Monday, September 11, 2006

WCM Learnings - As I felt Raaja !

WCM- What I learned ? What did I achieve after all those efforts ?

Million dollar questions!

Anyway certain associated trivia and my feelings, I wanted to share with you.

While learning harmony, without practical knowledge and familiarity of sounds of chords, its progression etc., still I used to try the exercises on Harmonisation of (SATB) parts.

In a way, I was like a deaf person composing music. (I used to hear that Beethoven in his last years was in that kind of situation; sorry for the wrong comparison, creation is a distant word, but even reading and writing I was not able to do; but with all humility I am only trying to say that I could feel what it would be for a deaf person to write a music!)

Somebody may say that my approach was wrong or impractical etc.

In fact one fellow in DSM told me that I am like the insect which sit on that musical page. Though felt sad, but still I pursued my wish.

And that was not a joke or so simple a job!

Still, there were some earnest attempts made by me to solve those exercises mathematically just like an idiotic computer in which some logics are fed.

I remember sometimes even days together I could not write harmonization of two lines or some 8 bars of notes satisfying those rules and regulations. Please beleive me, atleast I had the brain of an engineer, who passed out his degree. Still this was the situation! (Imagine, IR writes such hundreds of notes/bars in a matter of minutes with utmost perfection)

Similarly, even wherever I completed such exercise, I did not have the capability to play those multiple notes, so that I can realize what I have “created”.

I was just like a blind lady who wanted to see her just delivered baby!

But a few times, my teacher Ms Mitra while correcting the exercises, effortlessly played those phrases in the piano. That was the time I was in cloud nine!

It showered like a heavenly pieces of music and I could not believe myself, whether I have created them!

At the same time, there were moments, it was so jarring the notes, again it would lead you to utter dejections that whether I have learned something at all!

What I am trying to explain is that music shall come by way of “feeling”. That “feeling” shall come by way of experiences!

However, the fantastic experiences I gave to myself with WCM learnings, cleared me one basic thing.

That IR is not just a sudden one day wonder. It has not just come from heaven one day to him.

He had just toiled himself, hours and hours, days and days and years after years!

But the heavenly things or God-send things that could have happened to him are:

The Wish & Will he had for the Music in spite of his background,

Tough Mental fitness to achieve many things on music,

The willingness to learn anything on music at any time from anybody,

To transcend across civilizations and geography and time and to visualize & perceive the various musical systems and forms all over the world and bringing them together under one umbrella!

To implement such new fusion music form, without any fear or expectations, even in such remote world like our film music world!

Once I could realize that, I was virtually seized by the thoughts how many such treasures of songs he has created and showered on us every day, which we are not even having the wisdom to realize that!

Whether we appreciate or criticize, we were always on the wrong side, because, the real thing which IR might have wanted us to realize, enjoy, criticize etc that can never happens here !

From that day, I decided within myself, that, I shall reach out and do my small part, to make the people realize what HE is!

After so many years its happening through these forums and blogs!

I hope I am doing that! However small or effective that may be!

3 comments:

T.Padmhasini said...
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T.Padmhasini said...

What is wcm and dcm.

'even in such remote world like our film music world!'

I beg to differ from you. Film music world is least remote. Is that not the most popular world. And also that is where the most wonderful creations are happening because the genere is boundless. a comfortable world of natural creation unbound by rules and regulations.

'he has created and showered on us every day, which we are not even having the wisdom to realize that!'

A creator creates as a spontaneous outpour. There is no expectations at the time of creation. Its a spring, uninhibited. Wisdom is not a common commodity. Similarly music is a special taste. What mathematician Ramanujam left behind is history and a continuation but many of us are not aware (including Padmasani) of what exactly it is. So no harm in the existence of exclusive things for exclusive or select people called connoiseurs.

Good outpour of a sensitive person and enjoyer of good music.

CSR said...

(Enna Thavam Seidhanai..CSR]

Thank You Padmasaniji,

I fully agree with you about the opinions of film music world. Exactly that's what fascinates me also. Really a few experts like you, appreciates this music field which are unbound by rules and regulations in pursuit of excellence in creations.

[Generally the attitude of experts in any field whether HM or CM or WCM is " Being an expert mean, I am the guardian of the rules I learnt, and so its my duty to find mistakes when someone defies it"]

But what I mentioned as "remote" is not the entire film music world per se, but our Tamil Film Music World (TFM) or for that matter our South Indian filmdom. To show such excellence in US or Europe would have fetched IR fame and money. But he remained with his foot in this soil and for which we shall be grateful.

That's what I meant, put in some other words.

Again Thanks for the comments.

Best Regards

CSR