It
is an absolute pleasure to be contributing to my sister’s blog. It is a great
way for a writer and musician to collaborate on ideas that we share and are
passionate about. I have been playing tabla since childhood and have had the
opportunity and fortune to have learned from the very best in the industry.
Teaching
is a strong passion of mine and I think it comes from being surrounded by
educators on a daily basis such as Mum! As well as being a student of music, I
am also a student of ‘Ashtanga Yoga’(Pathanjali). These two disciplines really complement
each other as it provides one with a more flexible approach to life. It was one
of those rare divine interventions that the concept of ‘Yo-Tabla’ came to me
last year. As Indian musicians, we sit for long periods of time absorbing a
vast amount of information whether in our own practice or performance. From
personal experience, I have found that by incorporating basic breathing
techniques and stretches, the body and mind become fully prepared. You have the
clarity of thought and sharpness to handle any challenge that comes your way. This
holistic approach has provided me with positive results, not just in my music career
but in other facets of my life as well. This has also been the case for the
students I have had the pleasure of teaching.
I
thoroughly enjoy teaching kids and it is an incredible learning journey to go
on. I was a tutor at an Indian Music Summer School that took place in Leicester
in August. I was teaching young children how to play the tabla. The
transformation was amazing. Not only were they playing, but the children had a
strong level of focus and determination. It is seeing these types of results
that inspire me to keep on teaching.
Some tips
When
teaching children, I have found that keeping sessions short, varied and fun really
helps. I have a five year old student and when I sense that his energy levels
are a bit low, I like to allow him around 8 seconds(counting slowly), to just
jump, run, make noise or whatever he fancies doing in that time. After eight
seconds he must come back immediately to play tabla. The benefits are that he
gets an energy release, but then he also learns discipline knowing that he must
to come back and play again. It is quite
unconventional, but it works.
Playing
tabla or playing any other instrument can be quite demanding, so levels of
concentration need to be at their optimum. However, there are some yoga
stretches that you can turn into games. For example, seeing who can stand in
the tree position the longest, staring at an object, standing on one leg and so
on.
When
you are teaching kids that are so young, it is important that the parents know
the benefits of what their child is learning because they can do these fun
exercises at home together. However, when communicating to the child in class,
it is important they feel reassured and not overwhelmed with information. Just
by reciting and clapping a very simple rhythmic pattern, becomes a mantra in
itself. If the learning process comes across as fun and interactive, students
will react to this and will respond. The educational part will be the by
product.
Teaching
my niece Nishka is an absolute pleasure. Since birth, Nishka has been
surrounded by music in our house and it is wonderful to see her embracing
tabla. We have a lot of fun together and I am excited to see her develop over
the next few years.
It
has been great sharing my experiences of Yo- Tabla with you all. I am thoroughly
enjoying my path and grateful to have a wonderful support network around me. I
hold regular classes in Leicester, do contact if you want to find out more.
Also, feel free to follow my music journey by visiting
facebook.com/rishiichowdhury, twitter.com/TablaRishii,
youtube.com/user/04mrrishi and Rishi Arts on facebook.
God
Bless
Rishii
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