Saturday, June 16, 2007

Music with David Israel

My good friend David Israel is here with me these days. He's working on a Dhrupad
documentary while also practicing on his Sarangi. Now how many people do you know
who might give up everything and spend months at the Dhrupad Academy in Bhopal
learning Dhrupad from the Gundecha Brothers? Inspired by him, I plan to spend a MUCH
briefer period there, learning what little I can.

David and I have been enjoying extended music sessions for several days now. Both of us explore solitary notes together and find some nameless joy in getting a sequence right. Who will listen to us? God knows. I don't think we have any hopes of ever hitting the rock circuit and developing a crazed teenage following. But we enjoy the long and lonely CORRECT note and thats quite enough, thank you.

His Sarangi is most interesting and it responds well to his efforts. The placement of fingers is almost there, and I enjoy his discoveries of interesting movements between notes. Its fascinating. He amiably accepts tentative suggestions I make for corrections, and has not yet hurled his sarangi at me in frustration. We have explored Yaman, Bhairav, Bhupali, Bageshree, Tilak Kamod, Nand and Bhairavi, in small doses. I would certainly like to have a fraction of his open mind and intense curiosity about music and more. I have gained more from this series of musical encounters than he has, for sure.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is such a heart-warming piece of news. My hello to David, and pleasant times filled with music to both of you!
Smita Rajan

Anonymous said...

Hi! This is the first time I'm commenting though I had discovered and passed on your blog to a number of my musically inclined friends. I enjoy reading your blogs on music - the Marwa one particularly touched a chord and then some...!

I can quite imagine the joy of those music sessions... solitary note or otherwise. Keep us posted so we can get vicarious pleasure out of it as well. :)
Good luck.
RD

Unknown said...

A great blog written with passion. I enjoy all your posts. This one is especially touching. Thanks
Sangtar
Visit Sangtar's Music Blog