BENGALURU: Twenty - two year old year old Manasa Shastry does it all from performimng classical music, Kathak, poetry to venturing into chemistry. Yet her love and passion towards classical music is one that is unmatchable.
“I even think in terms of Hindustani music.” she said. She began learning music at the age of four. “My mother insisted me to take it up. It was only when I was 14 that I began taking music seriously. It is a part of my daily life and will always be so.”
As a student in MS Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences she relates music to science. “It is not just an art form. It is mathematical in terms of its notes, patterns and resonance. It is also a discipline just like science,” she says.
Manasa believes that practice and learning music is a process that will never end. “I do not do music just for money or fame but for the learning process,” she says.
Although she is a lover of all types of music she adds, “The beauty of classical music is that it attempts to calm down the listener at the same time evoking certain emotions. I love the aspect of improvisation in classical music”
She is inspired by women musicians not just by their voices, but also for their discipline. “Now it is very easy for us to learn an art form while before it was hard for women artists to perform on stage balancing other aspects of their life and still maintaining their dignity.” she mentioned.
Manasa has released her own album — Krishna Namadare which is a compilation of eight semi classical songs dedicated to Krishna. “It was an emotional process as I love Krishna and I am sentimentally attached to him.”
She believes that the musician she is today is because of her family, guru and other music lovers. “The support I have received from my family and guru is exceptional and the reason I am who I am today. They have dedicated their life to ensure that I can do the best. The audience and music lovers also shape an a musician. Their words of appreciation and suggestions are very important for artists like me.”
Manasa will be performing at the Sree Ramanavami National Music Festival on the 12th of April 2017.