Date for Entry: (Monday 22nd January 2018)
Actual Date of Online
Entry: (Monday 24th
January 2022)
Dear Diary,
The following entries below are an account of the transcription and learning process of the pieces of music done for the semester. All of these pieces (except for the Raag Jaunpuri) were then performed at the Music of the Diaspora 'Concert'.
Friends Brandon and Eshay did not return to the ensemble but a new girl named Kelsey became a friend of mind and music was sent to her along with all other members who provided their email contact to me.
Link(s):
CHURA LIYA
The first piece of music that was
taught in the ensemble for the semester was a Bollywood piece called Churaliya.
My experience with the piece Raag Sohini had me too tired from all the various
versions of transcriptions done. I thought that I could save ink from the
printer if I wrote it out and then send it off as an email to the other
members.
A short playing of the piece was
done from YouTube and then we were asked to copy the Sargam from the whiteboard.
I truly enjoyed learning the beginning of the song. It was amazing learning out
the rest as the rest of the Mondays in the semester went by.
Link(s):
- Chura Liya (Versions 1-8).** [By Request Only]
- Chura Liya - Versions 9.
INDIAN THAATS (SCALES)
More students came to join us in
class. Mr. Maharaj gave us the first five scales one night and the second set on
the other one. I got him to pronounce the names of the scales so that they can
be written in the document. Some changes were made and these too were added
to the little handbook that I had put together.
Link(s):
- Indian Thaats (Version 2-4).**
- Indian Thaats (Version 4).**
- Indian Classical Handbook.
MEHENDI LAGA KI RAKHANA
Another Bollywood piece was prepared
by the entire ensemble. It was truly a very rhythmic piece. Only some months at
the end of the semester I decided to revise the score but did not get to do so.
It has not been done just yet. All of my transcriptions were deleted in the process
of saving them on a flash drive in 2021, at the end of completion of the degree.
Not much work was needed for it
thankfully. However, there were a lot of sections and fills that had to be done
for it.
Link(s):
RAAG JAUNPURI.
Parts of two classes were used for
this piece. Unfortunately, not much attention was given to it and it was not
completed in class. There was space for it at the Diaspora 'Concert’ but it
seems like I will take what is given and create a piece out of it myself.
I could already see the whole
class did not care to learn the music and I knew there was no student beside myself who practised it. A night in the class came when Sir started to sing it
and I was able to play back half of the song. Sadly, I was held tightly behind
my neck and threatened to not continue by another student in silence. Took me
two days to get over that particular pain in my neck. Class for Mr. Sharma and Intermediate
was not good at experiencing it.
Link(s):
EK AJNABI.
This was a piece that was revised
probably more than Raag Sohini. A lot of the class nights were taken on this
piece and then on the final two pieces. I feel this was the reason why Raag
Jaunpuri was not able to be done. We had a lot of students in the class and organising
who to play what was the next issue.
Link(s):
- Ek Ajnabi (Version 4-8).** [By Request Only]
- Ek Ajnabi - Version 9.
GULABI AANKHEN.
This piece of music did not
require many heavy amendments. There were three simple versions made and the
class seemed to learn this one quickly.
Link(s):
- Gulabi Aankhen (Version 1-4).** [By Request Only]
- Gulabi Aankhen - Version 5.
JAUN KAHAN BATA AYE DIL.
A Monday night late into the
semester, only Mr. Maharaj and I were early and waiting for seven. While we
were waiting, he spoke to me about music transcription. When he sat down by the
piano, he decided to start the music for me to start writing it out in Western style for the others to follow when they come.
I was lucky I had a manuscript
page in my folder. I got it out and listened to what he was playing. It was a
familiar song that I knew too. I had a good idea of the key and I was right when
I tried out the first measure and a piece. We had the whole piece down in
those thirty minutes and then class started with this. Sir took my manuscript
paper to the projector and we started with that song. Afterward, the rest of
the music was worked on. This piece too did not need a lot of amendments.
I was very proud of myself for
working out the music on the spot alone. A part of that night had another experience.
At one point during the music transcription session by ween Mr. Maharaj and me (second
part of the song), I saw an imaginary green board in a faded colour appear, and
white markings of the rhythms I needed were written out. It looked like white chalk
on a green chalkboard. It did not stay but moved from right to left as if it
was the headlines traveling on the bottom of the television screen during the
news. I've never encountered a remarkable experience like that before.
Link(s):
[UPDATE #1]
During the Semester, I was given
a score by my friend Karen. It was one that she had to earn for a course. She
told me that it was for a group assignment and someone had created this for
them. I had a feeling that I might have t do that course too. She was in her final
year and it was the music degree as well. The name of the piece was “Hai Apna
Dil”. I did not know the name but when I sight-sang the first two measures I
knew the melody right away.
Link(s):
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