We Need Good Carnatic Music Teachers, says T M Krishna

He talked about the dearth of music teachers who teach basics properly
We Need Good Carnatic Music Teachers, says T M Krishna

CHENNAI: Prominent Carnatic music vocalist and author TM Krishna said that there was a dearth of music teachers who properly teach basics of Carnatic music , from the early stage and proposed a certification course which could identify potential gurus.

Krishna was responding to queries raised at a function hosted by Indira Sivasailam foundation on Tuesday.Talking about the popularity of Hindustani versus Carnatic music, he said that musicians from the latter school had been insular, whereas Pandit Ravishankar had single-handedly made Hindustani music popular across the world. However, the scenario is changing and Carnatic music the only form which is being performed by youngsters across the world, he added.

When asked for suggestions on how learning music could be made more fun for youngsters, he said that rhymes sung in the tune of swaras could be one way out. “However, the seriousness of art should not be downgraded. Rigour is necessary as it is a fundamental part of the discipline of music,” he said.

The crowd, which had members from 6-70 years of age, was in high spirits.

Krishna, who has constantly explored newer territories in classical music and experimented with the form of kutcheris, said that music concerts were not about entertaining people, but akin to an abstract expression of the artist. “Today’s kutcheri construct destroys this and makes it about supply and demand,” he said.

Krishna stressed that for art to survive and prosper, it was necessary for the listeners to engage and interact with the musicians, apart from the latter’s excellence. “Everyone must be willing to sacrifice for the art to flourish,” he said.

On a lighter note, he pointed out that art and sport were two fields where the layperson as well as the experts had an opinion on everything. “Everyone will comment about Sachin’s cover drive or my keerthanam; but you can’t tell a doctor to do a surgery a particular way, can you?” he asked.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com