Rhythms of a Maestro A1.

An interview/knowing your partners interests Ask your partner a few questions about his/her interests and likings of different arts. Based on his/her answers complete the following: 1. Partners name _______________________ 2. Different Arts he/she knows: _____________ 3. His/her interests: ______________________ 4. His/her role model in the field: ____________ 5. The importance of Interests and Arts in life, according to him/her.________ 6. How he/she looks at interests for career: ______________ 7. Your teacher will ask some of you to report to the class. A2. Our musical wizards Look at the list of instrumental artists and match with the instruments that they play. A B 1. Shiv Kumar Sharma i. tabla 2. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia ii. Santoor 3. Zakir Husain iii. Violin 4. Prabhakar Jog iv. Basuri 5. Amjad Ali Khan v. harmonium 6. Appa Jalgaonkar vi. Sitar 7. Pt, Ravi Shankar vii. Sarod A3. Musical instruments Look at the list of the musical instruments given in column A and match them with column B which informs about the way in which they are played: A B Basuri with fingers and hands Tabla blowing air and covering Harmonium with tip of fingers Violin plucking the strings Sitar pressing with a bow A4. Listen to the text: While you listen to the excerpts from the interview with tabla wizard Zakir Husain, tick mark from the following, ideal qualities of a tabla player. 1. To be creative

2. To follow ideals 3. To recognize the subjects nitty gritty 4. To find a way to express

Rhythms of a Maestro
Part I Ria Shah caught up with tabla wizard Zakir Hussain for a chat about music and more His face glowed as he walked into the balcony and said. Hi, I am Zakir .. A simple greeting but the man in question is the legendary. Ustad Zakir Hussain. When I caught up with him in Mumbai during a recent visit, I was floored by his simplicity as he chatted about music and more over Lindt chocolates, Excerpts: What are the ideal qualities for a tabla player? The same as for any musician or artist: the ability to be creative. The essential quality is to recognize the subjects nitty-gritty, be able to focus on it and find a way to express it in your medium. It is a universal requirement for all artists of any nature. Of the current lot of tabla players whom are you impressed by? It wont be fair to point a few because the others will kill me. I think global understanding has changed. Earlier the idea was go to school, become a doctor. Later it was a computer programmer --- now parents are looking for kids to become artists. Globally speaking, there is a sudden understanding that art and culture are closer to your roots and give you an identity. There is a movement to preserve culture and traditions that make it very easy for us to interact as well as perform. Earlier one didnt know who Ustad Allahra Kha Khan was but now one can Google him. Technology has helped change not only the artists view but also of listeners. Tell us about the new musician you are discovering. Earlier there were only a few well known singers who sang all the songs. Now you have got incredible singers who sing like there is no tomorrow. There is no dearth of high quality talent, whether from Bollywood, classical, folk or other traditional art forms. People like Pandit Shivkumar Sharma, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, music directors like A.R. Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy worked their way up the ladder. They had to prove themselves over and over again to be in the place they are today. Todays young talent have longevity.

How many concerts do you play in a year; how many in India? I play over 150 concerts a year and then there are recordings with some fabulous musicians like, Bela Fleck and Edger Meyer. Last season in the U.S. alone we did 62 shows. The Global Drum Project won a Grammy a couple of years ago and we are in the process of recording our second album. In India, shows happen only in winter. Its like India plays cricket in India only in winter but that doesnt mean that they are not playing. What about your teaching? My father has a school in India run by my brother Fazal Qureshi. In interact with the students when I am in India. Every summer I do a camp in which students from across the world come together to study the gurukul way. Glossary: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Glowed Legendary Floored Lindt chocolates Ustad Allahra kha Khan Dearth Longevity Bela Fleck and Edger Meyer Global Drum Project Grammy A.R. Rahman

Indian musical trio consisting Shankar Mahadevan, Ehsaan Noorani and Loy Mendonsa Looked warm very well known, famous confused Lindt & Sprungli AG, a luxury Swiss chocolate and confectionery company father of Zakir Husain is the great guru of Punjab Gharana shortage long life noted American musicians music album, Zakir Husain won Grammy Award for Contemporary World Music Album Category A Grammy award (originally called Gramophone Award) Indian musician and music composer, Oscar Awardee

A5. Now read Part I and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions: 1. What was the writer surprised at? 2. What did Ustad Zakir Husain chat about? 3. What gives you an identity? 4. What, according to you Zakir Hussain, are the ideal qualities of a tabla player?

5. 6. 7. 8.

How has global understanding changed? How does Ustad Zakir Hussain spend the summer in India? How does technology help the artists and the listeners? What qualities of Ustad do you come to know in this part? Which one appeals to you most? 9. What qualities of the interviewer do you find here? A6. Similar meaning Choose a word similar in meaning to the given word: 1. Nitty-gritty a. Details b. Basic facts or realities of matter c. faults 2. incredible a. discreditable b. difficult to believe c. creditable 3. fabulous a. wonderful d. popular e. rich A7. Complete Glance through Part I again and complete the following: 1. The interview with Ustad Zakir Hussain took place at ______ . 2. Now-a-days parents want their children to become _________ 3. Arts and culture give us an ________ 4. Ustad Zakir Hussain plays _____ concerts in a year. 5. The two art forms are ______ and _____ 6. The Global Drum Project won a _______ award. 7. Fazal Qureshi is Zakir Hussains ____________ A8. Match Look at the phrases and match them with their meanings. A B A. to look for 1. Continuing development B. to prove oneself over 2. Having the capacity C. be in the process of 3. Search for D. be able to 4. Establish the authenticity

A9. My experience Discuss with your partner your experience of learning to play a musical instrument and your first experience. OR Why you have never tried to lean any musical instrument. A10. Read and find out Your teacher will select two students from the class and assign the role of Ustad Zakir Hussain and the role of the interviewer Ria Shah. These students will be asked to read the text silently. The class will just listen to the reading without looking into the text. While listening to the interview tick out the proper alternative to complete the sentences: 1. Rahul Bose is associated with ________ a. For Real b. for Reel c. for unreal 2. Zakir Hussain prefers doing concerts to _______ a. Hindi films b. drama c. Bollywood films 3. The real role models are ______ a. Teachers b. parents c. friends 4. In place of one film Zakir Husain could do _______ concerts. b. Fifty b. fifteen c. five Part II Your online presence through facebook and your website must help connect to you. I am on Facebook? My office must be doing that. The internet is an incredible tool. I can find out what my fans want to tell me and what they want me to fix in my presentation so that I will be dear to them for a longer period. You have scored music for films like For Real and Mr. and Mrs. Iyer why not for more films? Its entirely my fault. When you want to do a Bollywood film, you have to be there with the director to finalise the song. Lyrics and recordings. In the time it takes to do one film, I do 50 concerts. I remember when Pandit Shivkumar Sharma and Hari Prasad Chaurasia used to score for Yash Chopras films; we would be on a tour in Amsterdam. They would get a call and cancel concerts to get back to Mumbai! I am hoping someone tells me: I want you to record a song next year in September. Can you find time? Then I can plan my move. I dont actively look for films scores; I do whatever comes my way. Rahul Bose asked me to do the music

for For Real. I was coming to India for the winder; so it worked out. I am very lucky that only people who like my work have approached me. Why does music stand apart from other aspects of a film? Music has a strong part to play in films. To me the important part is the background score. Songs sell the movie; the background score enhances the act. It acts as a spine for the film. Your message for artists who dream to become like you. I dont think anybody should become like me. One day somebody asked my dad If I would be like him. He said, I hope he is better than me. He should not be my carbon copy but something more. Similarly, others should strive to be better than me. If you are accepting me as your role model and not your parents then something is wrong. Think about it. Glossary and Notes: Pandit Shiv Prasad Sharma,

Indian Santoor player. The Santoor is a Folk instrument from the valley in Kashmir. Sharma is the recipient of National and International awards. Recipient of Padmashri and Padma Vibhushan. Internationally renowned exponent of the bansuri. Recipient of Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan. noted Hindi film producer and director music

Hari Prasad Chaurasia

Yash Chopra Score

A11. Now read the interview again and after discussing with your partner answer the following questions: 1. What does Zakir Hussain say about the Internet? 2. What does the background score act as for the film? 3. Who should be your role models, according to Zakir Hussain? 4. What different things does a musician do while making a film? 5. How is music an important aspect of a film? 6. In which season do shows happen in India? Is Ustad Zakir Hussain satisfied with them? 7. Ustad Zakir Hussain asks you to look at your parents as your role models? Why, do you think, does he say so?

A12. Qualities After going through the entire Interview fill in the following web: Qualities of a table player web A13. For and Against: Ustad Zakir Hussain argues for doing concerts and against films. Put his arguments under the two columns: For Concerts Against films

A14. Comparison: Complete the following table after discussing with your partner: Normal schools of modern type Gurukul schools of ancient type

A15. Interview Divide the class into the groups of four each. Imagine that you are going to have an interview with an artist/a musician/a painter from your area. Prepare ten questions that you would like to ask him/her/ Consider the following areas; education, ideals, hardships, experience, message, etc. Share your questions with the class. A16. Lets report Discuss: Glance through the text and discuss the following with your partner. The format of the report. The form of narration used by the writer. Now suppose you are preparing a report of the same interview, what form of narration you will use. Rewrite in your words paragraphs 4 and 5 from Part I. Note down the changes that you made while rewriting.

A17. What others say:

Future Career and Interest

Your teacher will ask a pair of students to engage in some short conversation regarding future career and interest. He/she then will ask one of the other students to report in his/her words the same. Language support While you report you may use the following expressions: According to my friend He wants to He/she replies Informs that Ready to serve as Exclaims that Makes commitment to Looking forward to Check out. Check the following while you report: Use of tense Change in personal pronouns Consider all the sentences that are spoken in the conversation. Structure of sentences Use of appropriate reporting verbs Words indicating time and place ********