been selected: D. Vizai Bhaskar (Telugu) and Atamjeet (Punjabi) for playwriting; Veenapani Chawla and Urmil Kumar Thapliyal for direction; and Dilip Prabhavalkar, Banwari Taneja, Maya Krishna Rao and Swatilekha Sengupta for acting.

Other forms

For their contribution to other forms of art, 10 artists have been selected. They are Harbhajan Singh Namdhari for Gurbani Kirtan (Punjab); Nazeer Ahmed Khan Warsi and Naseer Ahmed Khan Warsi (joint award) for qawwali (Andhra Pradesh); Dwijen Mukherjee for Rabindra Sangeet (West Bengal); T. Somasundaram for folk dance (Tamil Nadu); Krishna Kumari for folk music — Bhakha (Jammu and Kashmir); Chand Jagdish Tiwadi for folk theatre — Bharud (Maharashtra); K. Chinna Anjannamma for Tolu Bommalata or shadow puppetry (Andhra Pradesh); and K.V. Ramakrishnan and K.C. Ramakrishnan (joint award) for Pava Kathakali or glove puppetry (Kerala).

Ashok D. Ranade will receive the Akademi Award 2010 for a scholarship in performing arts (music). Jaidev Taneja will be presented an award for overall contribution to performing arts (theatre).

According to Akademi secretary Jayant Kastuar, the honour of Akademi Fellow has been conferred since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952. "They not only symbolise the highest standard of excellence and achievements on a national basis but also recognise sustained individual work and contribution to the practice and appreciation of the arts through performance, teaching and scholarship."

The Akademi Fellow carries a prize money of Rs.3 lakh and the Akademi awards carry Rs.1 lakh, besides a tamrapatra and an angavastram.

CWG2010: Another Prospective

भारत खेले खेल

आधिक आनंद के लिए निम्नलिखित लिंक को देखें:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Umvp8jXA3Xw

१९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों का आयोजन मीडिया के लिये एक मसाला और गप्पबाजों के लिये एक रोचक व्यायाम बनकर रह गया है। पढें और सोचें

आज कल जिसे देखो दिल्ली में ३ अक्तूबर २०१० से अरंभ होने वाले राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों के विषय में ही सोच रहा है, उन्हीं के चिंता में खोया हुआ है – जैसे बाकी सभी समस्यायें, सभी चिंताएं, सभी विघ्न-बाधाएं मिट गयीं हैं, गौण हो गयी हैं। कुछ और सोचने को है ही नहीं। केवल यही चिंता हमें खाए जा रही है कि हम ये राष्ट्रमंडल खेल सफलतापूर्वक सम्पन्न करवा पाएंगे अथवा नहीं। ये हमारी राष्ट्रीय अस्मिता का प्रश्न बन गया है, अथवा बना दिया गया है। हमारी उन्नति, हमारी सम्पन्ता, हमारा विकास सब कुछ केवल इसी एक बिंदु पर आ कर टिक गये हैं – ये खेल सफलतापूर्वक संपन्न होंगे या नहीं। इसी एक प्रश्न ने सब को जकड़ रखा है, सबको परेशान कर रखा है; कहीं कोई दुर्घटना न घट जाए, कुछ अनिष्ट न हो जाए। इलेक्ट्रानिक एवं प्रिंट – दोनों संचार माध्यमों पर बस यही एक गर्म खबर परोसी जा रही है – खेल मंत्री एम। एस। गिल ने क्या कहा? दिल्ली की मुख्य मंत्री श्रीमती शीला दीक्षित ने खेल-गाँव के दौरे के बाद क्या निर्देश दिये? कौन से स्टेडियम में क्या हो रहा है? हमारी भूख-प्यास सब इन सवालों के आगे कुछ अर्थ नहीं रखतीं।


लगभग सात वर्ष पूर्व यह निर्णय लिया गया था कि १९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेल भारत की राजधानी दिल्ली में आयोजित होंगे। तब से लगभग साढे़ छः वर्ष तक हम सब सोए रहे। संभवतः हम में से अधिकतर लोगों को तो यह बात मालूम ही नहीं थि, या फिर याद ही नहीं रही। इस व्रष जून-जुलाई में कुछ सिरफिरे खोजी पत्रकारों ने अपनी दूकान चलाने के लिए न जाने कहां से यह समाचार खोज निकाला कि १९वें राष्ट्रमंडल खेलों से संबंधित आयोजन-समिति अपना काम ठीक ढंग से नहीं कर रही है। फिर क्या था! पत्रकारिता के क्षेत्र में जैसे भूचाल सा आ गया। समाचारों से संबंधित सभी टी। वी। चैनलों पर चर्चाएं-गोष्ठियां आयोजित होने लगीं –यह देखने के लिए कि अभी तक कितना काम हो चुका है और कितना भाकी है। आयोजन-समिति के अध्यक्ष श्री सुरेश कलमाडी़ जब सवालों के चक्रव्यूह में फँसे तो बिफर कर कहने लगे कि मीडिया का तो काम ही है उल्टी सीधी खबरें फैला कर पैसे बनाना। लेकिन कहते हैं, “बात निकलेगी तो फिर दूर तलक जाएगी”। सो ये बात पहुंची हमारे संसद सदस्यों तक। वे ठहरे जन-प्रतिनिधि। चुप कैसे बैठ सकते थे! संसद में खेल मंत्री को घेरने के अनेक प्रयत्न किए गये लेकिन हमारे हँसोढ़ खेल मंत्री ने कहा कि ये हमारे काम करने का अनूठा ढंग है, हमारी कार्यशैलि है। भारतीय शादी में जिस प्रकार आकिरी समय तक तैयारियां चलती रहती हैं लेकिन अंत में दूल्हा-दुलहन मिल ही जाते हैं, वैसा ही कुछ इन खेलों में भी होने वाला है। चिंता की कोई आवश्यकता नहीं है।

लेकिन खोजी पत्रकारिता का क्या कीजिये। कुछ पत्रकारों के दिमाग में खोज की खुजली लग गयी थी, सो वे खोजते रहे। “जिन खोजा तिन पाइया, गहरे पानी पैठ।“

खोज की खुजली जब भ्रष्टाचार के दानों को खुजलाया तो वे फूट पडे़। उन दानों में से सत्य की जिस सरिता का उद्गम हुआ, उसके बहाव में आयोजन-समिति के अनेकों कर्णधार बहने लगे। कलमाडी़ ने अपने पाँव जमाने की बहुत कोशिश की। वे बच तो गये किंतु निश्क्रिय से हो कर रह गये।

मौसम ने भी भ्रषटाचार की इस सरिता में कुछ योगदान करने की सोची और झमाझम पानी बरसने लगा। इतना पानी बरसा कि यमुना में उफान आ गया। आयोजन-समिति को जैसे इस विभीषिका में तिनके का सहारा मिल गया। समिति कहने लगी, इसी बरसात की वजह से हमारी तैयारियों में कुछ देरी हो रही है वरना हमारी तैयारियों में कोई नुक्स नहीं। देश के वर्तमान कर्णधार श्री मनमोहन सिंघ ने आनन-फानन में मंत्रियों का एक समूह बना दिया जिसका काम खेल-तैयारियों की निगरानी करना था। लेकिन मंत्री-समूह तो भारतीय शादी में बाराती बनने के विचार से ही रोमांचित होता रहा और वह समय बिल्कुल निकट आ पहुँचा जब विदेशी बारातियों [खिलाडि़यों] को खेल-गाँव पहुंचना था। विदेशी खिलाडी़ पहले से ही सावधान थे। उन्होंने खुद आने से पहले अपने प्रतिनिधियों को इस बात की जाँच करने के लिए भेजा कि खेल-घाँव कैसा है। पता लगा कि जहां किलाडि़यों को ठहरना है वहां फिलहाल कुत्ते बिल्लियां आराम फरमा रहे हैं। क्यों न हो! हम भारतीय इतने पशु-प्रेमी जो हैं। लेकिन विदेशी खिलाडी़ इस अनावश्यक पशु-प्रेम से बिदक गये। उन्होंने सोचा हमारे हिस्से का सारा प्रेम यदि जानवरों को दे दिया गया तो हमारा क्या होगा? खूब बखेडा़ मचा। इसी बीच एक आध और दुर्घटनाएं घट गयीं। हम तो ऐसी दुर्घटनाओं के अभ्यस्त हैं मगर शायद विदेशियों को इस की आदत नहीं। बेचारे विदेशी खिलाडी़! घबरा गये ज़रा सी बात पर। हमारे गृहमंत्री ने बहुत समझाया कि ऐसी गोलियां तो यहां शादियों की शोभा बढा़ती हैं। सब कुछ ठीक-ठाक है। चिंता की कोई बात नहीं है। विदेशमंत्री ने भी यकीन दिलाया कि सुरक्षा से संबंधित यहां कोई समस्या नहीं है। यहां की पुलिस का चोरों से बहुत पुराना रिश्ता है। इस लिए वे दुर्घटना से बहुत पहले ही जान लेते हैं कि कौन कहां कब वारदात करने जा रहा है। उस वारदात को रोकना या न रोकना हमारे ही हाथ में है।

लेकिन खोजी पत्रकारों की खुजली से भ्रषटाचार के दाने फूटते रहे और भ्रष्टाचार की सरिता बहती रही। थोडी़-बहुत चीख-पुकार के उपरांत विदेशी खिलाडी़ भी जान गये कि इन तिलों में तेल नहीं है। उन्होंने भी परिस्थितियों से समझौता कर लिया और दिल्ली के खेल-घाँव में इकट्ठे होने लगे।

किसी तरह ये खेल हो ही जाआएंगे। और फिर हम सब कुछ भूल कर रोज़मर्रा के कामों में लग जाएंगे – जैसे कुछ हुआ ही न हो। खोजी पत्रकारों की खुजली भी किसी न किसी मरहम से रुक ही जाएगी। लेकिन हमारे देश की जो जगहँसाई हो रही है, क्या हम उसका प्रतिकार कभी कर पाएंगे?

Teaching people with dementia

New information by singing might

Enable them to live independently for a bit longer

by Nora Schultz

 

Singing to elderly people with dementia helps them form new memories, one of the first skills they tend to lose. Music is known to aid memory, especially recalling autobiographical information. For example, people with Alzheimer's disease are better at remembering events from their own past when music is playing in the background. It was less clear whether tunes could also help them learn.

Brandon Ally at Boston University and his team were inspired by the report of a man with Alzheimer's who could recall current events if his daughter sang the news to him to the tune of familiar pop songs. They decided to try it out for themselves.

They gave 13 people with Alzheimer's and 14 healthy seniors the lyrics from 40 unfamiliar children's songs to read, half accompanied by the actual song and half by the spoken words. All the participants saw the lyrics again without audio and mixed in with lyrics from a further 40 unknown songs. Those with Alzheimer's were able to recognise 40 per cent of the original lyrics that had been accompanied by song but only 28 per cent of those read to them. The healthy seniors recognised 80 per cent of lyrics, regardless of whether they had been sung or spoken (Neuropsychologia, DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.04.033).

Very few things enhance new learning in people with dementia, says Ally. "It's really cool that hearing the lyrics sung did." He suggests that teaching patients new medication regimes via a song in the early stages of dementia might enable them to live independently for a bit longer.

We don't yet know why singing should help, but Ally says that music engages areas of the brain, including subcortical regions, that are typically spared until later on in dementia. Music may also improve attention, he adds.

For further information: Visit this page!

Teachers

Most of our classrooms are teacher-centred, with one-way communication from

the teacher to pupils. Here is what one needs to do to change it.

Teachers should ensure that their lessons and attitude make students

comfortable

Golden rule: Classes should be interesting

For effective teaching: The great charm of teaching that merges knowledge

and skill is relegated to the background, when examination scores become the

main priority. Some teachers readily recognise this and interact more with

students.

"He who can, does. He who cannot, teaches." This quote is a jibe from George

Bernard Shaw, given by him under the title Maxims for Revolutionists in his

renowned play Man and Superman (1903). At best, it is a censure on

ineffective teachers. It is not a universal truth. Teaching is a noble

profession that moulds the emerging generations.

"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher

demonstrates. The great teacher inspires", said William Arthur Ward,

scholar, author, and teacher.

Often conventional teaching in schools and colleges degenerates into

drudgery for the teacher, which in turn becomes drudgery and dull drill for

the pupil. The great charm of teaching that merges knowledge and skill is

relegated to the background, when examination scores become not only the

first priority, but the sole objective.

This is not a new phenomenon. Perhaps when Mark Twain said that he had never

let his schooling to interfere with his education, he had the boredom of

school routine in mind.

A good teacher can make the teaching-learning process an enjoyable

experience, provided he has commitment to the profession. Dedication,

perseverance, and empathy with children are some of the essential traits.

There is a view, "teaching is not a profession; it is a passion".

Even gifted sculptors express their creativity by shaping lifeless blocks of

stone, wood, or metal. But a teacher moulds growing human beings with a

mind, a heart, and a soul. The sacred nature of a teacher's work is obvious.

The central aspect of education is learning. We know that teaching and

learning are two sides of the same coin. There is an enormous volume of

scientific literature bringing out the diverse features of institutionalised

teaching-learning processes. Let us extract from this treasury of knowledge,

principles that are of relevance and immediate application in classroom

teaching. Awareness of the possibilities of fine teaching will enrich

pupils' classroom experience as well.

The ultimate objective of any teaching is effective learning by the pupil.

Strategies for teaching have, therefore, to be designed on the basis of

relevant phases of the internal processes of learning. The phases are:

Getting motivated

Apprehending (the pupil coming face to face with the key points)

Acquisition

Retention (transfer from short-term to long-term memory)

Recall

Generalisation (applying the knowledge gained to new situations)

Performance (the pupil demonstrates through performance)

Feedback

The mental processes are influenced by factors such as the pupil's

questioning ability, and the availability of learning resources including

teacher's guidance. A teacher is an instrument that facilitates, promotes,

hastens, and influences the activities in the internal processes in the

pupil during learning.

When we find that a pupil experiences difficulty in learning a lesson, we

should analyse the reasons behind the difficulty. This can be done

effectively, if we keep in mind the different factors that influence

assimilation.

We should not forget that learning is a complex mental process. Many parents

often accuse their children for their poor scores in the examination,

without caring to appreciate the children's difficulty in assimilating new

ideas. If the parent can show some patience to imagine what feeling he would

have if he is asked to learn quickly a strange language like Korean or

Chinese, he may realise the child's predicament.

Some of the important factors that influence assimilation are the following:

Meaning (Unless the lesson makes sense to the pupil, he may not be able to

learn it easily)

Interest (Pupils should be properly motivated. Suppose a chemistry teacher

intends to teach 'conservation of matter'. Instead of defining the

principle, the teacher may ignite some spirit in a watch glass kept on the

classroom table, show the empty watch glass after the spirit has burnt, and

then ask the pupils how the spirit has disappeared. Slowly, the principle of

'conservation of matter' can be developed by graded questions, and answers

from the pupils. Once curiosity is aroused, pupils will get interested in

the concept. Deeper the pupil's interest in the lesson, better the

retention.)

Depth of impression (This can be improved by vividness in teaching; describe

to generate clear pictures in the mind.)

Association of ideas (Link new knowledge to an old piece of knowledge. Use

good sequence and logical development of the lesson)

Repetition (Not dull repetition, but repetition that offers pleasure or

satisfaction)

Frequency of recall (Use tests or assignments)

Prioritising (forget the unimportant and retain the essentials)

The classroom situation

Most of our classrooms are teacher-centred, with one-way communication from

the teacher to pupils, as in a radio broadcast. One may label it as

authoritarian and directive. Though it may be effective in preparing for a

formal examination, it is desirable that the classroom is made

pupil-centred, at least occasionally.

In a lecture-discussion, the classroom is not totally dominated by the

teacher. Instead, the pupils get opportunities for participation; there is

co-operative striving for a common goal. This situation boosts the

self-confidence of the pupils in facing life's challenges.

The overall style of classroom management should neither be totally

authoritarian or totally permissive. The teacher should strive to strike a

happy balance for ensuring effective learning with pupils' participation.

After all, the larger picture of the college classroom aims at development

of the personality of the pupils.

Some guidelines for effective classroom management are indicated below.

Follow the same rules for all students

Enforce your declared rules consistently

Know the names of students

Be tough in the beginning; may loosen later if all goes well

See that the pupils come prepared (mind and materials)

See that they listen

Use occasional humour. It makes children comfortable

Never insult a pupil in the classroom or elsewhere, whether it is for poor

performance or for other reasons

Do not ignore good performance; do tell them they did well

Submission of assignments on time. Also, return them after correction on

time

Develop good habits like punctuality through your style (be a role model)

Don't allow the tail to wag the dog. But be pragmatic.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

B.S. WARRIER

______

Please feel free to pass your comments, feedbacks & new ideas to the below

menntioned contact details.

Email:

saravanan.ramadoss1@gmail.com

saravanan_2008@hotmail.com

*******

"Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none."

William Shakespeare

------

Character can not be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of

trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and

success achieved.

Helen Keller

Commonwealth Games Theme Song

19^th Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi, India from 3^rd October, 2010 onwards, have been in the news more for the wrong reasons than for the real objectives of sportsmanship. Investigative journalists dug out so much dirt and mud on one hand and on the other hand, Monsoon is making a mockery of highly exaggerated preparations as claimed by the Organizing Committee under the chairmanship of Suresh Kalmadi, who has now been popular for controversies and scandals rather than for appropriate execution of plans and projects in order to smoothly conducting the games. However, here we would focus upon the 'theme song' of these games composed by the only Oscar winner composer of Bollywood – A. R. Rahman, who, claimed that the song composed by him would be more appealing and beautiful than the one 'waka waka' sung by Shakira for the FIFA World cup 2010 even before he composed it.

This theme song was released by A. R. Rahman on 28 August, 2010 in Gurgaon, Haryana in the presence of eminent personalities from different walks of life and the esteemed members of the Organizing Committee. The initial lines of the song are like this:

Oh yaaron, yeh India bulaa liya / Diwaano yeh India bulaa liya… bulaa liya / Yeh toh khel hai / Bada mail hai / Milaa diya… milaa diya...

Please listen to the song

Most of Rahman's fans are not very pleased with the song. The comments on different social networking sites about the song are not encouraging. Some of viewers have commented that Rahman has got a bit overconfident. It is his callous approach which brought him down on the popularity charts especially, for this theme song of commonwealth games.

Firstly, Rahman composes music chiefly for Bollywood and Pop Albums. This segment of songs is different from that of composing songs for special occasions. Therefore, it is not Rahman's fault that he could not live up to the expectations of the music-lovers of the Indian Subcontinent. The organizing committee made a mistake in awarding him the contract to compose the song. Composing pop music is totally different from composing a song to suit a specific occasion. The song of Asiad 1982 was composed by Pt. Ravishankar, the well-known classical music maestro of the international repute. His composition Ath Swagatam, Shubha Swagatam echoed the letter and spirit of Indian cultural heritage. On the contrary, Rahman's training of music is based upon Western tradition of music and hence he should not be expected to represent the Indian tradition of melodic beauty. In essence, the fault lies with the organizing committee. Rahman did whatever he could and the song is before us. In the song, there is every element of the popular music. But the Indian ethos is missing. It would have been better had the organizing committee assigned the responsibility to somebody from the field of Indian classical music. Pt. Ravishankar, Pt. Shivakumar Sharma, Pt. Jasraj, many names can be counted. Let us hope that Indian Government would not be so indifferent to the classical musicians of Indian traditions in the future.

Music for the masses

Music has always been an integral part of the human civilization. Has it been the East or the West, music looks to have a universal appeal. Many archaeologists and anthropologists recognize it as a dimension for the cultural upgradation. Historians consider musical skills as one of the most important conditions for the intellectual growth. That is the reason as to why the developed societies, more often than not, evolve more delicacies and complexities in their musical genre than those of the less developed ones. In fact, music is the most powerful tool for the hypnotism. It not only spells its charm upon the human beings but the animals too fall prey to it. The scientists concluded after different experiments that cows are milked easily while the suitable music is played during the process of milking. Likewise, elephants respond to music too. Not only have the animals, the plants also responded to music. In the paddy fields the specified instrumental music was played as the crop was growing. There was a visible increase in the per acre produce. Thus, it looks that music has a very soothing effect on living bodies.

During the festive times, on joyous as well as the depressing occasions, in religious/cultural functions, in every sphere of life we see the use of music. Therefore, it is not without reason that one should try to look into the meaning of music. We have to be clear in our minds as to what really is the actual meaning of music. This article tries to find out as to what the masses think of the concept of music and also what the classical definition of the same is.

What is music?

Generally, singing a song, or playing its tune on some instrument, is considered as creating music. There is a saying, "singing and sobbing is known to all." Most of the common masses think that singing is music. They associate it with singing songs or playing the same on an instrument. In "WordWeb Dictionary", the word 'Music' is explained as under:

1. An artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
   

2. Any agreeable (pleasing and harmonious) sounds

3. (Singing) musical activity (singing or whistling etc.)

4. (Music) the sounds produced by singers or musical instruments (or reproductions of such sounds)

However, when it comes to the musicians, music is a well defined concept. The artists consider it as a fine art. In the list of the five fine arts, music and literature come on the top. The Indian philosopher and thinker Bhartrihari reveals the same as follows,

"साहित्य संगीत कला-विहीनः, साक्षात् पशुः पुच्छ-विषाण-हीनः।"

Meaning, those who live without music and literature, are like the animals without the horns and tails.

For more on the concept of music, please visit, http://www.musicalexpressions.myehome.in/thesis/ch1.mht/

As in this essay, our main focus is upon the understanding of the views of common people about the concept of music. Therefore, we would not go into the details of the definitions etc of the same. We would Endeavour to think of music in terms of the masses rather.

Dr Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher/teacher and the former President of India stated in his famous book that a poem expressed perfectly and charged with the sentiment, becomes a musical genre. ("Jeewan Ki Adhyatmik Drishti" published by rajkamal Prakashan, Delhi.)

There are many identical definitions of the term 'music', well-versed amongst the music community; hence, it hardly serves any purpose to make of the repetition of the same here. The conclusion of almost all of them is as under:

Music is a fine art which relates to singing, playing of a musical instrument and dancing. It is expressed through the medium of sound. The pleasing sounds or 'naada' is expressed through a variety of musical notes which have been evolved over the ages. These musical notes create music. We can use the vocal chords, which is gifted by the Nature or the man-made musical instruments available in different shapes and sizes to create music. Sometimes, the musical notes are created just by whistling; here one can adjust one's lips to create different musical notes. At present, the western world considers the art of dance unique and separate from music. However, here in India, the trinity of vocal music, instrumental music and dance is treated in the same art of music.

Now, let us reflect on what the masses think of music. Generally, the common men and women do not need a definition to appreciate, understand, adjudge any concepts, ideologies, arts, philosophies etc. the common people use the 'common sense' to understand even the most complicated situations. It is the job of the scholarly and the intelligent to play with language and more often than not, to prove nothing but their capacity of analyzing the concepts. One needs to be a connoisseur and not necessarily a scholar, to enjoy or appreciate music or any art for that matter. One needs commitment, rigorous practice [Swara Sadhana] and the love and appreciation to be a musician. Of course, after a certain level, a reverend teacher is also required. But in any case, we need no reasoning or logic for us to excel in the art. In fact logic is helpful in the branches of science and mathematics etc and the stream of arts has nothing to do with the logic. We can elaborate it by adding the following fact:

The artists try to communicate with his/her audience with ever new expressions. [Different arts have different media]. But the main condition of creating beauty through art remains the same. This condition is the newness of the expression presented to the audience. Bhasa the great classical poet of Sanskrita stated this very romantically. That image, which attains newness every second and hence remains ever new, is the real beauty. (क्षणे क्षणे यन्नवतामुपैति तदेव रूपम् रमणीयतायाः।)

Any new composition, expression, invention, discovery, poem, play etc cannot be created just through the logic. Dr Radhakrishnan supported the same in his book. ('Jeewan ki adhyatmik drishti' P34) He explained, "We can elaborate upon any given idea through the power of logic but logic does not help in leading our ideas to new inventions." He presented an example from the world of science. Many persons before Newton had seen the apple falling on the earth. However, it struck in nobody's mind [before Newton], that the fall was due to the reason of the earth's gravity. Sometimes, we try our level best to find the solution to a problem and get none. As we accept the defeat, sometimes it occurs that suddenly the solution strikes in our mind like a lightening. We get a smile and think that answer to the said problem was so simple and still so far away from us. It is through the genius and ignited minds that such newness takes place incessantly. The orthodox God-fearing persons believe that it is through the grace of the God.

It is for this reason that the masses consider music as one of many gifts of the Almighty. We, the logical men and woman, often ridicule the faith of the common people and condemn such thinking on the basis of not being logical. For instance, many rationalists question the thinking that the Swaras [the musical notes] originated through the 'Damru' of lord Shiva or through imitating the voices of different birds and animals. Some of such scholarly persons also question the association of gods and goddesses with music and other fine arts. They suggest that the gods have nothing to do with the evolution of arts. But the common men and women beyond cultural barriers and geographical boundaries are united and firm in the view that it is the grace of God which showers the hypnotizing drizzle of arts upon us. That is why; they say that the artists are born naturally. They cannot be evolved. Many artists too submit that one can polish an artist to the perfection but the artists cannot be created; they are born through the grace of the God.

Conclusion

For the masses, arts in general and music in particular, make the artists glamorous. Everybody is infected by a genuine and pleasant music. Subsequently, everybody wants to learn it have a mastery over the art. But in the opinion of Shri L. K. Pandit, (former lecturer in the Department of music, Delhi University and Programme Executive, All India Radio), in the music Institutes we do not create 'Tansens' but 'Kaansens'. Every learner of music cannot necessarily become an artist but he/she surely can become 'Kaansen' [the appreciator of music].

On the basis of above description, the art of music can be associated with two basic components: 1. the creater of music [the artist] and 2. The listener or the audience. The linking medium which connects these two is the art-form. There are numerous forms of music which have been categorized by musicologists in different classes. Some of them, for instance, are: popular music, folk music, film music, light music, devotional music and last but not the least, classical music. Classical music is further divided into classical and semiclassical music. There are different classes and types of musical forms. However, it is beyond the limits of this article to address the issue of the classification of musical forms. Our focus would be to understand as to what is the scope of music as for as a layman is concerned.

In music, the medium of expression is the sound. All sounds are not musical ones. Musical sounds are said to have certain characteristics like softness, pleasantness, clarity etc. the sounds used in music are thus called 'Naada'. Naada is expressed through the musical notes. These musical notes do not have any substantial relevance for the laymen. The masses do not ponder over the minute ideas like the accuracy of musical notes, the pitch, the composition etc. they just like or dislike the musical composition they listen to. Therefore, the concepts like the composition, 'Swara Sadhana', purity of Raga, perfection of certain techniques etc which are very important to a music critique, do not have much significance to the masses.

The musician and the audience are linked [as stated above], through the musical sound which is expressed by the musical notes. These notes do not have any substance for the common audience. Therefore, we stop talking of them. The main objective of the artist of music has to be to focus upon the melody. Melody is composed through the musical notes. However, those folk people, who are not aware of musical notes, also compose folk songs. Therefore, we should rather say that the melody is based upon the musical sounds. All the features of the musical sounds [pleasantness, softness, soothing effect etc] are hence transferred to the melody. Melody may or may not have poetry or words. In the purest form of music, only musical sounds are used to convey the feeling of the artist. But in the oral tradition and the folk traditions, the melody is composed of both the two: words as well as the musical notes. In Indian tradition, the former is called as 'dhatu' and the latter one is 'matu'. This fascinating mingling of two great fine arts [music and literature], leads to the composition of songs. These songs vary from region to region and from culture to culture. We can submit that "the song is poetry composed in musical notes and balanced with rhythmic patterns." Any literary work, when decorated with musical notes and the rhythm, transformed into a song. Such songs are also played upon various musical instruments. In that case, the listeners enjoy the same song as with words. In Indian tradition, it is believed that the musical instruments should follow the vocal music and the dance should follow the instruments. (SangeetRatnakar: Chapter 1, Pindotpatti Prakaran).

To conclude, music is the melody (or melodies played together - harmony), composed of musical notes and balanced with rhythmic patterns. The main property of any musical composition is that it is pleasant, fascinating, interest-provoking and above all full of freshness or newness. Such compositions are appreciated by the audience and hence easily gain popularity. The acceptance of the listeners is also very importand for a musical genre for making an imprint. Marketability, presentibility etc come afterwards.

For Further Reading

Music of the Indian Subcontinent

Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Watch this short documentary on Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam prepared in connection with a school competition. This movie was adjudged 2nd amongst around 40 entries. To watch the movie, click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTNtsiwt1nc