BENGALURU : Classical music is fading away, and the best way to promote it is to introduce the art form in various schools as part of the curriculum. This way, a child is introduced to it at a young age, which also helps in overall development,” says Vid Shwetha PS, a Carnatic musician and microbiologist. Though she loved microbiology, she quit her job at Rangadore Memorial Hospital as she could not find time to follow her passion – classical music. A student of music and dance, Shwetha was interested in music since her childhood days. Although none of her family members have taken music professionally, her father, Dr PL Seetharam (violinist), made sure his three daughters developed an interest in music.
“My father used to play old Bollywood songs by Manna Dey and Mohammed Rafi at home. We sisters would try singing them and that’s how we developed an interest in classical music. Even her mother Vanaja Seetharam and my in-laws are very supportive of my musical career. When I was in high school, I started taking junior music lessons from Vid Suchitra Alkananda, and later took senior music lessons from Vid Veena Kulkarni,“ says Shwetha.
She has performed several times, and credits her success to her gurus. After working as a microbiologist in the city for five years, she chose to quit the job as she could not find time to practice music. Currently, she is training students at Sumana Arts Centre and Sanskriti School of Performing Arts. She feels that teaching provides growth to both students and teachers.
A student has to choose the right kind of guru in each stage of his/her learning. For instance, if a student is starting junior-level lessons, then the guru must be well-versed in teaching the basics of music, and the same applies for senior-level training.” As a teacher, she feels every singer must undergo classical training, even if he/she has made it big in the industry, as classical training helps an artist learn the technicalities of singing.