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Sou's Voice

where the literal & metaphorical voices intersect

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Singing for self-actualization

February 06, 2016 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

Commoditization of technology has democratized several ‘once-upon-a-time-privileged’ professions, talents, skill sets, and goods making amateurs and professionals competing in the same market. This is a relatively recent phenomenon and it opens up several possibilities since we can afford to explore our multiple selves and talents - a luxury the prior generations never had. That said, it’s also daunting to many of us.
I will use music as an example to explain since I can relate to it more easily. Singing, playing an instrument, making people pay attention to you performing used to be a privilege once upon a time. Over time, that sense of wonder has been lost as music became a mere commodity. 
Nowadays, we teach music to empower mere mortals and for many of us, creative pursuits have become a self-actualization goal. That is, there are many singers who take up singing and sustain it in the name of ‘keeping one’s soul alive’ (or so I think) than as a hobby or career. Personal development/self-actualization has become the mantra of consolation to our troubled souls and to maintain our sanity in the modern confusing world. 
It’s not even five years since all these developments became more visible to us. I guess it’s just a matter of time when the current privileged careers will soon lose its charm. The democratized version of these jobs is hiding and bubbling underneath somewhere. It’s just that the creative areas such as music, art, film, and photography got commoditized a little earlier than several others that are waiting to get commoditized soon. The point here is not to debate whether this trend is good or bad. We would need a few more years of data to figure that out. Amongst all these uncertainties, there is one thing that we can be sure about - this is going to be the norm going forward.
In the big picture, this new normalcy is a humble reminder to keep ourselves grounded and not get too arrogant about our talents and skills and also, acknowledge our differences. It is also, a chance for us to be kinder and more compassionate to the ones who has lost their jobs and who are doing jobs that they don’t enjoy. The future can homogenize the talent pool in ways we cannot imagine.

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February 06, 2016 /Soumya Radhakrishnan
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3 tips to stick to the habit of doing 'riyaz'

January 30, 2016 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

A daily riyaz pays off in the long run if we keep at it long enough. The tricky part is to keep up. Here are 3 proven scientific tips that can not only help cultivate this habit but also, help us stick to this pattern. 

1. Time commitment - So, this habit is something new to us. Let us choose a time period that we can sustain for long enough to convert this into a habit. For instance, begin with just 15 minutes of daily riyaz and stick to it no matter what for the first 30 days. Set smaller goals and see small wins to keep us motivated to go ahead. 

2. Content - Now that we have set aside some time to do our riyaz next is the content - what we do in those 15 minutes. Initially, let's make the content easier and something that we enjoy doing rather than something that we are supposed to be doing. For instance, we can start off by practicing some of the popular songs or some of our favorite songs that are easier to play/render. If we make this process complex, in the beginning, we may not keep up the routine to cultivate it as a habit. This is an important step. 

3. Frequency - When we are starting off to develop the habit of Riyaz, merely 'showing up' is more important than trying to get it perfect. So, concentrate on just showing up daily in the initial phase. 

Now, all we need to do is follow these steps without fail for 30 days. According to Charles Duhigg, the author of Power of Habit, it takes, at least, a month to assess if something could become a habit. After the first 30 days, we should be in a position to come up with our own customized regimen. 

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January 30, 2016 /Soumya Radhakrishnan
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What does creativity mean in different contexts?

January 23, 2016 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

I happened to stumble upon Ganavya Doraiswamy's TED talk and found some interesting takeaways as follows: 


While only some of us are privileged and can afford to go behind creative pursuits such as arts, and music, all of us can be creative. Creativity is for everyone including the wealthy, who seeks higher needs on Maslow’s hierarchy and the poor, who are struggling to meet the lower level needs on Maslow’s hierarchy. The rich go behind creative pursuits for self-esteem and self-actualization needs whereas the poor use their creativity for keeping themselves sane and for survival.


So, this time, on artist recommendation is Ganavya. She's a dancer and an incredible singer. I have been listening to this playlist on a loop. 


My personal favorite is the track, Oru Payyan/Nature Boy. Her tonal aesthetics in 500 miles/Anju Kadal reminds me of the beginning portion of the Tamil song, Santhippoma sung by Chinmayi. Her rendition style of Nithakam/Summertime reminds me of Sid Sriram's in Adiye. 
Also, do listen to her TED talk.

Ganavya Doraiswamy, a Valencia campus post-graduate fellow and singer who was born in New York City and raised in Southern India, drew on her experience working in a prison to talk about how creativity is born out of necessity, and how it can be used to solve problems. valencia.berklee.edu tedxberkleevalencia.com www.facebook.com/BerkleeValencia In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

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January 23, 2016 /Soumya Radhakrishnan
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The wine analogy for classical musicians

January 16, 2016 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

As musicians, assuming we have been doing regular, disciplined practice for years, it is important to realize that our musical skills mature and becomes better as we age, just like a seasoned wine. Why is this realization important?
Popular Indian playback singer, Gayatri Asokan in one of her interviews mentioned how a vocalist's voice matures after the age of 40. She also, mentions how Kishori Amonkar's concerts sound so carefree and professional after Kishori turned 40 when compared to Kishori's earlier performances. 
What this means to musicians is: 
1. Stay (practice) long enough to see your skills and talents mature. Hang in there and do not quit too soon.  

Remember the quote: "Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly". 
2. Do not get carried away seeing the examples of 'overnight success stories' in the name of 'inspiration.' They are just outliers and we don't know their whole story yet. The only empirical example that is relevant is our own progress over time. Do not make the mistake of considering the exception for the norm. Ask the right questions.

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January 16, 2016 /Soumya Radhakrishnan
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Thematic Music Series - Time of the Day (Mighty Mornings)

January 09, 2016 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

Here is the second video from the Time of the Day series representing Mighty Mornings. It is a piano cover version of the popular Malayalam song, Pularkkala Sundara from Oru Maymaasappulariyil. I recorded this in one take and have added only minimal effects to keep it more real. Hope you enjoy it. 

Recorded in one take with minimal effects. Song: Pularkkala Sundara Type: Cover Language: Malayalam Raagam: Malayamaarutham Theme: Mighty Mornings, portraying the busy mornings of people, and nature. Project: Time of the Day Vocals: Soumya Radhakrishnan Piano: Iliya Ryakhovskiy Video Production: Sou's Voice (www.sousvoice.com) Download the song at: https://soundcloud.com/soumyark/pularkkala-sundara-piano-coverby-soumya-radhakrishnan

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January 09, 2016 /Soumya Radhakrishnan
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