Requesting Participants for Mridangam Research Project

[RohanRhythm]

Dear Friends,

My name is Rohan Krishnamurthy and I am doctoral student in musicology and ethnomusicology at the Eastman School of Music (University of Rochester). I have received several years of mridangam training from Sri. Guruvayur Dorai and have been performing and teaching the mridangam for the past decade, in addition to other musical ventures.

I am conducting a research project as part of my Master’s thesis that explores Carnatic music training in the 21st century, and specifically on the "Internet transmission of the mridangam."

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, RohanRhythm, I have visited your site and found no Tala is audible in your Mridangam-play. In the absence of Tala or a Metronome-beat your play may be taken as off-beat by the person having no proper rhythm. Have you not been advised to play always along with Metronome by your teacher? You would have played it along with Metronome at the least. Do so here after. Always playing along with Metronome helps you a lot in strengthening your rhythmical sense. amsharma.

[Rasika911]

Dear brother-member, RohanRhythm, I have visited your site and found no Tala is audible in your Mridangam-play. In the absence of Tala or a Metronome-beat your play may be taken as off-beat by the person having no proper rhythm. Have you not been advised to play always along with Metronome by your teacher? You would have played it along with Metronome at the least. Do so here after. Always playing along with Metronome helps you a lot in strengthening your rhythmical sense. amsharma.

Sir if you always play with metronome will it affect your ability to play/sing without the metronome?

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, Among the vital ingredients, Shruti and Laya of our music while Shruti, by listening and practising along with it, gives pleasure, Laya, by practising along with it in a planned manner by periodical increase of the speed of it, increases the ability of the aspirant. Thus, only the Laya increases the ability of the aspirant not only by regularly practising along with the precisive rhythm of the Metronome but also playing along with the periodical increase of the speed of it but not Shruti at all. Most unfortunately, many of our musicians, being the main-artists but not the accompanists like Violinists, are not at all aware of it but, at the same time, they neither practice themselves along with the periodical increase of the speed of the Metronome as they are always used to sing or play in the speed of their own fancy in their performances nor even allow their students practice along with a Metronome. Most of them are always used to create either fear or hatred in their students towards Metronome. That’s why there is a blind belief that practice should never be made along with a Metronome like in respect of learning Talapratastara that it is not only useless but also dangerous to learn Talaprastara. Where ever we go, we find plenty of such inefficient and parasitical musicians every where who neither grow themselves nor even permit their students grow well. Are we affected by constantly practising along with a Tambura? No. Not at all. Then how could we be affected if we practise along with a precisive speed of the Metronome? We will never be affected but our abilities increase beyond the boundaries. But, in this respect, there is only one very important point to note that only aspirants of tender age can thus increase their speed and abilities but not the elders at all. That’s why the grown-up musicians or music-teachers neither increase their abilities nor allow their students increase. Thus, being the follower of Shri MSG’s techniques a little and also having experienced all these intricacies of Violin-practice to become able to play different speeds in Violin, I have trained my disciple, Chi. O.Rajashekhar and made him play Kalyani-Ata-varna, mostly, on the A 2nd string of his Violin @ 117 bpm of Metronome speed which is uploaded to ‘youtube.com/msakella’. The Violinists belonging to Shri MSG’s school can only play this speed but not others at all. I shall be very happy if any violinist belonging to any other school plays the same in the same manner and uploads it to the same website under intimation to me. amsharma

[Rasika911]

Sir, I can only find the 116 bmp? But i guess they are pretty much the same. I think with dedicated practice teens/adults also can improve their abilities but it would require more hard work. When yous ay increase the 'periodical increase of the speed of the Metronome' does this apply for krithis also or just varnams?
For vocalists would this type of practice help singing fast sangathis in alapanas?

Sorry rohanrythm for posting sliglty off topic on your thread.

[Vijayakumar]

Hi Rohan

My name is Vijayakumar and have been learning mridangam for the past 2 years under the tutelage of shri Thiruvanandapuram P T Subrahmanyam. I am also trying to gain knowledge through sources like internet wherein forums of this sort are very helpful. Several postings by msakells, shri mannarkoil balaji, Nick H et AL have been very informative and interesting. please let me know whether i would be of any help to you in your thesis.

[sridharrajagopal]

Hi Rohan,

I just joined this forum, so I'm late in seeing this! It's been more than a year since your post, but if your research is still ongoing, I would definitely be interested in it. I have come across youtube videos with your performances/lessons, and really liked them. I am a late bloomer, started mridangam lessons about a year and a half ago - it's something that I've always found fascinating.

Cheers, Sridhar

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Rasika911, Accidentally, today only I have seen your response to my post and I beg your pardon for the inordinate delay in responding. All this is due to my old age.

Now, you can find the Kalyani-Ata-Varna played @ 120 bpm by my disciple, Chi. O.Rajashekhar through the following link which has later been uploaded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41yVxzlnse0 &

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QyJ2EKlctA

Even with dedicated practice adults also can improve their abilities but they cannot retain their abilities equally on par with teenagers. Periodical increase of the speed of the Metronome apply to all kinds of exercises whether it be Saralees or Jantas or Datus or Alankaras or Varnas or anything which helps your abilities increase.

It certainly helps to vocalists also in singing fast sangathis in alapanas. The Great singer late S. Kalyanaraman was regularly practicing along with Metronome which helped him a lot in singing fast sangathis. amsharma