Learning Music

I was never taught the seven notes of music formally. I just knew them. Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. Music is part of our culture. No wonder I got it in my genes. But no one in my family was fond of music. My mother hated music. If I was ever listening to music and she returned from her work, she would ask me to stop the music. Inspite of such an adverse atmosphere I was drawn to music.

First it was film music. My school and the blaring loudspeakers were enough to indoctrinate me into music. No no they didn’t teach film music in my school. But my friends discussed new songs and I picked up from them. Soon we had a tape recorder at my home too. Now I was able to hear music at my own house. I would pester my parents to buy me a cassette which I badly wanted. So times they would deign to my requests. Sometimes they wont. I would try my best to please them and get the money for the cassette which I wanted.

 I did the same for CD player. After a big Mahabharat at my place I finally got a CD player at my home, only to realize that it didn’t have a MP3 player. I was crestfallen. My friends were listening to cheap music (No no the music wasn’t cheap, the MP3 was cheap, worth just 30 bucks and containing more than 140 songs.) Soon DVDs came in and CD player became outdated. Now I don’t have to tell you that I got the DVD player as well.

So I loved music. Unfortunately music wasn’t a subject in my school like some other schools. Then too when I went to college I enrolled for a music class. The teacher taught me vocals over a harmonium. To my utter dismay I was unable to catch most of the notes of the harmonium. Was I that bad in music? But I was determined that I wanted to learn music. My studies kept me busy and I couldn’t continue the music class. But the music within me never died.

I went to Mumbai for further studies. I even found a music class over there. But they told me that they would enroll me only if I pass an audition. They called me the next day to sing in front of the entire panel. I was too scared to sing in front of everyone. So I chickened out, with music still intact within me.

I began to work. I again found a music class. Balancing work and music was difficult. So my music class had breaks, at times even of years. But I kept learning and today no one can say that I can not sing.

This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.