Sketch of Flute!

Nature, Music and Art always inspired me and creates a perfect symphony.In music instruments I like Veena, Violin, Saxaphone and Flute. Veena- wonderful mood elevator!, Violin is always an Excellent treat to ears, Where the saxophone speaks and Flute create magical melodies. . Everyone is attracted towards the melodious sound of flute.It is made by bamboo tree and sounds very melodious when played in an atmosphere surrounded by Nature.I decided to sketch flute with design and surrounded by nature in Madhubhani Style. Flute is very close to Nature.

FLUTE ….

It May Have Many Holes
And Emptiness
But
If You Work On It Carefully
It Can Play
MAGICAL MELODIES!

Flutes somehow inspired me to search more on it I go through about flute instrument I got some interesting information about Flute. Flute has been mentioned in the Puranas. Krishna has different flutes and He plays different melodies for different purposes. There are three kinds of flutes used by Krishna.

1) Venu : This is a very small, not more than six inches long, with six holes for whistling.

2) Murali: Murali is about eighteen inches long with a hole at the end and four holes on the body of the flute. This kind of flute produces a very enchanting sound.

3) Vamsi: The vamsi flute is about fifteen inches long, with nine holes on its body.

These flutes were sometimes bedecked with jewels. Sometimes they were made of marble and sometimes of hollow bamboo. When the flute is made of jewels it is called sammohini. When made of gold, it is called akarsini. Krishna would play on any of these three flutes when they were needed. Krishna uses the Venu flute to attract to Gopis, like Venum kvanantam from the Brahma Samhita

 Flute being the most natural instrument goes very well with the nature the echo of the sound and it pierces the universal and Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants.Nature actually talks back to you. Even while krishna playing flute you can see that birds start chirping and try to talk to you through their singing. Although it sounds very melodious, the echo of the sound bouncing back either from the leaves of the trees is simply very delightful. sound pierces the universal covering and goes to the spiritual sky. Thus the vibration enters the ears of all inhabitants. The trees on the bank of the rivers are always jubilant. They appear to be smiling with their flowers and shedding tears in the form of flowing honey.

As Previously said I am not a artist but I wish to try to make this as theme and I sketched in Madhubani style. I used very bright colours and some times when I don’t find what I am looking for, I compose my own colours,Flute designed flowers and birds surrounded by leaves. the circles echo back the music..Through this theme I tried to connect Nature, art and music!

Soulful lullaby

A lullaby is a soothing piece of music, usually played or sung to young children.    There is something so magical and beautiful about these lullabies. A soothing music to help those tiny toddlers fall asleep is a beautiful practice followed by mothers across the globe since ages. A woman may not claim to be musically accomplished..but when she carries her baby in her arms and rocks him/her to sleep, she starts singing lullabies. No one teaches her before marriage about how to sing her baby to sleep. Yet, she gets this magical power to mesmerize, soothe and comfort her baby.

(Pic from google image)

I used to rock my kids in ‘thooli’ cradle made by folding and tying an old cotton saree. The tying of the ‘thooli’ itself is an art and perfected by my mother. The ‘thooli’ swinging to and fro and singing song to my kids in the soothing tone is like almost hypnotizing the baby to sleep. I used to sing few Bhajans. Sometimes I use to hold babies in my chest and sang these sweet lullabies. But in spite of knowing all these songs, I used to sing some favourite Classical Carnatic songs to croon my babies to sleep. They used to listen to my rendition of “Karpagavallinin porpadangal”,chinachirupenpole,Parathpara Paremeswara Papanasamsivan songs, few Bharathiyar's song and Uthukkadu Venkata Subbaiyer songs. At the end of these songs, they will open an eye and say mmmaaa and I would start off again :)

However, unfortunately times are changing and this custom has undergone many changes with time. What has happened to the mothers of today? Motherhood itself is changing drastically with most urban women doing a balancing a fulltime job and the task of childcare. Unlike our mothers and My generations mothers who could easily sing those soothing lullabies and  that would put us to sleep in no time, new age moms are finding the act of putting a child to sleep a tough one. Why?  Simply because most of them actually do not know how to sing a soulful lullaby!Initially few days even my daughter doesn't know song to console her baby.now she holding him and started singing songs what she knows:)

My beautiful newborn one month old grandson, has been with me from the day he was born. I speak to him in our mother tongue. I even put him to sleep with lullabies. He puts his little arms in my neck and puts his small feet on my lap while I sing him a lullaby. The two of us share these tender, blissful moments with each other.

For him I sing songs what I sung for my Kids. Apart from that he likes "varam thantha swamiku " a Music composition by Ilayaraja in Neelambari raga. 

Whenever he cries I sing this song and he stops his cry . This raga that is soothing like a lullaby that cradles one’s senses. This is a raga that is associated with relaxation, peace, and slumber. 

 Another song he falls asleep listening is Chinnanjiru kiliye'. Its a famous Bharathiyar song based on raagamalika in tamil.  so many thalltu songs in Tamil to sing. 

Today’s moms save songs on mobiles and pcs..One of his another favorite is aararo aariraro, aaraaro aarirero ,aararoo.. aarirero....

yaradithar enaluthai aditharai soliyalu, kanne navamaniye- a laali/lullaby song for baby krishna by Bombay Jayashree and

 Manikkam katti - P. Unnikrishnan. whenever he listens this song before end of these songs he sound asleep.

 While it is not advisable to put a toddler into this habit of depending on a gadget to fall asleep, it will be lot nice if they get to sleep listening to some ‘meaningful lullaby’ instead of a movie song. Mothers, who worry about inability to sing a lullaby, not to worry as babies do not care what their mothers sing or how bad their voices are, as long as they perform it with soul! We have all seen it how much every kid loves the warmth that the mother gives them and make them fall asleep. In a new research it was mentioned that child-mom relationship getting stronger with soulful lullabies.The children who go to sleep listening to lullabies of mother grow into more confident people , its feels protected and emotionally happy.

Songs of My Soul

Somewhere deep within you is a song that plays softly, always… Music has always been  constant in my life. I’m not sure since when I’m listening to Music and became an addict. 

Music is the most powerful element that can drive you from moods and situations. But with Music, older I grew and feel younger. Music heals my soul and has all my life. It encourages me, motivates me and it pours energy in me.  I listen to music all the time, especially when I can't sleep. I just upload songs on my mobile and turn on my mobile player  and lay on my bed and let the music lure me to sleep. When I get very angry, sad or anxious....I find that the music can manage to calm me down and bring me back to core. . I am often surprised at how a simple tune or a few lines of words have the amazing ability to reach me emotionally, Music is my stress killer, heals my pain, takes away my boredom and keeps me happy .

I have listened to the songs of Noted artists of Carnatic Music like Balamuralikrishna, Maharajapuram Santhanam, Bombay Sisters, Priya Sisters, Unnikrishnan, TN Seshagopalan, KJ Yesudas, N Ramani, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Balaji Shankar, TM Krishna, Bombay Jayashri, Aruna Sairam. The nectar of carnatic lies in melting the hearts with beautifully composed lyrics blended with emotions, due to the raga and the feel donated by the singer. It concentrates on the meaning and thus the created emotion.

I love music of any kind of songs. Vocal /Instrumental/Bhajans absolutely anything classical (both western and Indian ) ,film songs and Ghazals. I Dont know much about Hindustani but I would love to hear them all..It’s great to hear a nice melody and harmony blend that soothes the soul and warms the heart.!!

Over the years, influences from around the world have traversed through the musical routes and developed something called the light classical music. Light classical or semi-classical music. Fusion music has a charm and beauty all its own.. Nowadays I started liking Fusion-songs.Experimenting with classical art forms is not wrong as the long as its sanctity and dignity is not violated

When I like a song, I try and listen to  many different people singing it as possible. Every singer has their own style, and I thoroughly enjoy individual interpretations of the same song. In carnatic music, it is more common for different singers to sing the same song, than in film music.

Some songs are in my heart and the melody within my soul, the song that holds me in the dark, It warms me when am cold, really touches my soul every time I listen to it. I am carnatic music illiterate; I don't know telugu too..! But  that "bhaavam"  overflowing throughout the entire song,  dilute the hard souls. Among so many krithi's, one song is My favourite carnatic krithi, that is "Nagumomu Ganaleni" (Ragam: Abheri) composed by Saint Thyagaraja. I was literally stuck to this song. I am listening (enjoying) this song almost daily

The fusion style composition of"Nagumomu is amazing.Athirai Dhanabalan;She sang brilliantly, did not contaminate the original style and Love the way mridangam and the drums don't interfere with eachother.  Taaye yeshoda’ from the movie ‘Morning Raaga’ is one of the best A spectacular classical fusion song that I have heard till now. The first fusion song I heard was ‘Krishna Nee Begane’ by Colonial Cousins. That was a brilliant fusion of western and classical. I seem to love music with a classical touch in them

My favorite Famous bands such as Agam is a Bangalore-based contemporary Carnatic progressive rock band who recently fused Tyagaraja’s Bantureethi Kolu in Hamsanadam with Rock music form.But I likeSinger Karthiks version.

Avial interestingly the band is named after the popular South Indian dish Avial. that reflects the one of a kind heritage of Kerala life. Folk song with alternative rock flavour . I Came to know through my son. we both enjoyed this band. Another favorite band ShrutiBox by Shankar Tucker , an American clarinetist and music composer. The ShrutiBox are a fusion of Indian classical music and jazz. Maatibaani is a World Music band combining elements of Hindustani Classical with various styles of Folk music. Bawariya  They simply create the sound that we love to hear with our different styles of music. . Chandrachooda song incredible composition.I absolutely loved this fusion, wished I could hear this more in completion.

So, if more fusion songs like the above are made, probably a lot of people could enjoy and carry forward the versatile musical tradition that we have developed and nurtured over centuries. But of late, I seem to love music with a classical touch in them – which makes me wonder if age/circumstances influence our musical tastes.

Apart from fusion I would like to explore Abaang, Ashtapathi, bhajan& composition of Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, Annamachariya, Muthuswamy Deekshathar..,..endless list..

As Sergei Rachmaninov said “Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music”.