Harmonium Individual - Performance Music 5: (Yr3, Sem1)

Date for Entry: (Tuesday 10th September 2019)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 22nd March 2022)

Dear Diary,

    Mr. Maharaj was the teacher for my individual harmonium class. I decided to follow in the footsteps of Mrs. Neaves and Mrs. Ramlal, who were allowed to do a new instrument in their final year.

    My chosen instrument was the harmonium because it was one that papa always wanted to learn and it was an instrument I liked from small. Unfortunately, papa passed in the same 2015 summer before I got into UWI but if he could see me, he would be able to see what happens in the classes. Possible Monday Indian Classical Ensemble too.

    This semester I was given a few pieces of music to do along with some alaankars (exercises) of scales. I was asked by Mr. Maharaj which scales I would feel comfortable playing so for a while guess, I chose C as the tonic for the scales. I would have had to stop to pencil in the pitches to help me understand the music throughout the classes until the next when I would score out the music and include his Sargam for both of us to understand it.

 

HARMONIUM ALAANKARS.

* Unknown Date *

There were three exercises given to me to practice very early at the beginning of the individual harmonium classes. Since C was my scale of choice, that would be the tonic for all three. They were like technical patterns from the steelpan book I had to use from Mr. Sharma’s class.

    I had no need to amend these scores. The moment Sir gave me two or three measures of the exercises, I knew what I had to write out. They followed the same thing we had to do in Monday night class but just different patterns now.

Link(s):

1. Alankars1-3.

 

RAAG POORVI.

* Unknown Date *

This was the first piece of the semester to be given to study. I was shocked when Mr. Maharaj picked a piece using one of the three most difficult scales of Bhatkhande’s ten thaats (scales). I still went along because I wanted to learn as much as he could teach me and I felt strongly that I might never find another teacher to guide me on this path of music. There was no need for amendments. It was

Link(s):

1. Raag Poorvi – Sargam & Score.

 

RAAG TODI.

* Unknown Date *

This piece also did not need amending. It was used the same way it is for assessment. There was not much difficulty with it. I needed some time to get accustomed to the finer placements on the keys of the instruments. I was still wondering how come sir was going on the harder scales with me. On the other hand, I still appreciated it.

Link(s):

1. Raag Tori – Sargam & Score.

 

RAAG BILAWAL.

* Monday 21^st October 2019 *

This one required a few amendments. We had missed some classes in between. There was one class. The date inserted above for this piece was the date when Mr. Maharaj had given me the entire song straight. I did not mind at all. I wished all the classes were like that so I could transcribe them when I got home. This piece was used for the end-of-term recital also.

Link(s):

1. Raag Bilawal – Sargam & Versions (1-4).
2. Raag Bilawal – Version 5 (Final).

YAAD KIYA DIL.

* Unknown/Forgotten Date *

    This piece took only two sessions to complete by both transcription and playing. At the end of the second session, Mr. Maharaj suggested the way the piece should end. This piece was also played at the Indian Classical Recital at the end of the semester.

    The video recording was recorded on Saturday 6th August 2022 and became a DAPHA Project.

Link(s):

1. Version 4 - Final.
2. Recording of Piece.

Daryl Zion M. Ali