Learning carnatic classic music - flute through online classes

Learn Music via Internet...

There is nothing like music, which enchants human beings. Nothing can equalise the pleasure which we get while listening to old Tamil songs in the darkness of the night. It is quite true when one says that music is a boat which helps us cross the sea of suffering. Whether it is carnatic music, film songs or western music, they all take us to a happy atmosphere and mood.

There are plenty of ways and opportunities to learn music now.

Are you interested in learning carnatic music? There is no need to worry if you don't have a preceptor. It is enough if you have a computer and an internet connection. Right from your home you can learn music...through the internet. In the fast developing world of communication, you can learn music from any part of the world.

Mr. Dhasarathy, from Chennai, is teaching flute for the past one year, only through this method. He is working with Chennai Life Insurance Corporation. His guru Mr. Raghu and he have been conducting classes successfully in flute for nearly 200 students through the internet.

When asked how he was inspired to teach flute through the internet, he said, ''Both my guru and myself wanted to do something different...then an idea struck us, why not teach flute through the internet. This thought paved the way for such a method''.

So an advertisement was issued asking people, who were interested in learning flute, to contact them. This advertisement was very well received and they got a lot of mails, in fact, more than what they had expected.

At present, around 200 students are taking lessons through this novel method. The duo have students from Mumbai, Delhi and Chennai in India and also in Singapore and USA.

The students have been classified into three groups. The first group which is on to the basics, the second group which has progressed further, and the third group which is in the advanced level.

"Each and every student is being taught lessons through audio cassettes. We teach them how to play through Swaras by playing on the flute and recording it. This is then sent to them, and that makes it easier for them to learn," says Mr. Dhasarathy.

When we asked him, whether the devotion and the close-knit relationship that the students had for their master is not lost in this process, he elaborated, ''Today's youth do not have the time to go to a guru and learn for 4 hours, which was possible in the olden days. Today's situation is such that studies are given top priority and hobbies/extra-curricular activities come second...and the eminent musicians also do not have the time to teach them. That's why they are learning music through the audio and internet medium ... they communicate with their teachers through e-mail and chat''.

Apart from this, his guru is exporting bamboo flutes to overseas students. He communicates daily for an hour with his students and clears their doubts. Thus a bond is established between them. He says proudly that the Chennai brothers Raghu and Ravi are his gurus and he has been learning for the past 5 years. Whatever he has learnt, he teaches others in a way which is simple and comprehensive.

Prior to learning the flute from the present gurus, he learnt from Kattankulathur Singarachariar (disciple of eminent flutist Mr. T.R.Mahalingam ) and from Thiruvarur Swaminathan (disciple of Mr. Ramani) for 2 years.

When we asked why he chose flute when there were other instruments like the veena, violin, he explained, 'Right from my childhood I was interested in music. I have enjoyed listening to concerts by eminent musicians. Since i was suffering from asthma I could not learn vocal music. Then my family doctor casually suggested that learning some wind instrument will help in controlling my asthma problem and will also satisfy my interest in music''.

Thus started his lessons in flute. It is worth mentioning here that the learning of flute has given some relief to his asthmatic problem.

M.S.Venkatesh, who lives in Michigan, confidently says that the audio cassettes and the explanations his teacher sends through mail, are very useful to him. He adds that he will master the instrument before the end of this year.

Like him, Mrs. Harini Raghavan, who is a secretary of a famous and popular sabha in Bangalore, is his internet student. She has written a letter to him mentioning that his lessons are simple and easy to understand.

When asked what his next step would be, he said with confidence that his aim is to take his teaching to all the music lovers worldwide.

For more information contact:

ktdasarat99@yahoo.com
ktdasarat99@vsnl.net
http://www.chennaionline.com/cityfeature/internetmusic.asp