Magic of music

We are going through difficult times and I thought I will share something different which can inspire you in a different direction

 
There is nothing like music which can change the mood of a person. You can be transformed from one mood to another just by listing to your favorite track. One such place you can find this plenty of is in Indian classical music be it Hindustani or Carnatic music. Both are based on ragas. While the implementation can vary, fundamentally at its core is ragas which are a melodic framework where certain notes or swaras are to be used while going up and coming down. These swaras with the way they are placed together can evoke emotion which is why the ragas have time of day when they should be played


Indian classical enjoyment certainly goes up when you do some active listing. Today I want to share one such case with you. If you already know theory of Indian classical you can skip this and directly go to the track but if not read on.

There are many beats system in Hindustani classical music tala (literally meaning clap) which are rhythmic beat that measure musical time. One of these is the teen tal. Check out a brief introduction below.

An artist may play a set song or may freelance depending on what they are playing. Let's layer the complexity on this, the artist has to adhere to rules of the raga and tala. If they are playing a set composition then the notes or words must end on a certain beat 'know as sum' and if they freelance in between, like a jazz musician, then they must do it within the constraint of the raga and tala and finish on the correct beat.

With me so far. Good, lets add a bit more complexity to this, a percussionist playing the tala  can change speed to twice the speed or four times the speed. This in Hindustani music is called dhrut. So a faster version of theen tal is dhrut teen tal. It sounds like this

The artist now performing may speed up with the beat and end at the right note or slowdown enough that the beats go by fast enough and they end on the right note creating a contrast between the two. All this while adhering the rules of the raga and if there is a song then within the rules of the song.

Now lets come to raga. I am sharing with you a performance of Rag Desh by Buddhadev Das Gupta - Lilting Melodies 


This has all the elements I just mentioned. This is an amazing rendition of Raga Des. This raga is an uplifting raga which is true for this track as well. If you have great speakers or headphones then listen to this on that. The song is like walking down mountains where there is light rain. It starts off slow and as we start following the trail of water coming together which leads you to a small stream which is when the beat starts.

Then as you follow the trail of the stream it slowly picks up speed to a point where it joins a river and then the river becomes faster with many rapids and finally ending a beautiful waterfall.

Pandit Buddhadev Dasgupta was a real jewel of Indian classical music. You can read about him here

The Amazing Piano Guys From Utah

The old saying goes that "Music knows no language and knows no boundaries". The Piano Guys from Utah are a very good example of this. What started out as a simple idea making mash ups and making great videos to go along with it for the sheer fun off it has taken these guys all the way from Utah to Berlin to "The Great Wall Of China" From a visual artist point of view their videos are a real treat and add to it the amazing music these guys compose, its like having a sumptuous meal here there is no room to eat any more but the heart begs for more.

The production value of the video so high it feels like it would have a lot of money behind it, but, when you check out some of their behind the scenes videos there are no large production crews, no big budgets, just a bunch of guys making the best of what they have.  

On the "The Piano Guys" website it says "Our vision is to create music and videos that inspire & uplift. Whatever we do, we put our heart and souls into every note and frame."

Once you see the videos you can safely say they are not exaggerating and are true to their word.  

Check out this Video on their latest composition and inspiring video "Kung Fu Piano: Cello Ascends"

Here is a press release on what they have to say about their latest composition.

Check out this behind the scenes video



Here is an interview of these guys

Also check out their behind the scenes channel at The Piano Guys2



Until the next time happy shooting and stay inspired  

Interesting Sunday

As I was browsing through the inter-web this past week I found this interesting trailer. Visually I really liked the video which brings to life the underlying story in most dramatic way.


The film is by Chris Jordan you can find more of his work on his website www.chrisjordan.com. The movie website is www.midwayfilm.com. Do check the website out and spread the word about this film and the website.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year

"There are plenty of others willing to call you a failure. A fool. A loser. A hopeless souse. Don't you ever say it of yourself. You send out the wrong signal, that is what people pick up. Don't you understand? You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it. There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. You can never let it defeat you."

- Captain Haddock - From the movie "The Adventures of Tintin"

I thought this would be a good way to start off the new year. As people we all hit a roadblock, a stumbling point when we find that we just are not able to get beyond a point. There are times when we want to give up and say "this is it, I give up". This is true no matter what you are doing. It even more so when you take a leap of faith and leave everything to follow your heart. 

As a creative person I hit that brick wall all the time, sometimes, I just don't want to pick up the camera. However, as time goes on I get over it and pick up the camera again and go out in the world and try and make images. So no matter what your calling be it photography, art, accounting, finance marketing, radio... (the list can be quite endless if included every profession but you get the point) if you hit a brick wall you push through it. 

That brick wall is there to keep those who are not passionate out. If you are passionate about it, you will push though that wall and discover more about your passion and more about your field. 

Here is a video made by Zack Arias who captures beautifully the frustrations an artist goes though. Its quite inspirational and motivational. A great way to start off the new year. Here is wishing you all a Very Happy New Year.

 

Here is a link to the blog post by Zack Arias. (An amazing photographer and how is never shy at putting things in perspective.)

Transform :: A short film for ScottKelby.com

A Drive Down Yamuna Express way

Having promised some content last week I was in search for inspiration to write something this week. As Thursday rolled around there was nothing. Then came a phone call. It turns out that the Yamuna Expressway connecting Delhi to Agra had been opened. Not having anything to do I decided to check this long stretch of road. I carried my camera just in case I got inspired to click something.

The drive was amazing and with the monsoon clouds filling up the sky there was tremendous opportunity to create some beautiful landscape photos.

I got lot more than I bargained for, including almost running into a car in front of me. (Thankfully I was not driving or we would have rear ended) There are some great photographic opportunities and if you have hit a photographic roadblock travelling down the road may actually inspire you.

I tried some of the photography techniques I keep talking about on the blog. Taking photos with my Lensbay was a great fun exercise. Here are some clicks hope you guys like them.

An Inspirational Story.

[Warning this is not a photography related post]


I have been caught up with work and have not found the time to put down a meaningful post. Thankfully I met a few photographers today who have kick started my inspiration engine again and there will be content coming your way soon. Talking of inspiration here is a link on the Story of Mayank Sharma. If you need inspiration look no further.





You can read more here http://opensourcebrain.geekybodhi.net/