garet Li11/e). at the C/e11n Could Recent cd releases include La ble as a vehicle for self-discovery. You can hear mrdangam maestro Studio. Her 11e.rt e11gageme11ts i11 Mer Jolie - Chants d' Acadie Trichy Sankaran OnStage at the southern Omario are: March 20th, (A TM A Classique); and The I belong to an illustrious line of Clen11 Could on Sa1urday, March 3.00 pm, si11gi11g the B Minor Mass Magic Flute with La Petite Ba11de, drummers known as ihe Pudhuk- 12 at 8 p.m. playing with awqrkottai 11·ith the Elora Fesri1,a/ Singers i11 conducted by Sigiswald K11ijke11 School. My Guru Sri Pal- ickshaw - "steeped in the traditions C1wlph: and May 5th 8.00 pm - a (Amati). Upcoming releases include ani was a direct descendent of chis of North and Sourh Indian classi Mo:art lieder recital 11'ith Yannick a11 ATMA recording of school. I am' considered a true cat music. mixed with co111empo J\"e:et-Seg11in. for1epia110 (The M11.1ic Ro11111, Kitchener Waterloo Pierre Bouteiller Motets 1vith ten ·or Stephan Van Dyck a11d Les Voix representative or my guru· s tradition, yet I have established my own rwy jazz and funk" (vocalist Su ha Sa11kara11: tahla player Ed Hanley; Cha111her M11sic Soci etv). 1-!11111ai11es. • individual playing style. In my 50 bassist Rich Brown; a11d percusyears of concert experience .. ( have sionist Debashis Sinha.; joined hy MAESTRO Trichy Sankaran "'I was born in a small South Indian village in 1942. and grew up in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), in a musical atmosphere when: 111uicians were constantly visiting and performing. My cousin P.A. Venkataraman. a professional musician. discovered an innate skill for drumming in me when I was only 4 years old. and at age five I began studying regularly with him. I suppose nia Pillai. a legendary drumming many \ ould have considered me maestro. Sri Palani was so ima child prodigy. My cousin was a very strict pressed with my playing that he took me under his wing as his disteacher. who made no concession ciple. From 1955 to 1962. I peror compromise for me as his cous- formed in many concerts in tanin. My practice on the mrdangam (drum) would begin at 4 am in the morning, and used to be the wake- · dem with my Guru. while also playing concerts on my own. up call for our small community I was trained in. the traditional or 15 homes. I followed a strict Gurukula system. which is based ·chedule of 3-hour practice in the morning, and then went to school. on master-disciple apprenticeship of a high order. Students normal ! would practice again from 4 to 6 ly take their lessons at the Guru's 111 the evening. I never had the home, and are completely subserfun or playing with other kids or vient to his demands. The stuwas involved in any kind of sports. dents address the Guru as "Anna" By the time my cousin moved to (brother), or Uncle, or Sir rather Delhi when I was 9. it was clear I than by his name. The Guru is had to continue my music studies treated with utmost respect, and with him there. even foregoing my students are never allowed to sit schooling for a whole year. Ai age on the same level. Instruction is I 0. I made my formal concert de- always by example through perhut in Delhi. At age 13. I gave formance, with very little verhalianotht:r major public performance. zation. The music is neither read a second debut. with some of the nor wrillen but taught only hy rote. top ranking artists of Karnatak I have always n:spected the disci- 111u ·ic. performing with my cous- pline or the traditional Gurukula in's teacher Sri Palani Subrama- system, but I also found it valua- , -- -- lv!AR]ORIE SPARKS VOICE STUDIO MA'R]O'Rff SPARKS, SOPRANO '8.MUS. '8. CV. CLASSICAL TECHNIQUE PRIVATE VOICE LESSONS AT ALL LEVELS STRUCTIONS FOR UNIVERSITY AUDITIONS RCM EXAMS, COMPETITIONS AND PROFESSIONAL PERFORM ANCES. FREQUENT STUDIO RECITALS. Studio Locations: 19 Ravine Park Cr .. Scarborough 175 St. Clair Ave. W .. Toronto Tel: 4 I 6-2X2-7460 E-rnail: mhcitshu(fgsy111pa1ico.ca explored new dimensions in the art of drumming on boih mrdangam & Kanjira*, and have helped to raise their status to that of solo instruments in their own right, not merely rhythmic accompaniment. I am the co-founder of Indian Music Studies and Professor of Music at York University, where I have been teaching since 1971. As a concert musician trained in the Gurukula method, I found it difficult in the beginning to adjust to teaching in a Canadian university setting. Eventually, I opted for a hybrid or eastern and western methods of teaching, including the use of specially devised notation. comprehensive lectures. and analysis that have achieved great succt:ss over the years. Through numerous performances worldwidt: and collaborations with noted musicians in the New Music, World Music, and Jazz fields, and in composing a number of original cross-cultural ensemble works, I think I have helped to broaden the Canadian musical landscape. Bringing this rich concert and composing experience back into my classrmim teaching has also had an influence on generations of my students, who have gone on to become ·important Canadian performers. composers, and educators." *Mrda11gam is a double-headed barrel shaped drum, the chiefperc1.1.uion instrument j(Jr South Indian c/assirnl music a11d dance. *Ka11jira is a small sized wmbourine that generally accompanies mrdangam in South Indian classical concerts. Robin Howell multi-instrumentalist George Koller) hllp:llwww.aurorickshaw. C"(I Final Words "What advice, above all, would you give to someone looking for a teacher for a child, or for themselves? Suzie LeBlanc "Try to find a teacher who loves to teach, who has a particular ince'rest in you or your child and understands and supports your/his goals. For children espt:cially, look for someone who is a good communicator, who enjoys music and who connects with you'r child. Discipline should come out of loving what we do and the pleasure should be the motivation." Trichy Sankaran "Today's young musicians sometimes seem too eager to diversify, involving themselves with a variety of instruments and traditions before they have achieved a firm grounding and solid knowledge in any one of them. A period of concentrated effort and some degree of success in one chosen discipline is bound to make things much easier later, when seeking to master others." • Lessons for recorder, baroque oboe, baroque and modem bassoon, ensemble coaching DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE whose story could ·be included in this column'? Please send sugg estions to musicschildren@thewholenote.com .. • Bocals for all double reeds, Voicing, Tuning and Restoration • Recorder repair specialist 188 Lansdowne Ave. Toronto, Ontario M6K 2V9 Phone: 416-534-6538 Fax: 1 (530) 463-8524 E-mail: robinhowell@robinhowell.com Website: robin.howell.com WWW. THEWHOLENOTE.COM MAKCH 1 - Al'KIL 7 2005
WE ARE ALL Music's CHILDREN March's Child .... "£11fi11, ii esl en ma p11issa11ce. Ce fnwl e1111l!mi. ce uper/Je vai11q11e11r. Le chnrme du sommeil le /ivre ii ma vengeance; je vnis percer son i11vi11ci/J/e coeur. " Lqlly Identify this member of our music community, photo taken circa 1978 for a chance to win by Masha Buell tickets. If you think you might know who it is, send your best guess to musicschildren@thewholenote.com. The winner will be selected by random draw among entries received by March lS'h, 2005. February's Child was Roman Borys Little people can have big dreams. We help make them come true. /fl ,{' JJJfied lo /Y P
