Musical Literacy

 As a child I was introduced to the world of music through harmonium and Hindustani vocal classical training. I learned a few ragas and bhajans in that period. I was attracted to popular Marathi bhavgeet, abhangas as well as both Marathi and Hindi film music. Most of the songs were perfectly memorized and I thought I did a fairly decent job singing them. 

Yet I consider myself largely an illiterate in music. What I consider as musical literacy is to be able to identify the notes when listening to a composition. Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. I learned these in a very mechanical and thoughtless way. To this day I can’t read the notes from their audible sounds. That to me is musical illiteracy. 

A random thought came to mind. Within the person that each one of us is, there are subtle notes, just like the musical notes, that beg for being heard, seen and read! A soft note that spells kindness, one that is shrill and speaks of impatience,intolerance, frustration, one that seeks a middle ground, another that whispers hope, one that is somber and weighs with sadness or sometimes despair, one that seamlessly touches on bliss and effortlessly carries into a transcendent moment. A great many of us possibly never knew to sit down and learn to identify each of the distinct notes, harmonize  them to create a melody. In our ignorance we just kept singing through a screechy instrument. Perhaps it is not late to tune it up slowly.The shrill notes could be softened, the too soft ones made a bit crisper, and shy ones a bit forthcoming. A little more practice could create sweet music and who knows the breeze may carry it to far away places.