Thursday, January 10, 2008
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Rare indian musical instruments
The Rudra Veena
The Rudra Veena is an instrument that is rarely heard on the concert stage now, although just two centuries ago it reigned surpreme, and was regarded as the king of all instruments. It has a hollow tubular body called the dandi, on which are placed 24 frets, usually glued to the tube with beewax and resin, although some players also use frets tied to the dandi as in the sitar. There are four main playing strings and three to four drone strings. Attached to the tubular dandi are two hollow resonators made of dried and seasoned pumpkins.
Traditionally the veena was played with the player sitting in the vajrasana posture with his legs folded under him, and one of the two gourds placed on the left shoulder. Ustad Asad Ali Khan and Ustad Shamsuddin Faridi Desai are the only reputed players of the traditional veena in India today.
Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, son of Ustad Ziauddin Khan of Udaipur, developed a large and heavy veena that he played in a different posture because it was simply too heavy to be played in the traditional manner. His son Bahauddin Dagar is the sole performer today who plays on this variant of the instrument.
The Rudra Veena is the ideal instrument for Dhrupad because its sound has the same richness of overtones that the voice acquires with the practice of Nada Yoga. The instrument, especially in the traditional posture, also responds to the flow of prana or vital breath.
The Rudra Veena is meant for a music that is perhaps too subtle and refined for the modern industrial age although it is together with vocal Dhrupad experiencing a revival especially in the west where there are now many serious students of this instrument.
The Rudra Veena is an instrument that is rarely heard on the concert stage now, although just two centuries ago it reigned surpreme, and was regarded as the king of all instruments. It has a hollow tubular body called the dandi, on which are placed 24 frets, usually glued to the tube with beewax and resin, although some players also use frets tied to the dandi as in the sitar. There are four main playing strings and three to four drone strings. Attached to the tubular dandi are two hollow resonators made of dried and seasoned pumpkins.
Traditionally the veena was played with the player sitting in the vajrasana posture with his legs folded under him, and one of the two gourds placed on the left shoulder. Ustad Asad Ali Khan and Ustad Shamsuddin Faridi Desai are the only reputed players of the traditional veena in India today.
Ustad Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, son of Ustad Ziauddin Khan of Udaipur, developed a large and heavy veena that he played in a different posture because it was simply too heavy to be played in the traditional manner. His son Bahauddin Dagar is the sole performer today who plays on this variant of the instrument.
The Rudra Veena is the ideal instrument for Dhrupad because its sound has the same richness of overtones that the voice acquires with the practice of Nada Yoga. The instrument, especially in the traditional posture, also responds to the flow of prana or vital breath.
The Rudra Veena is meant for a music that is perhaps too subtle and refined for the modern industrial age although it is together with vocal Dhrupad experiencing a revival especially in the west where there are now many serious students of this instrument.
The marvel called MUSIC THERAPY...
Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a qualified professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.
In other words, music therapy is the use of music by a trained professional to achieve therapeutic goals. Goal areas may include, but are not limited to, motor skills, social/interpersonal development, cognitive development, self-awareness, and spiritual enhancement.
Music therapists are found in nearly every area of the helping professions. Some commonly found practices include developmental work (communication, motor skills, etc.) with individuals with special needs, songwriting and listening in reminiscence/orientation work with the elderly, processing and relaxation work, and rhythmic entrainment for physical rehabilitation in stroke victims.
The idea of music as a healing modality dates back to the beginnings of history, and some of the earliest notable mentions in Western history are found in the writings of ancient Greek philosophers.[citation needed] Robert Burton wrote in the 17th century in his classic work, The Anatomy of Melancholy, that music and dance were critical in treating mental illness, especially melancholia.Music Therapy is considered one of the expressive therapies.
Music therapy interventions can be designed to:
*promote wellness
*manage stress
*alleviate pain
*express feelings
*enhance memory
*improve communication
*promote physical rehabilitation.
- Important Music Therapists and writers on Music Therapy
- Juliette Alvin
- Kenneth Bruscia
- Leslie Bunt
- Rajasree Mukherjee
- Paul Nordoff
- Mercedes Pavlicevic
- Mary Priestley
- Clive Robbins - see Nordoff-Robbins
- Celine Dewy
- E. Thayer Gaston
- Michael H. Thaut
- Concetta M. Tomaino
- Lisa Summer
- Helen Bonny
- Olav Skille
- Tony Wigram
- Jeff Engel
SHUBHA MUDGAL...rockstar of Indian classical music.
"…I regret the fact that classical music is turning into a museum art, to be pulled out when you want to boast about the glory of an antique old tradition…"
-shubha mudgal
Profile
One of the most versatile and popular concert artists among the younger generation of Hindustani musicians, Shubha Mudgal is among the most imaginative and adventurous female vocalists of India.
Born in Allahabad in 1959 to a family with a rich musical tradition, Shubha Mudgal was taught by the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Trained initially as a khayal singer, she soon realized her powerful voice could encompass a wide range. She moved to Delhi and sought the guidance of maestros who encouraged her to evolve beyond her traditional training and experiment as an artist.
Her spirited experimentation brings her into conflict with more orthodox practitioners. Her first album, a collection of Sufi songs, was an immediate hit with the public but generated criticism from traditionalists. Her album Ali More Angana set young people all over the country dancing to an originally devotional song, which became a favorite at discotheques.
In addition to being a popular concert artist, Mudgal has won recognition as a composer. Her repertoire of medieval devotional poetry has received acclaim in India and abroad. She wrote music and played a cameo role in Kama Sutra, the new film by director Mira Nair.
She believes in absorbing and learning from other cultures and forms of art, in order to evolve an art that is richer and more universal. "Other genres and influences are also incorporated and adapted in my work," she says, "to create a tapestry that uses and warp and weft of the classical and the contemporary."
Born in Allahabad in 1959 to a family with a rich musical tradition, Shubha Mudgal was taught by the finest musicians and musicologists in India. Trained initially as a khayal singer, she soon realized her powerful voice could encompass a wide range. She moved to Delhi and sought the guidance of maestros who encouraged her to evolve beyond her traditional training and experiment as an artist.
Her spirited experimentation brings her into conflict with more orthodox practitioners. Her first album, a collection of Sufi songs, was an immediate hit with the public but generated criticism from traditionalists. Her album Ali More Angana set young people all over the country dancing to an originally devotional song, which became a favorite at discotheques.
In addition to being a popular concert artist, Mudgal has won recognition as a composer. Her repertoire of medieval devotional poetry has received acclaim in India and abroad. She wrote music and played a cameo role in Kama Sutra, the new film by director Mira Nair.
She believes in absorbing and learning from other cultures and forms of art, in order to evolve an art that is richer and more universal. "Other genres and influences are also incorporated and adapted in my work," she says, "to create a tapestry that uses and warp and weft of the classical and the contemporary."
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