Two good concerts in one week – a Musical Extravaganza organised by Vasco-based Meenahshi Bawa at the MD’s bungalow, Zuarinagar on Saturday 8 September and a Concert of Classical Music presented by the Music Lovers’ Society in association with the Kala Academy on Tuesday 11 September at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hall, Panaji. Both events showcased the emerging Goan talent – choral and instrumental – under the nurturing guidance and inspiration of the teachers at Vasco and the Conductor of the Goa State String Orchestra (GSSO), Nauzer Daruwala. The support system runs deeper and wider – the presence and the encouraging words of the Chief Guest, Desh Prabhu, the Vice Chairman of Kala Academy, Phal Desai, Fr. Almeida in Panaji and some of our prime Panjim-based music teachers and the Chief Guest, Lambert Mascarenhas, together with well known teachers at Vasco and of course parents and music lovers.

Our upcoming musicians need and deserve the admiration of the elders of the tribe. There were so few at the excellent Panaji concert. The members of the GSSO were relaxed and radiant, confidence oozing out of them before the concert and this was reflected in their performance. Yes there were a few lapses in intonation and the bowing may not always have the bounce and zing required but the playing had soul. They played from the heart, living the music. The cellos and double basses zapping with a strong beat, the violins and violas dancing very pleasantly indeed, Nauzer Daruwala caringly monitoring and controlling the overall sound.

The three “Miniatures” by Antonio de Figuerido, Goan Folk Music arranged for Strings brought the Concert to a delightful close. We were in beautiful home territory with the third piece particularly hauntingly memorable and lovingly performed. Backstage after the performance, members from the audience wove together with our performers in appreciating the music making as one big family. The way to go.

This “family” atmosphere pervaded the Vasco concert as well, creating a platform for some very young performers who had been studying music for three months or less, even two weeks! Amazingly, the youngest and the least experienced performed with a fresh openness. Hats off to the teachers for dipping far and wide into an interesting collection of suitable pieces. The comfort zone was constantly maintained, ensuring the absence of technical stress. I have commented before on performers straining at the seams with works beyond their technical capability (basically an ego trip) and imposing a tragic struggle on the audience. The children were enjoying the music and the experience of stepping on the performing platform.

I was also impressed by the versatility of the students. Meenakshi is a piano teacher but there was a solfeggio teacher, violin, guitar, electronic keyboard and delightful choral work under Nayantana Mascarenhas de Lima Leitao whose lively visually fascinating musical personality has yet to be transferred to her students. The four hand piano and self-accompanied singing performances were most welcome. Surabhee Yaduvanshi, whom I knew as a very young kid at Sunshine Worldwide School when I was Principal there, has blossomed into a very poised young lady musically sensitive in her solo and four hand piano playing, accompanying herself on the guitar in a song and participating in the choir as well. Mario and Ivo D’Costa performed in a violin duet as well as solo piano. Many others were involved in duo and solo performances. Piano touch and tone are very important. Even the youngest displayed an understanding of that importance. Simran Bandekar’ fluid left hand, Aditi Naik’s powerful attack, Bharavi Kharangate’s dynamic shading and Nicholas da Lima Leitao’s distinctive Chopin touch in the composer’s “Funeral March” achieved pianistic excellence.

The pursuit of What? When? Where? imprisons people in mediocrity. How boring History can become in the hands of a factual teacher. Notes dictated and laboriously scratched on paper by students spells the death knell of this fascinating subject. The love of the great works of Literature dies a thousand deaths in unimaginative classrooms. The words falling golden on the page are nailed to the reluctant students who hate the painful burden of memorising lengthy explanations. And a music journey that measures its success through set pieces of the Trinity College or Royal College London exams is a narrow pathway to mere competency and not excellence. It is not a horse prancing through the landscape, enjoying the vast panoramas. Instead, it is tied to a cart pulling it uphill laboriously with blinkers on to restrict its vision. And we are riding on this conveyor belt with satisfied grins.

Lang Lang the world famous Chinese pianist insists on personal connectivity. Music students have to explore HOW a composition affects them, How it comes together, WHY it affects them, Why it was written. People who steadfastly ground themselves in the WHAT camp have their noses on the ground. They never look up. They will always be the plodders. Their music can be competent but hardly ever inspired. The quest for HOW pulls them higher on the creative ladder. But it’s the person who seeks to know WHY that achieves mastery and reaches towards creativity. We’ve got to know who’s Beethoven or Mozart or Rossini. We’ve got to learn how to play their compositions, how to interpret their music. We’ve got to listen to others performing – our colleagues and recordings of artists critically. And we’ve got to find out what our connection IS with what we are playing.

This was week that confirmed that music was alive in the hands of our young musicians who demonstrated their ability to be versatile in the instruments played and in the styles, moods and textures they explored. It was exhilarating to experience a wide canvas of talent often with bright shafts of inspiration.