Your Rahemahan Rahman is excellent Phani.
--- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Gayathri Chandrakasan <gayathri_c...@...> wrote: > > Amazingly written Phani, enjoyed every moment of reading it. Your feelings > about KMMC and ARR are expressed genuinely and beautifully in this > writeup.Through your write-up, I noticed how dedicated and passionate you are > to your music, may this dedication and passion of yours enable you to reach > the "moon" as predicted by ARR! May God bless you always! > > P.S: I've just got the oppurtunity to listen to your Pappu. Great job, will > definitely about this in my next mail. > > P.P.S: Thanks Vithur for sharing this with us! > > --- On Wed, 8/11/10, Vithur <vith...@...> wrote: > > From: Vithur <vith...@...> > Subject: [arr] Phani Kalyan about AR Rahman & KMMC > To: "arrahmanfans" <arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com> > Date: Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 10:48 PM > > There are certain experiences in life that change you as a person and > help you grow into a better individual. For me, these defining > experiences happened during those years that I was a student of AR > Rahmanâs KM Music Conservatory. > > As I look back on that journey that has evolved me into making music > my life and profession I feel KMMC happened a little late in my life > but I strongly feel it couldn't have come at a more right moment than > this. I had a keen interest in music since childhood, listening along > with my grandfather to his thousands of carnatic collections including > M.Balamuralikrishna, Thyagaraja, Ramadas, and many Annamayya > Keerthanas and instrumentals. I recall composing rough tunes for fun, > even before I started learning music formally. But it wasnât until AR > Rahman happened, that my passion for music grew beyond words. I became > a devout fan of Rahman Sir ever since Bombay had released. I remember > skipping my school continuously to go to the theatre where Bombay was > being played just to listen to the music and the background scores. > And with each of his releases after that, his music became a daily > fuel for me. > > I had completed my Engineering degree in Chennai and was working a > mundane software job. Of course, my body was there, but my ears, mind > and thoughts were just tunes, melodies, rhythm and one man- AR Rahman. > So when I heard news that Rahman Sir was going to open his own music > school here in Chennai, which offers courses in western classical > music, various areas of music technology, instruments, and vocals, I > thought to myself, âIf I wanted to give my passion for music a chance > to grow and give a chance to live my dream-job as a composer, THIS was > it.â And what better opportunity to learn at an institution developed > by a man who I worshipped and looked up to for so many years. So > without hesitation I applied for an audition. Now I wasnât at all sure > I would get in and did not even tell my family or anyone else about > applying to the school. I thought to myself by auditioning I would at > least catch a glimpse of the school and studio, and if lucky catch a > glimpse of Rahman Sir. So I was super surprised and was just in utter > disbelief when I got that call of acceptance and my family was even > more shocked when I told them that I am going to resign my job and > join KMMC. So here I was literally on cloud 9, about to begin a > journey that I had only dreamt of all these years. > > In KMMC I took western classical vocals and composition as a major > with a prior knowledge in carnatic vocals and keyboard. As soon as I > entered the conservatory compound on the first day, I could just feel > the aura of positive energy all around. The school had almost like a > homely and soothing atmosphere with wooden floors and furniture, > accented with warm curtains, large middle-eastern rugs, a beautiful > grand piano and a picture of Rahman sir's father in the main reception > area. More than this it was my fellow classmates from all corners of > the world, and the amazing faculty that made those years the most > memorable. > > Moreover, being part of KMMC I saw Rahman Sir in a whole different > light, and my respect and devotion towards him grew to infinite > lengths. During the first week he came and interacted with us in > person and asked us our ambitions and goals. I still remember when I > asked Sir at that time to hum a few lines of New York Nagaram, what he > said in response will forever stay with me. He said. "Guys don't stick > only onto New York Nagaram, music is beyond the regular commercial > cinema. Make your mark, aim at the moon..at least you will reach the > stars" .I was amazed at the fact that no matter how busy he was, he > used to attend almost every student recital and concert that we used > to have at KM. He used to listen to us patiently and give us > suggestions, advice and clarifications on any doubts we had with so > much patience. And in case he was unable to make it to an event, he > used to send us a sorry note. I was just amazed that a man who is such > a prominent society figure, a pioneer in popularizing indian music to > globally, western music to the east, a musical magician, behaved so > simple, so friendly and so down-to-earth. He did not even behave like > a principal to us; he was more like a friend and even used to call > some of the students with nicknames. For instance, whenever I used to > see him, he always used to smile and greet me with a simple âHey, Hi > Manâ even before I said anything. There are just no words to describe > his modesty and humbleness. > > Also to add, there is a government school near the conservatory. KMMC > provides free music education to 40 students there, and Rahman Sir > makes sure that they are all taught with equal interest and respect > like any one of us. Another valuable thing that I have observed is > that more than talent, Rahman Sir gives importance to behaviour and > character. For example, after one of our outdoor concerts when we met > him he told us, âI heard you guys did a great job, but yet to know > about your behaviour there.â I was absolutely taken aback and thought, > wow this man amazes me each time I am in his presence. And just being > in his presence you learn so much about how to better your self as a > person, how to dedicate yourself and focus on the work you do at the > same time try to think and better the lives of others. > > KMMC definitely helped me grow as an individual and at the same time > it helped me broaden my horizons as a musician and gave me greater > exposure to different styles and forms of music. Meeting and working > with classmates and faculty from various parts of India and different > parts of the world, gave me an opportunity to come to know different > genres of music. My special thanks to Kavita Baliga, who was my vocal > mentor. She was a constant support and motivation for me. The > techniques she taught me in regulating my vocals from nasal to normal > range with so much patience, I will never forget. Also I am grateful > to her in choosing me for the KM Chamber choir. These lessons and > techniques I still carry with me in any recent work I do. Moreover, > the best aspect of KMMC is that with the diversity of students and > musical backgrounds they come from, there is constant exchange of > knowledge happening throughout of different peopleâs experience with > music of different genres and styles. And we constantly used to have > jam sessions where we blend all our ideas and feels of different > styles, creating a totally new flavour of music. Ironically, my first > full song composition was dedicated to Rahman Sir for his birthday; a > song titled Rahe mahan Rahman, which with a team of some of my KMMC > classmates, was able to produce and personally present the CD to him. > From then on wards, our team started making more and more music. In > fact, the entire team behind my soundtrack for PAPPU, including almost > all the the singers were my classmates from KMMC. I feel without them > Pappu would not have been possible. I feel I was truly blessed to work > with such talented people who I considered friends more than > colleagues, who I had such good rapport, trust and comfort level with > so early on in my career. > > phani kalyan > > My most memorable moments at KMMC: > > Â Â 1. During the beginning days of KM I had performed a western piece > in front of AR Rahman Sir, and I was very disheartened when he > remarked; âOh you sang in an Indian way of Westernâ with a laugh. And > then he suggested a few artist and albums to listen to, and how to > adapt to the western classical way of singing. Then, after training at > KM, I had performed another western piece at the KM Annual Day > function, and after that Rahman Sir himself shook my hand and said > âHey! Great performance Man!â I was literally in tears and this was > definitely the most happiest moment in my life. > > Â Â 2. The two day recording sessions of choir for the song > "Maaralante" from the movie PULI in AM and Panchathan studios. This > was the first time I had an opportunity to enter Panchathan(his > residence/studio- where the magic happens). The divine essence of the > place and spiritual calmness I felt just cannot be described > > Â Â 3. Performing with the KM Choir at the AR Rahman Unplugged Concert > in Delhi for Doordarshan's 50 years celebrations. It was an absolute > honour and privilege to share the same stage and also learn and watch > ARR perform so closely. > > Â Â 4. After coming back from winning the Golden Globes, when the > whole world was waiting to wish him. We were so blessed that he first > came to meet us and we were the first to congratulate him on his big > win, which would soon after become a streak of wins. > > So here I am, looking back on this remarkable journey filled with > lessons for a lifetime. I can proudly say that the knowledge, > experience, and the many musical friends that I have gained in these > past 3 years in KMMC cannot match any other formal training one might > acquire. I feel very blessed that I got an offer to debut with my > music in the recent Telugu movie PAPPU(Thanks to my producers). KMMC > exposed me to this wonderful world of music, which I continue to dive > into deep and discover each and every day. It has definitely given me > a platform to embark on a new journey as a Music Director to explore > and give something unique to the industry and to music. I am now > eagerly looking forward to making my mark in this industry and hoping > that I get some interesting projects and movies to work on. > > Thank you Rahman, Thank you KMMC > > Listen to Phani Kalyan's song Rahemahan Rahaman at > http://soundcloud.com/ kalyanyaman > > You can reach Phani Kalyan at > phani dot gangaraju at gmail dot com. > > -- http://idlebrain.com/news/2000march20/phanikalyan-kmmc.html > regards, > Vithur > > > ------------------------------------ > > Are you searching for a reason, to be kind? > <b> > Explore, Experience, Enjoy A.R.Rahman - The Man, The Music, The Magic. > Only at arrahmanfans.com - The definitive A.R.Rahman e-community. > > Homepage: http://www.arrahmanfans.com > Admin: ad...@... > To Subscribe: arrahmanfans-subscr...@yahoogroups.com > To Unsubscribe: arrahmanfans-unsubscr...@...! Groups Links >
