music

DUKE ORSINO

If music be the food of love, play on;
Give me excess of it, that, surfeiting,
The appetite may sicken, and so die.
That strain again! it had a dying fall:
O, it came o'er my ear like the sweet sound,
That breathes upon a bank of violets,
Stealing and giving odour! Enough; no more:
'Tis not so sweet now as it was before.
O spirit of love! how quick and fresh art thou,
That, notwithstanding thy capacity
Receiveth as the sea, nought enters there,
Of what validity and pitch soe'er,
But falls into abatement and low price,
Even in a minute: so full of shapes is fancy
That it alone is high fantastical.

twelvth night.shakespeare

India and Germany have always led the world in music and philosophy.Both have the power to lift man to higher realms of consciousness.Beethoven,Mozart,Bach,Tansen,Pt.Ravi Shankar,Ustad Bismillah Khan,Pt.Bhimsen Joshi,M.S.Subbalaxmi and Ustad Allah Rakha are world famous names in music.

A good musician is in touch with the reality and is able to transmit higher vibrations to those around him.It is said Mian Tansen could attract wild deer,when he used to sing in Akbar's court.

Due to the prevailing 'use and throw' culture modern music has become cheap and vulgar.Instead of rejuvenating the spirits,it deadens and numbs the senses.

To be a good musician requires years of disciplined training under the guidance of a Master.In India,the tradition used to be for a disciple to reside with the Master and live like a member of his family.It is not unusual for a top class musician to practice for 12 to 14 hours in a day.Giving too many public performances can affect the quality of the music.

Today,some talented musicians like AR Rehman,Indian Ocean and others are experimenting with fusion music which combines diverse musical streams from around the world.It could be the way to the future.