Traditions: Ohio Heritage Fellows; 301; Hasu Patel interview, part 2 of 2

Q:

HASU: It is not a lost art. Music... classical music never dies. It has up and downs but never dies. Here in America there are so many music teachers teach sitar. So, kids go there but I give you one example not to make nice or better or good... I was in, uh, (INAUDIBLE) uh, residence program in upstate New York and, uh, one guys says, I want to take a private lessons from you, I learn Sitar. I said, no problem, come. Uh, I told... he says... when he came, he wanted to learn for three days, I say, okay come, no problem. He came, I said, why don’t you please play what you play and it’ll show me your lessons, how you do it. He was playing everything wrong and I explained that this not correct, we just strike in and out, there’s only two ways you can rest sitar in and out but there are rules and regulations to play. So, I say, Peter, I don’t want your money but you are not offended I want you to correct... you to correct... get correct where to play otherwise I cannot teach, this is my name, it’s my name. I cannot teach incorrectly. So, he says, okay. So, out of three days, two and half days I corrected him, for half I showed him (INAUDIBLE) composition. The point is, the right people teaching but I want them to learn from proper student... teacher.

Q:

HASU: Sitar is very ancient instrument. Um, still goes back to 5,000 years. It’s, uh, it’s a form of (INAUDIBLE) from the goddess Saraswathi the goddess of knowledge played and this is another transformation came out. Sitar is very, uh, sacred instrument, uh, and, uh, I do not know how to put correctly but I will try. Sit... the traditional form to play in India for the serious musician is very important. You cannot just play sitar the way you want to play. It cannot... the rules and regulations, the play, how to play. Uh, the raga structure you cannot... the musicians play very well one, I know that for sure. Everybody in the audience they notice also but they were mixing the raga’s, they were playing wrong strokes so they did not get any portfolio from (INAUDIBLE). I was in, uh, there is another and, uh, and, uh, there is a, uh, organizations who recognize the musicians from west... west, all the foreign countries and they give award. So, six, seven, eight years ago I got a award (INAUDIBLE) like (INAUDIBLE) India and I got that award from that institution also. I didn’t go but they must... they must have picked me up from internet.

Q:

HASU: Good question. The reason you like to know, music is a meditating music that soothes your body, mind and soul. It calms you down. It’s like it take care of your disease, take care of worries. When you listen to classical calm music, you will see how calming music... my first CD the Gayaki Sitar has been used in many yoga centers for meditating music. I don’t know but people tells me they’re there. So, music is very meditative, calms you down and I think music is the one who fights with my physical problems.

Q:

HASU: One thing about that last questions, music will keep you alive, don’t need the medicine also. And, you didn’t ask me about, uh, I think you’ve asked me everything mostly. But, uh, I go to many yoga centers, yoga asylums where I don’t play... they call me as a performer, guest artist. So, I perform but, uh, concerts but I, uh, I tell them that I’m going to stay one week so I teach the people there Indian music in the pure form, workshops. That’s more important to me, people learn. I don’t charge but it just, uh, imitated in ground... Second thing also, when you, uh, I go to the healing conference, sound healing conference, El Paso, Mexico, New Mexico. There was one week I was there how the sound heals you. I... so, I go and whenever people call me I just go but music is a healing process in the life. Listen to, not by any music classical. Even I listen in the night time and every morning I wake up (INAUDIBLE) for the last 30, 40 years. I like Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Sherbert anything, whatever it comes on that time and believe me that gave me the inspiration to... looks like to compose my concerto. How they interact the instruments. I didn’t realize but now I slowly, slowly when I listen now I say, wait a minute this is the one, they gave me the unconscious way to compose the orchestra music.

Q:

HASU: My father was so much in discipline, so he had around the clock activity for us and whether you are six-year-old or 10-year-old, 20 years old, he won’t let us stay idle. So, it was like (INAUDIBLE) us, you know, like it’s so much to do but that inner voice and his discipline and his love brought me to this stage where I cannot live without, you know. I taught to my students also sitar, they learn, they play so much. But, they don’t practice every day and that’s why I don’t like it.

ROOM TONE END