“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and cannot remain silent”- Victor Hugo.

The summer of 2006 has been an important  in more ways than one for Nandini Vijayakumar and SriVani Ganti , students of Veena guru Durga Krishnan and Carnatic Vocal guru Tara Bangalore. As graduating seniors of their respective high schools they have been preparing themselves to go to the college of their choice this fall, a milestone in their academic pursuits. Besides this, they have also been busy honing their creativity and hard work in another area: their musical talents. Both have been learning Veena from Durga Krishnan for a number of years and Nandini Vijayakumar has been taking Carnatic vocal lessons from Tara Bangalore for quite some time. This talent was evident when they performed their Arangetrams recently and showcased what many youngsters here hope to carry throughout their life – a strong sense of their Indian culture and heritage.

Nandini VijayaKumar, a student of Durga Krishnan and Tara Bangalore had her solo debut in Carnatic Veena and Vocal recital on July 1st at the North Andover High school. In an impressive display of perseverance and dedication, she sang and played the instrument for an audience of more than 250 people in two consecutive programs lasting more than 2 hours each. She was accompanied during her vocal concert by Pravin Sitaram on Mrudangam and Rasika Murali (student of Tara Bangalore) on violin. For the Veena recital which was part of the second half she was accompanied by Pravin Sitaram on Mrudangam and Dan Reck on Ghattam
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Nandini chose a number of pieces for each recital that displayed a wide repertoire of talent and creativity. On her performance, Durga Krishnan said “Nandini has been learning from me for the past 8 years and she has always been a dedicated student. For her Arangetram we picked some very unusual Talas and raagas but she performed with a great deal of sophistication. She stayed at my home for a few days before her Arangetrams so she could get some good practice. Her parents are also very supportive in the community happenings and need to be also given credit”.

Tara Bangalore, her Carnatic vocal guru voiced similar sentiments. “ Nandini has been with me for a long time and she is a dedicated to the art. Unlike some kids who take up lessons due to parental pressure, she has learnt Carnatic vocal out of her sheer interest and enthusiasm.  She always come prepared for her lessons and practices and am so glad that she was able to give this concert in such a fine way“

Said Nandini Vijayakumar on her gurus: “I first started learning vocal music about 11 years ago with Tara Aunty, and as the years progressed, I developed more and more of an interest in Carnatic music.  I then started veena about 8 years ago with Durga Aunty.  Both of my teachers have taught me so much and inspired me over the years, and preparing for this concert with them has been an incredible journey”.

Nandini graduated this June from Phillips Academy, where she was an Honor Roll student, coordinator of the World Dance program, co-head of the Hindu Student Union, and a board member of the Indo-Pakistani Society. She was also very involved in community service, working at a nursing home and teaching English as a Second Language to Spanish speakers. She is active in the Youth Group at Chinmaya Maruti in Andover. This fall, Nandini will enter Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where she plans to major in Latin American Studies and prepare for medical school

SriVani Rambhatla Ganti, a student of Durga Krishnan also had a solo Veena recital on July 9th  at the Nashoba Valley Technical High School. For the recital she was accompanied by Gauri Shankar on the mrindangam and Dan Reck on the ghatam.

SriVani has been learning the Veena for more than 8 years. Said Durga Krishan on her performance, “ She worked really hard and it was her mother’s dream to see her performance on stage and I am so  pleased to say that the results showed so well.  I can say she exceeded all expectations. The pieces that were chosen were not always easy and there were all these complex improvisations in many and yet she rose to the challenge and performed very well. On her two students she says "Each had their own unique strengths and they worked to showcase that strength”.

Said SriVani Ganti “Preparing for a veena arangetram was perhaps one of the most difficult things I have ever done. It took a great deal of time plus mental and physical effort. Sitting for 2 hours and 45 mins straight was extremely difficult, but it was well worth it in the end. I have been learning
veena from Durga Krishnan for 8.5 years and it has been one of the most
fulfilling experiences of my life”.

SriVani will be attending the University of New Hampshire in the fall as a
freshman with the intentions of studying Cellular/Molecular/Developmental Biology.

Lokvani wishes these two youngsters all the best of luck.

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