Expression: “Music expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” – Victor Hugo
I have been playing the piano for twelve years now and it has become such an important part of my life. Just as Hugo says in this quote, the piano is my medium for communicating my concerns and emotions. A writer's pencil is analogous to the piano because the instrument is my means of expression. The amalgamation of the notes and chords on the piano forms a sentence that can make more sense than "normal" words. Playing the piano commands attention; people will listen to my music even if they do not listen to me when I speak. Also, the language of the piano is universal among all cultures and ethnicities. Even though, a person may not be able to understand the native language of a certain country, people can communicate via music; it is the commonality among us all. It allows me to express my opinion to an audience that is not limited in scope. Utilizing the piano as my pencil, I created a piano CD, A Hidden Crisis: The HIV/AIDS Challenge in India, to express my concern for the skyrocketing numbers of HIV/AIDS in India. I held a fundraiser for this CD and a charity concert, with all proceeds going towards helping the disenfranchised population in India suffering from HIV/AIDS. I always use the piano as my voice and it is my medium to which I can help those who are less fortunate than me.
Spirituality: “Music is the mediator between the spiritual and the sensual life.” ~Ludwig van Beethoven
The purity radiating from the sound of the harmonium is an example of what Beethoven says. Especially in my life, the harmonium has fostered my relationship with the Hindu religion. I started learning the harmonium when I was only eight years old, and the holiness of the instrument made me intrigued with Hinduism. The more I learned to play and sing the bhajans, the more I became connected with my faith. It is because of my relationship with the harmonium that I came up with the idea of creating the first Hindu temple in the High Desert: Krishna Valley Temple. Throughout the struggles, the harmonium always gave me motivation and inspiration. I also recently recorded a CD of myself singing and playing the harmonium with a tabla player and other musicians. The CD is “Krishna Valley Temple Daily Artis” and consists of the six morning hymns that are sung as well as six different evening prayers that are are part of the daily ritual in the temple. When I am not at the temple to lead these prayers, the CD is what plays. I also held a fundraiser for the temple by selling these CDs, with all proceeds going towards having classes to teach the youth harmonium and singing classes. From personal experience, the harmonium is the biggest factor which allowed me to learn and understand Hinduism, which shows how powerful and influential music truly is in my life.
Here are some pictures of me singing and playing the harmonium at the grand opening of the Krishna Valley Temple in Apple Valley, CA.
Culture: "We ought to dance with rapture that we might be alive…and part of the living, incarnate cosmos."-D.H.Lawrence
Growing up thousands of miles away from my mother country, I find my ethnicity in the form of Indian traditional dancing, which has helped in formulating my Indian identity. Specifically, I have learned Bharatanatyam, Kathak, and Hindi Film Dance. Each of these dance forms is unique in its approach and even the music sounds completely different for each style of dance. What is intriguing about Bharatnatyam is the predominant usage of hand movements in order to depict emotions and tell a story. On the other hand, Kathak places greater weight on rhythm in the feet. Both of these forms of dance are very elegant and graceful, and tell devotional stories through each movement. Hindi Film Dance is a less traditional Indian dance form and is more energetic and lively. It is mostly used in Bollywood movies and tends to incorporate different forms of Indian classical dance in the routine. I love all three dance forms and it would be impossible to pick my favorite. Whenever I dance, I get lost in the rapture and I feel alive, as Lawrence refers to in his quote above. Each move, each step, and each routine depict the colorful and rich Indian culture.
Here are two pictures of me doing a dance routine which incorporates Bharatnatyam, Kathak, and Hindi Film Dance all into one dance.
I use music to speak; to help; to connect; to identify. It is my infinite passion. Music makes me feel special, and takes away all my stress. I have so many interests in music because of its diversity. I am pursing my goal of becoming a physician right now so most of day consists of biology and chemistry classes. In these classes, I have no control because I cannot change the outcome of the experiments or facts. So, I think what intrigues me about music is my ability to control the results. I do what I want to do when I dance and play the harmonium and piano. This one quote from Albert Einstein that is probably a perfect description of myself as an artist is: “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” The only difference is that even though I am an aspiring physician, I am still a musician at heart. I still see life in terms of a musical that is full of color rather than a scientific experiment that is black and white.
The dharma of all jivas is LOVE. And the Music is the language of the love!
ReplyDelete