13-year old Rishikesh Tirumalai of New Jersey, who participated in the Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana, shares his experiences with KutcheriBuzz readers here...
One Saturday morning, my mother asked me if I would like to enter in the music competition in the annual Thyagaraja Aradhana 2006 in Cleveland. After consulting with my mridangam guru, Dr. Suresh Ramachandran, with his blessings and permission, I decided to enter. I had to choose three talams from which the judges will pick one for me to play at the competition. I chose to practise Misra Chapu, Adi, and Khanda Ekam. Although I had been learning mridangam for the past seven years from my teacher, I was uncertain about whether I was prepared for this event.
We arrived at Cleveland on the day before. It was a long road trip and that night I immediately fell asleep. The next morning, I woke up fresh, and I was all geared to go to the competition. It was a very healthy contest. There were a total of 26 participants in mridangam, compared to 18, last year. I noticed that many of the participants were very well prepared. I don’t know how the other participants felt, but I felt nervous as the competition was held in an intimate setting, in a small classroom. The judges were seated up close near the area where we played. The judges made everyone feel comfortable. The atmosphere was amicable for us to play in the best possible way.
I was the eighth person in line, and I heard many good performances while waiting for my turn. When my name was called, I had butterflies in my stomach. I quickly set up my instrument in front of the judges, and prayed to the almighty to help me perform to my best. I felt blessed and honored to be in front of the veteran percussionists, Shri Vellore Ramabadran Sir, Shrimushnam Raja Rao Sir, and Shri Mannarkudi Eshwaran Sir. I felt very fortunate that I got the opportunity to meet the stalwarts in the field of Carnatic music. When I finally finished my performance, to my astonishment, one of the judges asked me to recite my final korvai, and I did. After I had finished, I heard many more participants showcasing their skill and talent.
The next day, we returned home. Soon after, one of our family friends called to inform us that I had won second prize! I was glad that I received the award, but I assured myself that I would work harder in the future. I realized that with practice and focus, I can achieve anything that I set my mind to.
You can write to Rishikesh at rktirumala@aol.com
