As we move swiftly into 2022 (and i’m finally getting the much needed rest and regrouping in isolation!), it felt really important to take stock of all the growth and learning from the year that just passed by. 2021! what a crazy year. Though it was challenging to say the least, I have total appreciation for so many glorious moments of music-making, achievements solo and duo, performances, collaborations, and the simple moments of love and connection. It feels like many years in one~ i remember at the start, I honestly had no idea what i was doing and if I would be able to continue life as a musician.
During that period of confusion and feeling utterly lost, the feeling of which admittedly has not completely vanished, I simultaneously had a notion of being found. In dec 2020 and sparked by my grandmother’s illness, I went home for a visit and ended up staying through the winter lockdown, what unexpectedly became three months at home with my parents. In that time, this deep feeling that I hadn’t experienced in quite some time took over- still ineffable in words but like a musical pureness, an innocence and enthusiasm and earnestness that i recall having when I was young~ just learning, practicing, playing for no other reason but for the music and for its magic. Though music comes alive in the company of others, in the exchange from performer to listener, I really didn’t need anything more than just me and my instrument at this time. I was reunited with my piano. There was nothing as satisfying as sitting down and playing for hours.
Though being home made me a dependent and stripped me of that ego that once strived to prove my independence and prove my ability to make it on my own and earn my credibility as a self-sufficient artist, I felt completely supported, nurtured, and respected. My parents and those of our extended community network who had watched me grow appreciated every note i played, every word i spoke. Without the London community that I had worked so hard to build and that had vanished between my fingers, the community that was mine without any effort came to light. i had a platform to share my music and share yoga. And i had eager listeners and learners on the other side. And most of all, I had someone to tell me that it would all be okay.
Completion of KYM Teacher Training - certificate and online graduation
During this time, i also got to focus on another important strand of my practice and passion of mine. I had begun a teacher training at Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram in March 2019 and got to travel to Chennai to study in person two times for 5 weeks at a time. The third time of course took a different mode and shape due to the circumstance, and what would have been a 5 week immersive became a 9 month study. Although it was very different from what we had expected—being in India, learning from our teachers up front and personal, side by side with classmates from all over the world—, the teachers really stepped up, adapted, and gave their 150% to our training. Being in the states, i was on Zoom at 5 AM multiple mornings a week practicing asana, learning theory, delving into new topics- course planning, Yoga Sutras, Sacred Texts, Psychology, Teaching Methodology. An ocean of knowledge shared over Zoom! And like everything else, perhaps a blessing in disguise. In this mode, we were able to spread our training over a number of times, giving sufficient time to practice, absorb, and study the material. Plus, it gave me some direction during a difficult period. I am honoured to have completed the training, though I know now that i have just scratched the surface. These are life-long tools that I will continue to explore and digest and hopefully impart to other individuals to affect their journeys.
I was also extremely fortunate to study violin with Dr. Sriram Parasuram, an incredible singer, violinist expert of both Carnatic and Hindustani music. I had heard of him and even heard him sing with his wife, Anuradha Sriram in concert long ago in India, but when i travelled to Chennai in March 2019 I went to hear Sriram Anna perform in a local sabha around the corner from my aunt’s house, and something really spoke to me about his musicianship. And it felt timely too, because after many years of not having lessons, i was ready to go deeper into my playing and in particular, to develop my Indian Classical playing and ear. On top of his Indian Classical expertise, he also has great experience in Western Music and even studied Western Classical violin and did a PhD in World Music in the USA, so I knew it couldn’t be a better match! I went to take one lesson with him, where we explored the raga Piloo. And i was immediately captivated, both by his beautiful sound and also by the vast knowledge he had. I knew I had found a mentor at last and a guru.
Coming from a Western background, it was also really helpful and insightful for me to have someone who could break things down and analyse/point out the nuances whilst keeping integrity to the intuitive nature of the music. A happy balance. I’m so glad that i had the opportunity to meet him in person and take 1-1 lessons + join workshops. However, it was a blessing to be able to continue online. So we met from time to time on Skype. I recorded lessons and practiced on my own in the interim, sometimes a month, two, or three could go by before we met again but there was so much richness in each lesson to keep me going, both in violin and voice.
So, just like that, day by day I carried on studying yoga, practicing music, and hoping. Soon travel became possible. At last, London started to open up again. So I came back and poof! It soon was like a new world and new year. Just like that, the momentum picked up. Tours, concerts, shows postponed from the last year were back in the diary plus everything new. Plus, the duo album was ready to be released into the world. I got swept into a rhythm that I hadn’t even known pre-pandemic. And it felt invigorating, high adrenaline, unfamiliar, exhilarating and overwhelming. it was so exciting to make music with other musicians in person, to have some new experiences like working in theatre, to resume tours and travel, to feel that ever so important exchange between performer and listener.
Below are some of my artistic highlights of 2021:
OAE and SAA UK Collaboration- Commission for Rain Finale
I was really pleased to be receive a commission to write for a project involving three Baroque musicians from the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and three musicians (including a dancer) from SAA UK. This was well up my alley, given my interest and strength in combining Western and Indian musical elements. The piece was intended for a film for Early Years and the theme was the seasons. My finale explored the theme of water and rain, and I used Raga Miyanki Malhar as the starting point, given its connection to the monsoon season.
The group finally recorded it this December!
Recording at Sands Films Music Room
I have wanted to spend more time on solo composition this year, and it naturally happened during the pandemic when I was on my own. I reworked ideas that were already in the making and also wrote some new pieces. The first was a set of piano pieces (with violin too) that sprung from a collaboration with my dear friend and dancer/choreographer Nandita Shankardass. This inspired me to continue to write more, and I recorded the piano and violin at Guildhall School of Music & Drama in April. The second set of pieces, I was thrilled to rework for a live ensemble, and recorded these in June at a gorgeous venue, Sands Films Music Room- pics below. It was humbling and incredibly special to see and hear my music come to life with amazing players and enthusiastic, supportive friends. I felt like this gave me the confidence that I could see through my compositions from start to finish- from the creation, scoring, recording, and release. You can find the two EPs on my listen page. and hopefully there will be more soon:)
Twelfth Night @ Shakespeare’s Globe with a stellar band and team of actors
I haven’t been a part of longer shows ever really, so when I got asked to join the musical team of the show Twelfth Night @ Shakespeare’s Globe, I was definitely eager for the new experience. The musician who had connected me to the theatre was Fred Thomas, producer of my last two ensemble albums and my solo EP’s as well as an incredibly gifted player/writer, so there was only one answer- yes! The band was made up of 5 msuicians, Joley Cragg on percussion, Nick Pynn, all string instruments folk and country, Fred Thomas and Zac Gvi, both multi-instrumental virtuosos, and me on violin and voice. Though we were secondary to the acting and to the play, we did have a crucial part in the emotional narrative. I enjoyed the early immersive days, watching how the director worked with the actors and seeing the actors really take on their character and evolve the part through time and undivided dedication. More than my musical contribution, it was a learning curve for me to watch these actors night after night, performing the same show yet keeping it alive with their spontaneity and creativity. And i was extremely grateful to have a regular place to come to, to see friendly faces and to share in the buzz of performing. The Globe is an amazing place, not only from the way they look after everyone involved, but also simply the incredible atmosphere of shows. Open air, in the round, direct interaction between stage and audience. The musicians were up in the balcony above the stage and since i was right at the front, i could practically watch the show each night. It took me weeks to really understand the plot and what they were saying (and I’m not sure if I got everything even after 4 months) but I loved watching, especially watching the audience and seeing the changing faces each night and little children too. After this stint, I definitely have infinite respect for actors, musicians, technicians involved in long productions. This was a reasonable period of time, and I can only imagine what it might be like to be in a year or two year long show on the West End. At the same time, it was nice to experience the financial security and the regularity of having a job for the first time ever.
My only critique might be my man suit!! 😆 Here i thought i would be in a Shakespearean dress of some kind, and then arrived to find out I would have to wear this jazz band velvet turquoise jacket each night! But even that had its plus points. I could just show up to the dressing room for our half hour call and change swiftly, minimal makeup, my things stored in my locker. It was so so smooth:)
I am ever grateful for my time spent at the Globe, hopefully more to come, and the new friendships and relationships I made.
Oh, and I nearly forgot, but one very important occasion was the visit from Syrian refugee puppet, Little Amal. What an incredible journey she has had, walking across countries and cities to bring awareness and support to the refugee situation. This is a real demonstration of how art can impact our thinking and create change.
We arrived early to welcome her to the Globe and then danced and sang with her on the Thames, the river crowded with enthusiastic people chanting ‘Refugees are Welcome'. We were all so emotional, she was so life-like with so much expression, and that was quite a bonding experience for the entire company.
Shiraz -2021- with Anoushka Shankar and co
The tour of Shiraz had actually been postponed from 2020 to 2021, and then with the pandemic to 2022, so this amazing show had been two years in the making. It was so special to be reunited with such a stellar team of musicians and such a powerful piece. Shiraz is a 1920s silent film restored by the British Film Institute, and Anoushka Shankar (with support from the brilliant Danny Keane and Julian Hepple) scored the film for 8 musicians and live instruments: sitar, flute, mridangam, tabla, violin, clarinet, cello, piano, electronics. Wow, what a piece. It really brings the Western and Eastern elements seamlessly together. The music is pretty non-stop so there isn’t really a moment to switch off, and the technical set up is outstanding. We each have our own inner ears and monitoring, plus a screen to sync up the playing with the film and all of us. Julian’s bespoke design holds together the way the musicians of different musical traditions work and suits both aural and visual platforms.
We traveled to Vienna, Budapest, Luxembourg, Dresden, and Hamburg this time around. All the concert halls were topnotch. I loved having my own dressing room at Wiener Philharmonie in Vienna, so much history- programmes on the walls from some of my favorite 2oth century pianists/musicians including Rachmaninoff and Pablo Casals plus a grand piano all to myself!
We had a day off in Dresden, which meant we could take bicycles around the gorgeous town and have some quality time to rest outside of working and preparing.
The final highlight was Anoushka Shankar’s Reflektor festival in Hamburg, which was such an honour and joy to be a part of. It felt like a friends’ reunion, friends from different parts of the globe coming to perform and meeting there. There was such a high and positive energy, as we attended show after show and the South Asians took over the hotel and venue! Not to say, Elbphilharmonie was a spectacular setting to stay- i was definitely tempted to stay longer and take a holiday there. But mostly, was grateful to be in the line of work that i am, where hard work also equates connection and expression.
Nitin Sawhney’s Journeys @ Royal Albert Hall to celebrate 150 years
As a part of Royal Albert Hall’s 150th anniversary, Nitin Sawhney brought his new album, Immigrants plus a new commission with choir called Journey to the concert stage. I was happy to be a part of the rocking band and also to be interviewed by the BBC ahead of the gig about my experience as a female South Asian Hindu woman and immigrant. Nitin always brings important and political themes to his work, and this concert continued to instill the need to overcome borders, see beyond colour, move towards unity, and not be afraid to voice.
Duo - BBC Woman’s Hour, Sands Films ‘Beyond Breath’ Album Launch, Grand Junction Album Celebration
Probably the most important and ongoing journey of this year (and the last decade!) has been my creative partnership with Tara Franks- both in our duo and trio. We slaved away and persisted through the lockdown to complete our album and keep our momentum even when we had no sign of where we were heading. And luckily, since London opened up, all of our hard work seems to be coming to fruition. We released our latest album, Beyond Breath, which is a testament to our evolution as individuals and as a duo. This work has been particularly important to me because it felt like i was able to bring myself whole and authentic to it. To bring the devotional songs that had been with me since childhood and to explore them in the musical and spiritual stage of my life now, and also with one of my dearest friends, allowing them to transform and become another binding force between us. The album has had such unexpected reception- and reached new listeners through radio platforms, livestreams, and gigs in new places in the UK like Leicester, Luton. We were also able to hold two intimate and magical album celebrations at Sands Films Music Room and Grand Junction, both of which felt extra magical with the additional music input from our dear friends and brilliant artists, Fred Thomas, Saied Silbak, and Alice Zawadzki, and the many friends who came out to support us - including my parents all the way from the USA! We do aim high, but the real marking of our success comes from seeing our music touch another human being, and I can say that we certainly feel blessed to have had numerous special exchanges with friends, families, and listeners through our music.
We have many exciting new projects coming up in 2022- including the start of a women’s string collective, ACE funding to notate our pieces, tours in the summer, and a residency at the renowned Snape Maltings to create a new improvised piece of work. I really look forward to making music with my closest friend and others that cross our paths. It certainly feels at this time that 2 is better than 1:)
Ironically, in a time where London stopped and really all the world stopped and I questioned why I was here without music, it somehow started to become my home even more. I value the relationships that I have long made more than ever before, and coming out of a time of stillness, I feel ever more connected to and grateful for my role as an artist. Signing off here, and wishing you all a safe, inspired, and peaceful start to 2022.
Preetha 💕
