The Boston area is blessed with a wealth of very dedicated music and dance teachers with unquestionable knowledge and experience, and the cultural events they propagate through their students, along with experienced artists from all over the world. Smt. Durga Krishnan is one of those teachers who has been teaching veena and vocal in this area for the past 35 years and has had many successful student arangetrams. On July 12th, a wonderful veena arangetram by her student, Suhasini Aravinthan, took place at Medway High School. This three-hour-plus long arangetram can be described in one sentence as an event that showed beauty and elegance of the instrument, and was filled with melodious and flawless music. Sri Ram Naidu, a professional veena artist in the area, voiced his approval: "Suhasini's program was beautiful and her music clearly displayed her hard work, dedication, and Durga Krishnan's caring and thoughtful guidance."

Dr. Rajah Mahendra, an audience member, made this comment in an email to Suhasini. "Unless I am motivated by a recital, I seldom make my impressions known. Yours was extraordinary because it was more than what I came to expect from an Arangetram. With Sri Lankan students of music, the Arangetram delivers a well rehearsed prepared format, but a knowledgeable rasika will not find it difficult to gauge the real strength of the young artiste behind it. I could say from your performance that you have the potential to be endowed with 'gnanam' (knowledge) and to have the skills to give expression to it."

Suhasini's arangetram began with the Pada Varnam Senthil Mevum, in the Ragam Neelambari, set to Adi Talam, on Lord Muruga (the family's deity or Ishta Devata) and composed by the Violin Legend Padmabhushan Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman. Suhasini played the first half of the varnam in a relaxed slow speed and increased the pace for the second half where Lord Muruga is invited to come on his dancing peacock. She then played Sri Muthuswamy Dikshitar's composition on Lord Ganesha, Gajananayutham, in the Ragam Chakravaham, set to Adi Talam. Brisk swara kalpana followed the kriti and Suhasini moved on to the ever popular Endaro Mahanubhavulu, a Pancharathna Kriti of  St. Thyagaraja in the Ragam Sri also set to Adi Talam. Then came a beautiful alapana in Ragam Kalyani followed by Sri Swati Tirunal's kriti Pankaja Lochana set in Misra Chapu Talam. Suhasini delivered interesting mathematical patterns in her swara kalpana in both first and second speeds.

After a very vocal-like rendition of the kriti Alai Payuthe in the Ragam Kanada, set to Adi Talam and composed by Sri Uthukkadu Venkata Subbaiyar, Suhasini played an elaborate alapana of the Ragam Mohanam filled with phrases that brought the ragam to life for the main item of the evening, Kapali, set to double beat Adi Talam. Her paadantharam of this kriti reminded many of the audience members who are from the Chennai-Mylapore area, of the way Lord Kapaleeswara would be carried on Rishabha vahanam during the temple festival. Suhasini played kalpana swaras in both first and second speeds that came one after the other like ocean waves.

This was followed by a very impressive thani (percussion solo) by Dr. Pravin Sitaram and his student and Suhasini's younger brother Guhan, both on the mridangam, and Dr. Ravi Iyer on the ghatam. The spirit they displayed and the mathematical patterns they used brought thunderous applause from the audience. Guhan Aravinthan demonstrated his skill and adeptness throughout the performance, as a delightful surprise. One would have thought him a seasoned artist, though this was his debut on the stage, as support for Suhasini. His training can be credited to his guru, Dr. Pravin Sitaram, from whom he has gained experience and knowledge of this art over the years. To further his grasp of the instrument, Guhan had the privilege of taking instruction from Vidwan Jayachandra Rao, who had traveled from India and happened to be in the area. Guhan was lucky to have Sri Rao both coach and groom him for this performance. Sri Rao is renowned for his subtle touches and clarity of rhythm, two traits that broadened Guhan’s dexterity and was displayed in his rendering.

After a fast rendition of Thyagara's kriti, Mi Valla Gunadoshamemi, in the Ragam Kapi and set to Kanta Chapu Talam, Suhasini played a Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi in the Ragam Subha Panthuvarali set to Kanta jathi Thriputai Talam. Suhasini's alapana in the ragam was filled with a lot of emotion and she playfully included a quick burst of Makudi (the snake charmer's music) in her tanam. The Pallavi lyrics were in praise of Lord Muruga. Suhasini played this in the most authentic fashion including three speeds, thisram, swara kalpana in RagaMalika (Ragas Nalinakanthi, Amrithavarshini and Chandrakaus) and ended with a brisk korvai.

Once the heavy part of the arangetram was over with the RTP, Suhasini started delivering many popular items such as Naan Oru Vilaiyattu Bommaiya in the Ragam Navarasa Kannada, and Sri Chakra Raja in Ragamalika. This was followed by Reverie, a composition of her grand-Guru, the veena legend Dr. Chittibabu, in the Natabhairavi scale that brought the house down with loud applause from the audience. Suhasini then played an intricate thillana in Ragam Behag, set to Adi Talam in Thisra Nadai (units of 3), composed by Violin maestro Sri Lalgudi G. Jayaraman, and concluded her arangetram with Nadabindu in the Ragam Senchurutti in place of the traditional mangalam.

All in all Suhasini delivered a program that sounded more like a full pledged concert from a veteran artist than an arangetram of a novice.

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