“P eople love what other people are passionate about.” I had grossly underestimated the extent to which such passion might cause a transformation in one. Joining the underrated and niche classical arts club in university, I immediately found my haven.
The people were introverted much like me and shared a common appreciation for culture and tradition. They were extremely devoted to, and passionate about, classical music and dance. Having learnt Carnatic music since the age of eight, I was expected to be a decent enough vocalist, that is, had I not treated music completely as a hobby, and confined my practice sessions to the 15-minute drive to my music class.
But there was also a deeper problem. Though I respected classical music, I was not exposed to the brilliance and dynamic nature of the art form. It seemed archaic, rigid and quite often, distant.
In college, my first experience in the club was a live Carnatic concert by Ramkrishnan Murthy. It was my first concert, and it blew my mind. I obsessively recorded videos and shared them with my mother and sister.
I was amazed by the beauty of the compositions, their presentation, and how there was room for creativity and improvisation. The club hosted jamming sessions, called Baithaks , which allowed me to admire classical music in its entirety. My perception was completely overturned as I listened in awe to instruments such as the harmonium, tabla, flute, violin and sitar blending harmoniously with the honey-sweet, crystal-c.
