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When our paths crossed: Sharadji and I
Srivani Jade is a Hindustani classical singer. She specializes in the North Indian classical form of Khayal and other traditional and folk-inspired music like Thumri-Dadra, Tappa and Bhajans. Srivani has performed regularly on stage, radio and television in India from the age of five. To know more about her, please visit: http://srivanijade.org/profile.aspx
Sharadji and I first met at a music workshop led by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 2001. I was relatively new to the Seattle area, engrossed in my Engineering career and dabbling in music now and then. I was a dilettante of sorts with an interest in everything, but no moorings in particular at the time. I had a music group that performed light classical music, and we landed quite a few performance opportunities in the area. Although I enjoyed our small success, I felt that my music was inadequate for personal expression. So, I approached Sharadji to teach me Hindustani music, in the hope that classical music might save me. He readily accepted me as a student, and so began the relationship of music and learning that lasted for almost a decade till he passed away in August last year.
Sharadji and I first met at a music workshop led by Ustad Amjad Ali Khan in 2001. I was relatively new to the Seattle area, engrossed in my Engineering career and dabbling in music now and then. I was a dilettante of sorts with an interest in everything, but no moorings in particular at the time. I had a music group that performed light classical music, and we landed quite a few performance opportunities in the area. Although I enjoyed our small success, I felt that my music was inadequate for personal expression. So, I approached Sharadji to teach me Hindustani music, in the hope that classical music might save me. He readily accepted me as a student, and so began the relationship of music and learning that lasted for almost a decade till he passed away in August last year.
Although I actively studied under Sharadji for less than two years, the foundation that he laid has stood me in great stead ever since. During the first six months of tutelage, Sharadji put me through the paces of Khayal badhat (structured improvisation) via Raag Yaman. He was always candid with feedback, and relentless when it came to reinforcing technical correctness, be it the grammar of the Raag or the fraction of the taal you were supposed to take into account. When I look back, I am convinced that our paths crossed at a time that I can only describe as my musical adolescence-- lots of ideas in my head, but neither the knowledge to give form to them nor the wisdom to know what to do when. And through it all, while I struggled with holding my sa in a straight line, or making it to sam, or working the words into a behlava, one thing that was a constant reassurance was Sharadji's patience and encouragement.
Another fascinating quality of Sharadji that I was greatly attracted to was his openness. He was open to good ideas no matter where they came from. A good bandish was immediately adopted, regardless of who sang it, or which Gharana it came from. Of course, he had his own style, and opinions on everything from upaj to layakari to taan, but as he would often say in class, "Good music is good music. Period." His love of music for music's sake, and his zeal to constantly learn new things, was an inspiration to every student, myself included.
Sharadji always struck me as a modern musician doing traditional music. There was a spirit of scientific enquiry that pervaded everything he undertook-- be it computer science, or music, or a combination thereof. He worked relentlessly on his music software Raagaparichaya, improving it bit by bit, until it actually started to improvise a Raaga fairly well! I often joked with Sharadji about whether Raagaparichaya would be performing on a concert stage some time soon.
A few years ago, Sharadji approached me to record and perform his collection of Tukaram Abhangs. I was thrilled to take up the project and learn some beautiful compositions. In fact, this was a very successful venture, and we produced an album (Bhakti Darshana Tukayache) that he took great pride in. We performed the Abhangs, set to Raags from various prahars of the day, to quite a crowd at a major convention of Maharashtra Mandals (BMM). Despite our different approaches and aesthetics in music, and his failing health, we brought to effect a certain synergy, that made this project possible. We both had a particular fondness for the Abhang "Apule maraNa pAhile mya DoLA" that he had set to a simple melody in Bhairavi. Incidentally, this was the last piece of music that Sharadji listened to as his soul departed on its final journey.
During the last year of his life, he had been focusing his energies on compiling his Khayal and Bandish compositions into an album for posterity. Over a few sessions of intense listening and several rounds of chai, we had short-listed the most beautiful ones for recording. We applied for a grant at Jack Straw and got it. When his health was failing, we were still arguing about who should record it. I was of the opinion that it would be ideal in the voice of the composer himself, so the student can see the musical intentions of the composer more clearly, and not be hindered by the musical interpretations of the singer, which in this case, would be me. Life had other plans, and we did not get to the recording. There is, however, a wonderful home-made CD of his compositions that he left his students, and it is very much cherished as a testament to the creativity and musicality of Sharadji, beloved teacher and musician of the "Seattle Gharana".
The path a teacher and student share can some times be a little bumpy, (and Sharadji and I have surely had our share of disagreements on music), but it is an immense gift of a connection that lasts a lifetime...or more, if we find a way to transmit the goodness we have received to our students, they to their students, and so on.
Shivani Jade
