From Learning to Teaching, and Back Again

The SIFAS Alumni had the chance to catch up with Mridangam student Ganesh Jeyabal who recently completed his Mridangam Arangetram on April 14. During our conversation, we discovered that in addition to Sunderasan Sir’s exemplary guidance and imparting of knowledge, Ganesh also had the chance to be mentored by SIFAS Alumnus and senior student, Sai Akileshwar in the run-up to his arangetram. In this two-part interview with both Ganesh and Akilesh, we came to realize that in learning there was teaching, and in teaching, there was much learning for both of them.

Interview with Ganesh Jeyabal

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your Mridangam background.

I started learning the Mridangam as early as 9 years old. My passion for drums came from the time my parents took me to temples where I would keenly observe the thavil players.  My first guru was Sri Deenadayalan, followed by Sri Prapancham Ravindran, Sri Tiruvarur Vadhianathan, and Ramanan sir. I have been under the tutelage of Sundaresan Sir since 2004 and he has had the most influence on me, guiding me through the 3rd and 2nd places in the NAC Indian Arts Competition in 2004 and 2006 respectively. After a 4 year break, I resumed Mridangam lessons in September 2010, with the intention of staging my arangetram under Sunderasan Sir’s guidance.

When did you make the decision to do your arangetram and how different was the training process as compared to going for regular classes or training for an examination?

 I started thinking about doing an arangetram in 2011. Practices then started becoming more frequent and consistent.

Did you enjoy the run-up to the arangetram and the months of extra training? Were there any challenges in particular and how did you manage to overcome them, or get by?

 Yes, I certainly enjoyed the run-up process. There were not many challenges actually. I just had to practice what I was taught.

To you, what are the best parts of learning an art form and being able to play an instrument like the Mridangam? In what ways does it affect the rest of your life with regards to performing and managing your schedule?

 Everybody has their own way of keeping their mind focused. For some, it’s via sports. For others, it’s through the arts. Mine would be playing the Mridangam. The extra practice didn’t really affect my schedule as at that time I had already completed my education and was waiting for National Service.

What was the experience on the actual day of your arangetram and what was your favourite moment? Do you remember the day in great detail?

 I was pretty nervous before the concert but I managed to keep it under control once the concert started. My favourite part of the concert was the Ragam Tanam Pallavi as it was very unique and and was rendered superbly by Dr Ganesh, the vocalist. Overall the concert was a success, as all those performing on stage were very good artists who brought the concert to a higher level. Special thanks must be mentioned to Akileshwar on the Ghatam, He was a strong source of support for me, always backing me when required. 

How would you describe the relationship between you and your Guru and in what ways has he moulded you into the artist that you are today?

 We have a very nice relationship. He's not only a fantastic performer but also a fantastic Guru. He doesn’t really scold and is very patient. I've understood that the most learning that any student can do is through observing somebody better. And so, I'm grateful to have a Guru like him from whom I can learn a lot just by observing his playing.

Through this whole process, you had one of our senior SIFAS Alumni members, Sai Akileshwar, mentoring and helping you to prepare for the arangetram. What was the experience of having a mentor like? What did you learn from him, whether directly or indirectly (through obvservation or your own introspection etc) and how did he help you through this?

Having a mentor isn’t just for this arangetram; it is having a person assist me to improve in the art form over time. I spend a lot of time with Akilesh and we have the same classes.  I've seen how he plays and I like the fact that he's always trying to do something unique that nobody else does. That makes him stand apart. And since I'm obviously not as talented as him, I look at how he thinks and try to figure out something along those lines.

I learn from Sundaresan Sir a lot just by observing, but sometimes I don’t get what he's playing or how he's playing it. In such instances, I'm able to depend on Akil to give me a better explanation.

 At this point, do you see yourself continuing with this art form for many years or taking it more or less seriously in the future?

 Yes, I do see myself continuing this art form in the future. That's because, as mentioned earlier, it helps me to keep my mind focused.

  Interview with Sai Akileshwar  

What was the experience of having to mentor Ganesh through his arangetram practices?

 It was not particularly different from the normal way I behave towards my fellow students; I was only replicating how Sundaresan Sir taught me. Previously, I had mentored Sriram Sivakumar for the NAC Indian Music Competition last year, and I found that it was not difficult to mentor someone. I have been a bridge between Ganesh and Sundaresan Sir during the build-up to his Arangetram. We couldn’t have expected Sundaresan Sir to be there all the time, as he had commitments to other students and the SIFAS festival concerts. I did feel some pressure because Sundaresan Sir expected me to help Ganesh in his preparations. Whenever things didn’t go exactly to plan during rehearsals, I would feel that more practice was needed. To his credit, Ganesh really committed himself to the rehearsals, took all the criticism well, and it showed on the day.

 How do you feel Ganesh has progressed from his initial arangetram practices to the actual performance on the arangetram day?

There has been a big improvement in his playing. Initially, he lacked stamina and his Mridangam tones were not clean enough. To improve on it, we did a lot of rudimentary exercises, which are really important to get a good tone. He also used to speed up while accompanying for songs, but with constant remembrance and practice he has really improved. Even Dr. Ganesh, the guest vocalist for the arangetram, gave his full support for the rehearsals. I would like to say Ganesh has done justice to Sundaresan Sir’s name during the arangetram. Sundaresan Sir was visibly very happy after the arangetram.

 Any favourite moments on stage during the day of performance?

 There are a lot, but mainly I had to keep reminding Ganesh to smile during the concert. I was playing a supporting role on the Ghatam, so there was enough opportunity to notice what was happening with him. One favourite moment was when Ganesh played his Thani-Avarthanam for the main song really confidently. Another memorable moment was when Sundaresan Sir presented Ganesh and myself both with small Tanjore paintings of Lord Nandi playing the Mridangam.

How have you grown through this mentoring process?

 When you mentor a fellow student, you really get to know where they need development. It is also like looking into a mirror, and you can see where you are lacking in the mentoring process. One major thing is that you can understand how Sunderasan Sir thinks and behaves, and you can see the reason behind his coaching for each student in different aspects. As students, we should not offend him in any way, and learning what he expects from us will help in our progression.

Any advice for Mridangam students out there?

I am just quoting my Guru here. You have to keep practising hard and practising smart. Everything will fall into place over time; one cannot expect to rush to perfect everything quickly and learn things perfectly in a short term. In music, you have to give time for the proper progress to be made. If you cannot wait for it, you will always be disappointed. Every concert or stage experience is an opportunity to learn from. Just because we make mistakes sometimes, or we are outstanding at other times, there is no instant effect. The next concert is always coming, and we should not make the same mistakes. It is a constant progression to the next opportunity. As an accompanying artiste, any Mridangam student must listen to a lot of songs. He or she should never stop listening to different songs, different artistes, and even different instruments.

Finally, in my opinion, you always have to listen to what your Guru says. Never doubt your Guru; he knows what is best for your growth.

-          Poorna Menon & Sangeetha Elango