PALAKKAD: For 68-year-old Leslie Peter it is a life dedicated to music.
At an age when many opt for a peaceful retired life, Leslie is still active in teaching violin and guitar in various schools and colleges in the Ottapalam and Shoranur area.
Leslie is also the principal of Kala Sadan in Thrissur where he has been teaching for the last 33 years.
Music is something in his genes for Leslie whose father Benjamin Peter was a guitarist in an orchestra troupe in Kozhikode. “He is my guru”, says Leslie.
“From the age of ten, I used to learn and play both violin and guitar. Gradually, I could master the musical instruments and for the last 55 years I have been in this field”, says Leslie Peter.
Leslie Peter now lives in Vadanamkurissy near Shoranur along with his wife though he is a native of Chova in Kannur. He has accompanied all leading singers and music directors in the past for the conduct of stage programmes.
They include Baburaj, Devarajan ,K Raghavan and M K Arjunan. Leslie has also assisted singers Yesudas, Unni Menon, P Leela, S Janaki, C O Anto and Abdul Khader.
He was also a violinist at the Kalidasa Kalakendram in Kollam and the Nilambur Yuavajana Kalavedi. Leslie Peter also had a brief stint in the drama troupe “Desaposhini”.
Leslie Peter prefers to be known as a violin teacher rather than his stage programmes.
He says proudly “I have thousands of students as disciples and they are my asset”, the proud master says.