EXCELLENT MUSIC TEACHER

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Sri AM Sharma was conferred with the Best Acharya Award by the Music Acadamy
On 31.09.2009.

Sri Sharmaji and the U/S were best friends for the past 30 years [Being the admirers of
Sri M.S.Gopalakrishnan].

Sri Sharmaji was staying in velachery with one of his disciple. Myself and my family members along with my grand daughter met him in Velachery. After exchanging pleasantries with Sharmaji, I had expressed my difficulty in getting a very good music teacher for Srinidhi.

Then Sharmaji asked Srinidhi to sing one or two songs. After listening to Srinidhi’s singing,
Sharmaji surprised me saying that he will be ready to teach Srinidhi and given his CD
“Easy methods of learning Carnatic music” to us including the upload of his teaching
To young children [VIDEO] which is available in you Tube. He requested us to take the print out of the lessons available in PDF format from the CD.

He had stressed that in his method of teaching, his input for teaching will be only 20 % of
Inspiring the student and the rest of 80 % perspiration should be put in by the student
Herself in listening to his singing in the audio files and should be practiced hard by the student. Once the student is confident that she had practiced well, Sri Sharmaji
Will be available on the skyp. Srinidhi should sing the practiced lessons in skyp with the master listening the practiced lessons. If Sharmaji is satisfied that the student was able to sing the lessons correctly he will direct Srinidhi to practice the next set of lessons.



While retuning from Velachery, my son-in-law mentioned that the method being adopted
By Sri Sharmaji in teaching music lessons is akin to the teaching methods adopted in
IIT institutions [My son in law is a graduate in metallurgy in IIT]. In the B.E. course
Teaching, the professor will read through one chapter and ask the students understand
The subject taught. However in IIT, the professor will give only an over view of any particular topic and will ask the students to go through the topic and the students
Should be able to answer the questions from the professor correctly in the next class.
Here the students should study the subject himself and understand what he has studied

Well, the music lessons were guided by Sri Sharmaji from January 2010. With the final exams around the corner in March / April, Sharmaji was accommodative in guiding Srinidhi the fundamentals of the prayogams of Gamakams in the correct manner and started teaching the various Rhythem patterns one by one in a paced manner.

Once the academic exams were over, intense training was started from 15th April and by the end of May 30th 2010, Srinidhi had learnt 8 difficult varnams in Ata thalam and Misra chapu thalams. Very difficult rhythm patterns were also taught.

As the guardians of a child, many a times we felt that Srinidhi was being overburdened by excessive music training in a short duration.

When we have expressed our anxiety to Sri Sharmaji, he has assured us that all is well and we not be worried.

All the while, the teacher-student relationship was very cordial, with my grand daughter conversing with her Guru freely.

Sharmaji was always accommodative in allowing Srinidhi when she had to skip a class or two Due to illness or for going out freely with her parents.


He never utters any harsh words if Srinidhi was not able to sing correctly and Childs her that “you could not sing properly since you have not practiced well”. The reply from Srinidhi will invariably be “yes sir”. Srinidhi will not hesitate to ask her guru to sing again if she was not able to catch the subtle points in singing and the Guru would also repeat
the song any no. of times till Srinidhi sings it correctly.

During the summer holiday [April 15th to May 30th, 2010] Sri Sharmaji taught 3 or 4 times in a day with extended period of time in teaching.

We, in the family strongly feel that Sri Sharmaji is very intent in imparting very strong points on singing gamakams appropriately and intricate rhythm patterns in carnatic music to Srinidhi.

When I have enquired about the stress to Srinidhi because of his intense teaching, Sharmaji informed me that he had found out a very intelligent student and her potential in absorbing even difficult passages and very difficult Rhythem patterns was amazing and that is why he is imparting very difficult lessons.

Sharmaji is having a plan of showcasing of his scientific way of teaching in a time bound schedule by presenting Srinidhi singing to Sri Pappu Venugopal Rao, Secretary, the Music Academy in due course.

Mr. Nick is very keen of listening to Srinidhi with Violin and Mridangam accompanyment.

When I have mentioned this to Sharmaji, he was also enthusiastic and promised teach 2 or 3 krithis along with a varnam in 2 kalams, and some intricate rhythm patterns to be sung by Srinidhiduring the Rasikas meet in December 2010.

I have requested Sri Sharmaji to attend our Rasikas meet at my home.
He promised to partipate in our meet in December 2010.

Rasikas may enjoy the sample music of Srinidhi recorded on 29.06.2010 learnt from Sri Sharmaji by downloading the links given below.


1. http://www.mediafire.com/file/k32io1hfm ... 01-Bairavi Swarajathi.mp3

2. http://www.mediafire.com/file/qs31pc8n8 ... taikurunji Varnam.mp3

3. http://www.mediafire.com/file/vo1wfqff85g9ot8/03-Saveri Varnam.mp3

4. http://www.mediafire.com/file/tyry0yik5 ... nthuvarali SambhoMahadeva.mp3

5. http://www.mediafire.com/file/tyry0yik5 ... nthuvarali SambhoMahadeva.mp3

6. http://www.mediafire.com/file/zmt0v2yni ... 6-Kambhoji Varnam in Akharam.mp3

7. http://www.mediafire.com/file/ch908hqat ... 7-Hindolam Swarakalpana.mp3

Well, all Rasikas will agree that Srinidhi had been blessed with the best music teacher
for her music learning journey.

And to Sri Sharmaji, Sathakoti Namaskarams from the U/S and the parents of Srinidhi.

S.NAGESWARAN.
31.07.2010.

[Nick H]

That is all good news. It sounds sounds like she has a great capacity to learn and a good relationship with her teacher

I hope the accompanists will be there for our Dec day, and look forward to meeting Sharmaji too

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Nick H, The wonder-kid, Chi.Shreenidhi, grand-daughter of our friend Shri S. Nageshwaran, is very brilliant and intelligent. While any average aspirant needs one-year to cover these 9-Varnas and one Svarajati, my other disciple Chi. Shriram, who recently gave Narayanateertha-taranga-concert in Chennai Music Academy, could finish them within 15 days only and Chi. Shreenidhi swallowed 8 Adi-tala-varnas in 2 months only. Her other engagements like school studies, traveling to other places, ill-health etc., etc., hindered her fast growth. More over, as her talents have never been honed properly by any of the previous music-teachers right from the first day of learning music, her brain has become a little blunt, instead of getting sharpened. If she concentrates much on music and works hard regularly she can certainly become a bright star with the blessings of the Almighty.

In general, most of all the kids are very brilliant, very intelligent gems and diamonds and are clean-slates on which anything could very easily be written to remain for ever. But, in which way it happened in my case, all the music-performers but not teachers at all think that they are the best teachers on the globe and proceed to teach the aspirant whatever they know but not what the aspirant needs. Thus, I sincerely feel that the kids should never be blamed for their short-comings but teachers. amsharma

[Nick H]

That is a an amazingly humble and professional point of view (we should have a namaskaram smiley!)

[vasanthakokilam]

Srinidhi sings very well. I had spent some time before with Sharmaji's gamaka audio files, especially for the gamaka-rich Bhairavi and it is quite thrilling to see Srinidhi absorbing all that and singing the Bhairavi Swarajathi so well. Superb!. This is ample and convincing evidence that Sharmaji's system and codification produces great results in a time bound manner. Congratulations and all the best to Srinidhi!

[mankuthimma]

that hindolam clip has Akella written all over it in the brightest of colors....

http://www.esnips.com/doc/f98704da-68bd ... juna-sarma

Anyone here wants to hear a concert by him ?

[msakella]

This is ample and convincing evidence that Sharmaji's system and codification produces great results in a time bound manner.

Yes, the novel system of teaching showered upon me by the Almighty, is yielding great and successful results in Hyderabad. I wish that this should spread all over the globe for the benefit of all our aspsirants.

Having served for 35 long years in Govt. service as Lecturer and Principal of Govt. Music Colleges in our State, even though I have all along been thinking of myself as the best of the Violin-teachers in our State, only while writing my book, Sangita Svararaga Sudha, I, gradually, started finding all my blunders, one by one (till date), committed in my teaching life by which all my poor students faced the music. However, ultimately, only by the grace of the Almighty, I could find a way out in making the process of teaching music ‘time-bound and result-oriented’. In fact, this is the process of qualitative-teaching highly benefiting the poor aspirants as against the prevailing quantitative-teaching which is being followed by one and all the music-teachers.

In general, the quality of any system must be adjudged basing upon the end-results only. In this novel and reliable system of teaching the aspirant is initiated to work hard minimizing the work load of the teacher only to make the aspirant confident and independent in his work and proceed further without any hindrance. In this process, mainly, all the technicalities of music are imparted within a very short time and, later, the advancement of the art depends upon his own capacity and hard work. Presently this system is yielding very satisfying and successful results producing able teachers and talented artists.

Thus, since April, 2007, I am encouraged to bring out all the details of this system through my numerous posts in the sub-thread “AMS Easy Methods-2007 CD – Teaching and Learning methods by A.M.Sharma” under the main thread ‘Music School’ along with the relevant audio & video-clippings of the students uploaded to ‘eSnips’ and ‘youtube’ for the benefit of the aspirants and their parents. I have also requested the music-teachers not only to follow them for the benefit of the aspirants but also to upload the relevant audio & video-clippings of their students to inspire others also to follow them. But, most unfortunately, not even a single audio or video-clipping of any student has been uploaded till now by any music-teacher obviously revealing that no music-teacher is interested in following this system of teaching as, on one hand, they have to learn things to teach the items of Manodharma-sangita to their students from which responsibility they have all along been successfully escaping and, on the other, it heavily curtails their earnings in quickening the process of teaching. Presently, this is the state of affairs of our music (magic)-teachers.

Unless and until the parents and the aspirants become aware of this exploitation and do the needful no one can save the aspirants. amsharma

[Sreeni Rajarao]

that hindolam clip has Akella written all over it in the brightest of colors....

http://www.esnips.com/doc/f98704da-68bd ... juna-sarma

Anyone here wants to hear a concert by him ?

Yes, ofcourse!
and
Thanks!

Sreeni Rajarao

[sramesh]

That is a an amazingly humble and professional point of view (we should have a namaskaram smiley!)

see all are sending their guru"s web who are you to suggest me not forward my guru"s web I have also my own rights and why you people behaving like this and keeping partiality type of approach yes I am shouting

[Nick H]

Oh dear...

[S.NAGESWARAN]

Excellent MUSIC TEACHER [Contd].

I must share my thoughts with all the Rasikas of the forum the unique way of the teaching methods of our friend Sri AM Sharmaji.

My grand daughter have purchased the next 2 sets of books published by Sri Sharmaji along with
the CDS for her further musical journey guided by Sri Sharmaji.

The books and CDs contain the important krithis to be taught to the students along with notations for a vistara Raga Alapana and advanced rhythm exercises in notation corresponding to the
Audios sung by Sri Sharmaji.

For the month of July, Sharmaji taught my grand daughter vistara Raga Alapana in Bairavi
Combining with the singing of Bairavi Swarajathi.

Next difficult swara kalpana was taught in Kalyani [Ammaravamma] and difficult swarakalpana
In mohanam [Eavarura].

In addition, the Hindolam swarakalpana was sung as per the lesser speed with the Tala meter
[Sri Rajesh to note].

I enquired Sri Sharmaji as to why the Kalyani and Mohanam Krithi were not taught before training
My grand daughter the swarakalpanas.

His answer was that the krithis were available in the audio sung by him and the complete
Notations were also given. It is for the students to practice singing the krithis. She should
Learn it and I can correct any mistakes if the student sings in skyp for me to listen. He mentioned that he doesn’t want to waste precious time in teaching krithis to students.

He indicated that precious time is to be used for teaching the difficult varying rhythm patterns
to the students.

Fortunately Srinidhi’s father obtained special permission to miss a few academic classes
in order to pursue her musical journey. Since Srinidhi is a bright student, she was able to get above 80% in academy exams in the school in spite of her missing the classes for the
sake of music.

Since Srinidhi was able to be available on more No. of days for music lessons, Sri Sharmaji
takes music lessons for 3 or 4 times a day and every day new difficult rhythm patterns
are taught 3 or 4 times.

The present problem for Srinidhi now is that she is hardly having time to practice all the
lessons taught to her on a daily basis that too for 3 or 4 times.

When we take up this matter to Sharmaji, he is in all smiles and repeatedly tell us
not to worry and training to Srinidhi is going on well.

His only passion now is to teach Srinidhi what all he knows in many difficult rhythm patterns to Srinidhi in the shortest duration [In one year maximum].

I have sent the download links of Srinidhi singing to few of the well wishers of my grand daughter
through E-Mail [To Sri cmlover, arasi, nick etc [There was an internet hiccup in posting the mail].

The download links of the songs sung by Srinidhi is given below for all the Rasikas to enjoy.

1. http://www.mediafire.com/file/sqj39xa6q ... airavi.mp3
2. http://www.mediafire.com/file/abtd6dy1tz2qwsi/02 Bairavi Varnam.wav
3. http://www.mediafire.com/file/bm3nvo9l6qy92br/03 Kalyani Swara Kalpana.mp3
4. http://www.mediafire.com/file/h6yof8taa8z1t7n/04 Mohanam Swara Kalpana.mp3
5. http://www.mediafire.com/file/w4rz8a4wogjyg38/05 Hindolam Swarakalpana.mp3

I would request our Mridangam forum members Sri Erode Nagarajan. Mannarkiol Balaji and Sri Arvind to listen to the rhythm patterns taught by Sri Sharmaji for Kalyani and Mohanam
and give feed back highlights of the rhythm patterns conceptualized by Sri Sharmaji

What else can we expect from an excellent teacher.

Once again, Satha koti Namaskarams to you sir, Sri Sharmaji.

S.NAGESWARAN.
13.08.2010.

[msakella]

Even though many hesitate my teaching methods in so many ways I have my own way in successfully shaping an aspirant by which he/she becomes able to sing notation, write notation, Svarakalpana with intricate mathematical patterns and Ragalapana following the notation following the respective audio and video-clippings within the duration of only one-year and after one-year she can proceed further and further without depending upon anybody else. I feel it as my responsibility to always push the aspirant forward as a teacher if the aspirant works hard.

In respect of your grand-daughter, Chi. Shrinidhi we all must feel grateful to the Almighty for having blessed her with the needed talent and ability for hard practice. amsharma

[semmu86]

Nageswaran Sir, I happened to listen to mohanam and was absolutely astounded by it, purely because of the fact that it was at such a tricky eduppu (Misra chApu "after 3-aksharas" from samam is always a mrudangam artiste's nightmare to play thani avarthanam, for the scope is very limited and also due to the trickiness of the eduppu) and to sing such muthAippu's without any blemish, most importantly at such an age does really call for something.

As i remember no other than Sri.KVN himself telling in an interview, that the vocalist "should develop the ability to sing korvai-s of 3-7s or 3-5s or 3-9s without preplanning, on the spot. The muthaippu should seek the singer -- not the other way", and Srinidhi does pulls this off effortlessly. Absolutely wonderful.

As they say "nalla guru ku nalla sishyA kadaikanam, nalla sishyAlukku nalla guru kadaikanam" .. (A good teacher must get an equally good student and vice versa).

[msakella]

"nalla sishyAlukku nalla guru kadaikanam"

Dear brother-member, semmu86, What you wrote is absolutely true. Most unfortunately, while most of all sishyas are very highly receptive below the age of 12 years most of the so-called music-teachers are very highly deceptive successfully escaping from teaching them very important Svarakalpana and Ragalapana but teaching them only a number of Varnas and Kritis etc.

Even in my 35 years long service as a Violin-teacher I was fully an in-efficient-teacher successfully for 20 years and 10% better in the next 15 years by which I could successfully produce many impotents. Thus, I could very successfully serve for 35 years even without any kind of supervision at all at any level. The main defect lies in our great set-up. Most shamefully, there is not even a single teacher-training centre on the globe in respect of our Carnatic music and no stalwart or no philanthropist had even think of it for the benefit of our kids. Till now, I did never find such a person to save our kids even in the future.

I have been finding abundant young talent over-flowing at every place. But, everywhere, many of the poor aspirants are suffering a lot by the incapacities of the music-teachers who are always used to teach in which way they have been taught by their teachers but never teach what the aspirants need. amsharma

[vasant]

Dear Akellaji,

Can you please recommend some teachers in the bay area california who are following your method?

thanks!

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, vasant, In India, having found it very easy to follow to the teacher and very highly beneficial to the aspirant in becoming independent within a very short time, only three dedicated teachers are following this novel method of teaching Karnataka music, two from Hyderabad and another from Warangal among which two are my direct disciples. No other teacher has been following this system on the globe as they are never used to take the responsibility of enabling the aspirants sing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana and also it curtails much of their earnings in quickening the process of teaching. If you are so interested in learning in this system I shall try to teach by Skype if the aspirant is below 12 years of age and works hard for more than 3 hours daily and regularly. For further details you must speak to me face to face by contacting my Skype ID ‘msakella2002’. In general, I shall be available online around 7 am & 8 pm (IST) to be accessible to the aspirants. amsharma

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, vasant, In continuation to my previous post I would also like to state the following.
To tell the truth, while one year duration is far more than enough to impart the mostly needed technicalities of music even to the average aspirant, most unfortunately, either in the process of extracting more money from the aspirant simultaneously escaping from the responsibility of enabling the aspirant sing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana or to utilise the disciple’s physical-services in the house-hold works, the process of teaching has been elongated for years together by the ‘Great-Gurus’. So, in my case, as either extracting more money or escaping from the responsibility of enabling the aspirant sing Svarakalpana and Ragalapana are not the criteria but imparting the true knowledge to the aspirant, I shall teach for only one year to fulfill the task but will not hesitate to stop at any in-between point basing upon the required progress of the aspirant. I want to make this clear in this post. amsharma

[vijiganesh]

We have recently moved to hyderabad kukatpally ... looking for a good music teacher for my son and daughter ..who can come home and teach .. 8 yrs and 6 yrs old. How dos on learn under Mr sharma ??Is he in india ? pls help . Also some eachers here are asking 3000- 4000rs per month for 8 classes ..is hat the going rate ??
pls help

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, vigiganesh, I reside in Malkajgiri which is nearly 20 kms. away from Kukatpally, Hyderabad and any aspirant must come to me only to learn music or for any guidance. If you want you can contact my landline telephone Nos. 27054232 or 27051110 or my mobile No.9908822992 for any clarification. amsharma

[Sivaramakrishnan]

The music uploads in S Nageswaran's post dated 13.8.2010 are simply great.

[semmu86]

Nageswaran sir, i have finally heard the kalyANi piece too and it as absolutely fantastic to say the least. And the same muthAippu's at again a difficult eduppu of khanda chApu 2-thalli is again top clas. Best wishes to Srinidhi.