PROJECT SAMSKRITI

Project Samskriti: How Isha Samskriti Reaches Out to the World

Part 4: Behind the Scenes of the Classical Singing Module

In a five-part series, we bring to you behind-the-scenes stories of Project Samskriti through the eyes of Isha Samskriti students, alumni, and volunteers. In this article, Isha Samskriti teacher Maa Natasha takes us through the making of the classical singing module.

Immersed in Music – Anywhere, Anytime

22-year-old Maa Natasha forayed into classical music at a very young age. Her parents, Shekhar and Shanti, both passionate and gifted musicians, regularly perform at Sounds of Isha’s concerts. “The atmosphere at home was always filled with music, so I was naturally inclined to it. It’s not that I was influenced by my parents; it rather came as a natural choice,” shares Maa Natasha.

In 2005, her parents joined Isha Home School as “home parents,” whereas she enrolled as a student, before she moved to Isha Samskriti in 2008. “There was no set structure to the classes. They happened organically, outdoors, often by the stream, under trees, or during occasional camping trips,” she says, fondly reminiscing her days as an Isha Samskriti student. “Once, when we went up the mountains, it started raining heavily. I was worried that the class would be canceled, but our teacher plopped open an umbrella, and we huddled under it and learned music.”

Over the years, Maa Natasha imbibed intricacies of Yoga, Kalaripayattu, Carnatic music, and Bharatanatyam, besides other subjects at Isha Samskriti. She eventually chose Carnatic music as her specialization.

During her training journey, she also received some direct guidance from Sadhguru. To further kindle her fast-sprouting talent, Sadhguru asked her to hone her skills by studying under the tutelage of different musicians outside of Isha Samskriti as well. Maa Natasha has been spending months studying with Carnatic music maestros, from whom she learns new songs and intensifies her systematic practice of music. She had been studying for over 20 years, when an unexcepted new opportunity came her way.

Learning to Teach Online in COVID Times

In early 2021, when Sadhguru announced that the students and alumni of Isha Samskriti would undertake the colossal mission of not only bringing Indian classical music and arts to the rest of the world but would also be drafting the modules and developing the teaching techniques on their own, it opened a floodgate of emotions within each Samskriti student. So far limited to an intense but comforting world of the nature-bound ashram, they now had to step out into the world, albeit virtually.

When the wheel of Project Samskriti began rolling, Maa Natasha joined the script-writing group that came up with detailed modules for each session and structured the classes, while Maa Kshiraja was involved in holding mock sessions and actually conducting classes when the curtains rose.

Though the team initially thought it would be difficult to teach music to participants who are unfamiliar with Indian classical music, they soon realized the biggest challenge came in the form of conveying the right pronunciation.

The Tamil song “Niraive Shakti” requires students to pronounce the Tamil sound “zha” (which is more of a soft “ra” sound, but often gets confused for a “la” sound). Maa Natasha recalls, “We spent session after session just trying to figure out how to explain the pronunciation of “zha.” We debated endlessly over how exactly to describe the sound which occurs in many Tamil words. It just comes naturally to a native speaker, and you never even think about it.” After dozens of sessions, they finally figured out a way to explain each part of the pronunciation, but it can still be a challenge for many participants.

The choice of songs that they would impart to their audience was an equally difficult one. After much deliberation, the team zeroed in on two songs – “Niraive Shakti” (Tamil) and “Nirbhay Nirgun” (Hindi).

“There were three prime reasons to choose ‘Niraive Shakti’ (also known as ‘Thunbam Illaadha’) by Mahakavi Subramania Bharathi as one of their first offerings. First, its roots are in Tamil culture, and many of the Isha meditators are naturally drawn to Devi or Shakti. Apart from that, 2021 marked Tamil poet, freedom fighter, and social reformer Subramania Bharathi’s 100th death anniversary. As a tribute to him, ‘Niraive Shakti’ seemed like an apt choice,” shares Sandeep Narayan, award-winning Carnatic vocalist and a member of the Project Samskriti team. “The popular Hindi bhajan ‘Nirbhay Nirgun’ written by mystic poet and saint Kabir was chosen to cater to a wider audience,” he adds.

Multitudes of Challenges

Deciding the structure of the class too went through various stages and multiple iterations. The discussions saw an influx of feedback and conflicting ideas flying around – whether to introduce scales and swaras (notes in Indian classical music), how to begin the class, and which words were the most appropriate in a sentence. Just when they thought they had time to write down their ideas, the first mock session was announced, and in the six days leading up to it, they were really on fire.

While Maa Natasha was trying to make the songs and their pronunciation easier to understand for the students, Maa Kshiraja had to make sure to emote perfectly through her singing while being equally expressive in her body language. They refined their delivery over several mock sessions. After attending one of her classes, Sadhguru personally sent a word of appreciation to Maa Kshiraja, which made her confidence soar. The participants too appreciated the meticulousness and involvement with which the songs were imparted.

What Participants Say

Priya Sandeep, one of the participants, shares, “I love the ‘Nirbhay Nirgun’ song, and would have heard it a thousand times, but could never sing it well earlier. But the way Project Samskriti taught it, I was able to understand the pronunciation and raga within a few days. Though it was a one-way class, the teacher chipped in exactly at points where I was making errors. It seemed as if they were reading my mind.”

Another participant, Janani Venkatesh, says, “I have learned Carnatic music on and off since my childhood, and I didn’t know what to expect from a webinar-type class. But the level of attention to detail in explaining pronunciations, tune modulations, and the practice of repeatedly singing along showed me how much involvement there can be even in an online class of classical art forms.”

Working Relentlessly to Fulfill Sadhguru’s Vision

In the last few months, the two song modules have become an integral part of the Project Samskriti offerings. Till date, the music team has offered 14 classes, which have been attended by 1476 people from across the world. Currently, the team has taken a break from the online classes to prepare for Mahashivratri 2022, while efforts are underway to keep enhancing their offerings.

When asked about new projects in the pipeline, Sandeep Narayan revealed, “On Mahashivratri, the music module team is releasing its third offering – ‘Shiva Shiva Endomme’ – a popular Kannada song, and a perfect tribute to the celebrated festival.” Stay tuned for more from the Project Samskriti team.