Who is a LEADER

I am writing this note after listening to Suki Sivam's speech(spiritual and motivational speaker) on "Who is the Leader". I was so inspired by the story that I thought I should share it. Please read on:

There was a bus in which a lady(Lady A) was traveling along with other passengers. She wakes up very early, prepares breakfast, lunch for the entire family and along side got ready to go to office. By the time, she completed her regular morning household chores, she did not have time to even eat for herself!. She had to get ready to her office.

She came rushing to the bus-stop and got in to the regular bus. By then, she was very tired(and very hungry as well). She was shivering and felt very uncomfortable. She had packed rice for her lunch. She decided, she will eat what was packed for lunch. She opened the lunch box and was about to eat. That is when the driver applied a sudden brake and all the food spilled on the bus floor. It accidentally fell on a lady (Lady B) sitting beside her. Lady B got upset, annoyed and was furious. Lady A felt very guilty(she did not have food, tired and the food is water) of having spilled and caused inconvenience to fellow passengers. 

Everyone looked at her in a nasty way. No one seemed to understand the ordeal she underwent that day. She cried and apologized to each and everyone who she felt might have got disturbed. She cleaned the entire place and collected the spilled food in a bag to throw. She almost wiped the entire place. The lady sitting next to her, said"What big sorry are you saying after all these things? My saree is already spoiled.. Your sorry can't give me back my saree. Lady A felt bad and put her head down.

There was a six year old boy watching this entire episode. He slowly approached the Lady A. He opened his lunch box and said, "Aunty, my mother has packed 3 idlies for lunch. Would you like to eat? Will this be enough?. Adding,"Since you were very hungry, you opened the lunch box. Else, you would not have opened the box, right?". Listening to what this boy said, all the fellow passengers were moved and started crying and felt bad about themselves. the boy was the only person who understood the lady's feeling and what she was going through while the adults did not even bother to talk to her. The boy's action changed the entire passenger's attitude. This little boy emerged as the Real Leader... Born Leader.

A Leader is a person who understands other's feelings and changes the situation so as to make the other person and others happy!.

Signing off,

SPH

Controlling your Anger

Every one of us, sometime or the other get annoyed or angry. Some of us throw tantrums like children whilst some raise our voice and show our anger. If we notice, it is all momentary. It take so much of practice to control anger. I do not take an exception to my anger. I must admit, I am not a good candidate to Best Anger Management Practice. ;).

Having said that, I was browsing the Internet and found this short story which conveys so much of meaning. I will make conscious effort not to nail my fence.... ;).

Once upon a time, there was a little boy who was very talented and creative and very bright. Let's say a natural leader. The kind of a person everyone would normally want to have on their team or project. He was also self-centered and had a very bad temper. When he got angry, he usually said, and often did, some very hurtful things. In fact, he seemed to have little regard for people around him including friends. So, his friends list shrunk. He told to himself, "May be this just shows how stupid people are!"

As he grew, his parents were concerned about this personality flaw, and pondered long and hard about what they should do. Finally, the father had an idea. And he struck a deal with his son. He gave him a bag of nails, and a BIG hammer. "Whenever you lose your temper", he told the boy, "I want you to really let it out. Just take a nail and rive it into the oak boards of that old fence out back. Hit that nail as hard as you can!"

Of course, those weathered boards in that old fence were as tough as iron and the hammer was very heavy, so it was not nearly as easy as it initially sounded. Nevertheless, by the end of first day, the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.

Gradually over a period of weeks, the number dwindled down. He started holding his temper. That proved to be easier than driving nails into the fence. Finally, the day came when the boy did not lose his temper at all and felt very proud. He told his parents about that accomplishment.

"As a sign of your success,"his father responded, "you get to PULL OUT one nail. In fact, you can do that each day that you don't lose your temper even once."

Many weeks passed. Finally one day, the young boy was able to report proudly that all the nails were gone. At that point, the father asked his son to walk out back with him and take one more good look at the fence. "You have done well, my son", he said. But, I want you to notice the holes that are left. 

No matter, what happens from now on, this fence will never be the same. Saying or doing hurtful things in anger produces the same kind of result. There will always be a scar. It won't matter how many times you say you're sorry, or how many years pass, the scar will still be there.And a verbal wound is as bad as a physical one. People are much more valuable than an old fence. They make us smile. They help us succeed. Some will even become friends who share our joys, and support us through bad times. And, if they trust us, they will also open their hearts to us. That means we need to treat everyone with love and respect. We need to prevent as many of those scars as we can.

Let us try to build bridges rather than barriers in Relationships!

Signing off,
SPH

Being a good rasika

At the outset, I am sorry for posting this very late though written in early January.

Music season for 2012 is over. For avid listeners like me, there is no beginning to a season and neither an end to it. Any day, any time, good music- I will try my level best to register my presence. This time around, I got lot of opportunity to listen to MUSIC for EARS and to SOUL!. However, buying tickets and sitting in the audience side, I witnessed some irritating moments. I wish to share and this is a humble request to all rasikas such that we make listening better and beautiful(if not for you personally, at least for fellow rasikas):

1. Rasikas, please do not chat when the concert has begun. This definitely irritates the others who like you have come to listen. If you want to talk about your family issues or anything, this DEFINITELY is not the place. Please go out, talk freely and come back and listen peacefully.

2. Music & movie - I have heard from some friends that they like to watch a movie right from the time the advertisements appear with jarring sound. Please apply the same to music - please be there at least 5 minutes before the concert begins. Do you like watching it half way? - No right! The same should be applied here.

3. Please, do not get up when the Thani aavarthanam(any instrument) is happening. This is like insulting the accompanying artists(sorry for being a little harsh). It is a team work. TA does not mean the artist plays separately for himself or for the singing artist. It is to showcase his/her brilliance in presenting the song (or even to embellish the concert sometimes). Thani is not an INTERMISSION. I try not to go out. Sometimes, I am forced to. I will try to avoid that as well. 

4. Life members, please make sure you come to the concert on time. Being a life member does not mean that you can walk-in to the concert anytime you want before the concert ends. It definitely done not create a respect to the artist.

5. Please do not get up and leave the concert when the artist sings Mangalam or Thillana. That is also another interesting flavor to the concert.

6. Above all, please put your cell phones in silent mode or best - switch off. This reminds me of what I read in a newspapar recently. During this season, somewhere, Chitraveena exponent Shri Ravikiran requested the audience to turn their mobile to silent mode/turn off OR set their ring tone to Varali ragam. Sounds funny, but has so much meaning to it.

7. Once the concert is over, comment about the concert to your close people and not to strangers sitting by the side of you. What you like, they might not and what they like, you might not relish.

8. I remember one incident - 1 mama(an elderly person) was quick to comment after an really excellent concert(according to me), got over. "Enna paadaraan avan... Naan edhir paartha maadhiri illai". Question to mama, "What did you expect, what did the singer not deliver?"

To sabhas:

Sabhas do a great service in all the aspects right from best arrangements to motivating artists by awarding the best set. However, there are little things that can be taken care of and make the place wonderful.

1. Ensure the mic quality is good and speakers work well It should be an aid to the artist and not hamper in their creativity.

2. It would be great, if the seating arrangement is properly done. No paavadai tapes, etc, PLEASE!

3. I know this might not be possible - Still, please try to avoid reserving a seat. Sometimes, there are vacant seats in the 4th or 5th rows itself. 

3. Clear instructions, directions would greatly help. In case, tickets are not available for a concert or tickets are sold only the previous day, it would be good if it appears in the dailies. Rasikas will not be disappointed.

To artists:

I do not have anything to say, except when you sing krithis in rare ragams, it would be nice if you mention before the start.It would be really helpful if you could also announce the parent(in case of janya) or melakartha number if its MK. That way, it is easy to understand better. Not all would know a Salagam or a Sudha Seemandhini etc. This is just a humble request.

Tail piece note: I have heard from my parents, that in those days concerts would run for 5 to 6 hours of which Thani alone goes for 1 hour. Inquisitively, I asked my father wouldn't people walk like how they do these days? - My father's answer was - No one will get up and every one will sit and enjoy as they would have finished their food when they come and they respected each and every artist... How blissful it had been, right?
If it is possible for a 5 hours concert, I humbly feel it must be possible for its exact half - 2.5 hours concert, right? Let us give due respect to every accompanist on the stage!.

Signing off,

SPH

My listening to Music Season 2012

In general, there is a saying, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Planning is important to everyone and in everything..  Whether it is the musicians or the rasikas, planning is required. There are so many rasikas who plan well such that they attend almost all the concerts and stay for a few songs and hop sabhas. Somehow, I personally do not like to go in the mid of any concert unless there is an emergency. Last year(2011), I planned to attend many concerts depending on my work schedule. Sometimes, in life, many things happen when it is totally un-planned. When I had planned, I achieved very less.

This time, I decided I am not going to plan. I will attend concerts as it goes. I was able to attend to at least 20 concerts. Shri Vijay Siva's concert organized by Brahma Gana Sabha was the "pillaiyar suzhi" for my ears which has gotten ready to listen more.I am sorry for posting so late (blame it to procrastination). This year season was very special to me for:

1. I got an opportunity to listen to more concerts this time.

2. Acquaintances with great people gives you positive thoughts and spreads positive vibes.

3. Music music music - Good quality music.

4. First time, at MA, got a chance to listen to concerts thoroughly sitting in dias.- Adhu oru thani sugam...

5. Excellent RTPs....

and many many more.....

You just need ONE reason to listen to GOOD, QUALITY music..

Every concert was a gem in its own ways. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to concerts and of course, when you get good set of people to accompany to enjoy the music, what more do you ask for?. You will but not fail to LEAD ( Listening lEading to Anandham and Divinity).

I went to almost all the artists' concerts - ranging from a beginner to a junior level to mid level to seasoned musician and also super seniors. I must admit, it was a real blessing.

Just when I thought I am missing listening to instrumental music, there sprung a surprise. Ranjani Gayatri duo gave an excellent performance in Violin. It was the first time I listened to them play LIVE and Oh my God, "the fingers literally flew (intentional vernacular translation)".

What more, I did get another opportunity to listen to another mellifluous instrument that was once used as accompanying instrument - Veena. My cousin played in Sri KGS and I was there "aajar".

Normally, concerts span for a 2 1/2 hour duration and some cases goes up to 3 hours. When you get a chance to listen to a kind of Marathon, what will you say - Yes, right? Yes, I also listened to RG's 4 hours and  TMK's 4 hours concert.

I intend posting the list of songs (partial list of concerts I attended) of the songs rendered in Season 2012. 

The 4 hours concert was something special.. 

Jan 5th and 6th concerts at Kalarasana with Smts Ranjani & Gayatri with superb accompanying artists. The team enthralled the audience continuously for 4 hours. 

5th - Smts RG superbly supported by Shri HN Bhaskar on the Violin, Shri Arunprakash Krishnan on the Mridangam and Shri KV Gopalakrishnan on the Kanjira. 

6th was Shri TMK's concert excellent support by Shri RK ShriramKumar on the violin, Shri Tanjore Sankaran on the Mridangam and Shri B S Purushotham on the Kanjira and Shri Guru Prasad on the Ghatam.

I loved both the ones. Not that I did not like the others. Listening to 4 hours is entirely different from normal season concerts for 2 and half to 3 hours.

With God's blessing, parents' blessings, Guru's karunai, , my best siblings support, my listening spree is continuing.. I hope to listen more in 2013.

I am not going to comment/critic on anyone's music for 2 reasons : I do not possess/ qualify the technical skills and expertise; it would not be apt for me to comment about stalwarts. I leave to music critics and Connoisseurs.

Signing off,

SPH