Notes....

 

My life has revolved around this one entity called ‘music’ forever. Formative years was forceful listening and then it moved on to a varied personal choice.. Genres of music have moved as age and feelings grew; and the form of music has also taken different meanings from ‘identity’ to ‘expression’….Though the crux of this partnership has been cemented through time.

Music is made up of tiny fellows called notes, each at their own frequency. And when we string these notes of varying frequencies together, tunes are born. Some are beautiful as they connect with each other and complement the preceding and succeeding note. Varied combinations are possible with each of these notes and their connections.

 I don’t know whether it is the constant bombardment of music I give myself, or  how I am tuned or the phase of my life I am in ☺ ; but lately I have realised an omnipresence of music all around me. Everyone around, seems to reverberate a frequency and thus according to me represents a note! Some are weird or a little off in their tuning and stand out as a komal or flat note. Some are shudh or natural notes and some others are Teevr or sharp notes. But each having their own identity…

When people who connect, complement each other, they tune in and bring alive something really magical.. like a ‘raag’ in Indian music. Life then goes on with the combination of these notes; wherein sometimes you go along with these notes and some other times you go alone.  Opportunities and difficulties faced, are spent together with the complementing notes!

Like the ascending notes of a raag (Aaroh) we get associated with some people in our growing years of life. Sometimes the same people are around us even as we start aging (Avroh)… something like a perfect raag of limited and same notes in its aaroh and avroh. While there are the other wild lives who meet interesting people all along and every person in their lives would bring in a different something…. Like a complicated raag with a lot of subtle notes, which are used in little proportion, but exemplify the beauty of the rendition!

Some people are the pillars in our life:  ‘sa’(C) and the ‘pa’ (G) note which give us the stability we need in life. Like the tanpura, they are tuned perfectly in our lives. They bring in the required balance in our lives, like these two notes do for any tune/ raag. They just need to be around.. and everything seems perfect.

Musicians often are seen to practice every day to be able to hit the right cords. They often go deep down and dive into the lower notes and sometimes scale high and touch the higher tones. The idea being; to increase one’s range and understand all the notes within their range. Similarly I think spending time with the people who engulf your life and also being open to all the different kinds of people with their varying frequencies around you, would increase your inclusivity and acceptance of life.

My imagination doesn’t just stop with humans… ☺. When I on a forest trail or a sitting by a river, or the ocean, or listening to the rain drops I hear a range of notes, being played in repeat mode; like trance music. Here I assume, it’s the wind, waves, leaves, water droplets and branches that create the music. And I guess there being only good vibes in them; the music one feels in midst of them, though low in decibel level is highly soothing.

But how does one identify one’s own note? How do I know whether I am an A, B, or G#?  How do I realize that I am just not mimicking the other’s note?  If the note enjoys his/her own company and doesn’t need another note to entertain himself/herself, then you might have found your right cord! The note surely enjoys the company of other notes and is ready to go make music with them; but also is ready to stand alone!  The note may be flat, sharp or natural; but it will be real; a true identity. Others will want to include your note in their tunes. But until we find that note… we all are a work-in-progress.

This partnership of me and music has spread all around and come full circle. The more I search for music outside, the more I end up looking within…..

“without music, life would be a mistake”. .. Friedrich Nietzche