Carnatic Music: A Journey
Carnatic music, the delicate harmony that once was born on the banks of the Kaveri River, made its way into my life at the age of four. But its influence on both my family and myself goes back to the time when my great grandfather used to sing these musical masterpieces in the town center over 75 years ago.
Today, the modern world looks at Carnatic music as a thing of the past, as something archaic and merely as words. But, it is so much more than you think.
A way of life, a path to keep the old Hindu traditions alive is what I see in it. In my experience as a student learning Carnatic music, I have learnt that in a way, it really is the soul of our culture and a bridge between spirituality and reality for those who seek it. At first, to most learners like myself, Carnatic music introduces itself in the form of swaras, the foundation, S R G M P D N S. The infinite variations of these 7 notes in different tunes or ‘ragas’ are what is to be mastered next. And only then will the key to the unbounded library of music from composers across the vast terrain of this culture-rich country will be handed over.
In my opinion, the hardest phase of this long journey is the ‘Varnas’, songs with long, complicated sequences of swaras, the base to the next level of songs, the real place where singers are judged. Compositions of artists who lived long ago like Thyagaraja, Purandaradasa, Tulasi Das are still being sung by the few who chose to do so today. When you immerse yourself in Carnatic music, the realness and feeling put into it when sung almost touches your soul hidden among the petty worries, and its effects ripples as its amplitudes a thousandfold.
Carnatic music is so different from western songs. It’s most certainly not light music and the real audience of these songs could be very unforgiving if not sung right, but the compositions have the power to induce a feeling that words cannot express. It is a feeling of being at peace and being hypnotised into the gracefully crafted, meaningful lyrics and its melody. Carnatic music is more than just songs, it is a musical journey, it truly is an experience.
Understanding our adolescent children
There are various reasons for teenagers as well as adults to use social media. They can
include entertainment, tension relief, staying relevant with popular culture or trends, learning
about the world, sensation seeking, escape from loneliness, and many others.
Learning about these can help us better relate to them and understand their perspective. Therefore providing us with significant insights regarding how as parents we can provide the support and help them in areas that might be causing the behavior rather than try to deal with it at a surface level.
The motivations for social media usage:
1. Diversion: Seeking pleasure, relaxation, escape from boredom or worries, and
mood management; this is what can be considered as providing entertainment and is the commonly stated reason for using social media.
2. Cognition: Seeking or acquiring information, ranging from observing current
events to learn norms for various aspects of human behavior across the globe from entertainment content. Quite often the information they acquire through social media is incidental, i.e.: they happen to come across opinions, incidences, and social awareness.
3. Social utility: Facilitating relationships with family, friends, or desired social
groups by establishing vicarious social relationships with social media and the people involved.
4. Withdrawal: Establishing barriers between the self and others to avoid conflict,
ensure uninterrupted attention and focus, or simply obtain solitude.
5. Personal identity: Helping to establish a sense of self by trying out and internalizing of
potential roles and identities; building self-confidence; seeking moral guidance,
social acceptance, or status.
Mahatma Gandhi’s words, “We must become the change we want to see in the world” are unquestionably relevant in the contemporary scenario as the youth of this vibrant nation, the future, who carve out their ideas in the present are provided with an opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions so as to bring about a significant change in the world, which they visualize and dream of and one day they can transform those dreams into reality.
Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an extracurricular activity commenced as a Club in CMR NPS and Ekya Schools, in which students typically role-play delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees. Preparing and participating in a MUN helps students develop leadership skills, research, writing, public speaking, and problem-solving skills. Moreover, coming up with solutions acceptable to majorities of the representatives also inculcates skills of negotiation, conflict resolution, and cooperation.
The Club activities kick-started in the month of July and culminated in December. Students of grades 6 - 9 enthusiastically participated in the various activities conducted in which they involved themselves in developing their worldly knowledge, confidence, public speaking, writing, and analytical skills. The activities included country research, country portfolio, opening speech, delegate speech, and preparing research on topics which led to discussions and debates by making use of the break-out rooms. This enabled students to explore and express themselves in a diplomatic and dextrous manner, empowering them to vocalize their opinions and deliberate on various issues of the world, which are of urgent and grave concern.
The pinnacle of this activity was the MUN session conducted by their Club mentors on December 8th, 2021. The Topic for the Security Council Session was
‘Refugees have to be provided with citizenship in the country of their choice”. Children chose to be Delegates of the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, India, Norway, Mexico, Kenya, Ireland, and Vietnam. Discussions and deliberations led them to come to a unanimous Resolution that Refugees should be trained in various skills and should be provided with an opportunity to prove themselves capable to adapt to their new environment and given the chance to choose for themselves whether to go back to their native country or apply for citizenship status. The session ended on a positive note where all the delegates were extremely content with their Resolution.
The participants were delighted and joyful to be a part of the MUN club and desire to take part in the club activities during the upcoming academic year.
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