"A LIFE IN MUSIC is a rare distillate of a larger creative life" - deepti Navaratna

My family folks were gourmands of literature, Kannada and food! Music was in this mix, as one of life's most beautiful bounties. None in my family were professional musicians, and I believe that has been the biggest determinant in my musical choices throughout life. My schooling at Pratibha Bala Mandira, now re-named Pratibha Academy (of which I am now a managing trustee), was a place where we were allowed to explore the finer side to ourselves - without the pressure cooker experience of 'marks and scores'. There was a great song and dance for all things that would allow us to engage and experience the arts with an open and welcoming mindset. I was on no assembly line to become a musician. Instead, I did Rangoli, learnt basketweaving,  was proud to live a free-wheeling creative life. 

Ph.D dreams took me to the USA and to the arid deserts of New Mexico, where another new world of music opened up for me. Simultaneously,  the Carnatic music world in India, went far far away from me. At the same time, it gave me an opportunity to re-cognize my music all over again. The world of world music was opened  up to me - the fascinating swara kalpanas of the Qawwals, the chamber music ensembles, opera and the works. I looked at Carnatic music outside in and saw the beauties of my music in a new light. During my Ph.D stint, I also offered a Graduate level Ethnomusciology course of Music of India. It was a way for staying connected to my music.

At Harvard, I nursed dreams of enrolling into a Ph.D programme in music. I wanted to be a student - explore musics of the world, be high on music all the time. In 2015, after nearly 8 years at Cambridge, I cross over the Charles and started a Master's degree in Contemporary Improvosation at the New England Conservatory. 

A chance encounter led to an offer to be the Director of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts back In Benagaluru. For someone who never thought of returning to Bengaluru, the decision was almost instantaneous. Back in Bengaluru, I saw how music has many many confluences with history, art, polictics, geopolictics and culture as whole. This influenced by perspectives on my music beyond recognition. Although it was a period where I did not produce much music, music transformed in silence. 

Twards the fag end of my stint at Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, I was consumed by the music of His Highness Maharaja of Mysore, Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar. I began studying his compositions and it made me wonder about his king size life. A life that was free to explore intersections of music, statesmanship, photography and wildlife. Seemingly disconnected things which found connection only in his mind. Voila! I had found a psychological role model for my life with music. This was my nature and I realised this is the only way to live with music for me. I could not envision a life where music sang in isolation -devoid of a much larger frame of a creative life. One cannot sing like a Raja without being on the Raja marga. I would have mine.