A multi-faceted youth icon, paving the way in MUSICOLOGY, AND CLASSICAL CARNATIC MUSIC with innovation and passion. In conversation with Aparna Shivapura.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It takes courage, passion and a whole different level of commitment to do, what she does, with so much ease and effervescence. The roles are many, but they are integrated into her ecosystem, seamlessly, as she carves out a niche in the world of Carnatic Classical Music, Engineering, Anchoring and Parenting.
I weave out a long thread, streaming pearls of achievement from Ranjani’s experiences. These include a magnetic combination of being a civil engineer, a well-known and established professional anchor, a Classical Carnatic musician, a researcher pursuing Musicology and last but not the least, founder of the Saamadani Art Foundation, apart from being a daughter, wife and mother all rolled into one.
Passionate Commitment to Excellence
Ranjani is committed to many projects in diverse fields, each demanding her dedication and time to the hilt. She is driving each one of them with passion, dedication and commitment to excellence. The vision to achieve substantial outcomes is high, even so that it makes the investment of time, quality and creativity seem natural and free from strains!
“From my younger days, I was naturally attracted to multiple fields of science and the arts. I pursued Engineering and Classical Music in parallel, in addition to learning the know-hows of professional anchoring. I do not remember even once thinking that I was doing many things, in fact, I thought there was lots more to do and very little time. This kept me going, of course with the support and encouragement of my family,” says Ranjani.
Music, Musician, Musical Notes
Ranjani wears many hats in the space of Carnatic Classical Music. As a child, she learned Carnatic music from Rajamma Keshava Murthy and under the tutelage of Ganakalabhushna Shri R K Padmanabha, she found herself completely transformed and moulded into a new persona. Ranjani’s tutelage under the great Shri Padmanabha resulted in paving a new path in her journey. She was able to build a greater vision, a new horizon and develop innovative goals in the genre.
This gifted artiste, is thankful for the deep-impacting role played by her musical mentor Shri R K Padmanabha. She says her musical horizons, knowledge of music, clarity in the genre and expertise has been completely chiselled by the great teacher. A great Guru takes the disciple on a great life journey, creating significant milestones, isn’t it?
An experience that covers diverse platforms, she has performed at various Sabhas, Concerts and Events, over the last decade. She has performed at prestigious platforms like Karnataka Ganakala Parishat, B.V.Jagadish Youth Music Festival, Hampi Utsav, Dasara celebration at BIAL, Kadambotsava, at various programs organised by the Kannada and Culture Department, Govt. of Karnataka.
Ranjani has also carved a niche as a Narrative Presenter of Musicology. In addition to learning Classical Music and performing at public spaces, she has also diverse experience in Musicology. She has presented lecture-demonstrations on various topics like Musical aspects of DVG, anthahpura geethes, Beauty of Natabhairavi Janya Raagas, elucidating Vivaadi Raagas through Dixithar’s compositions, Evolution of Mela system and more for Indian and International artists. This is an uncommon and unusual professional line to pursue, as it is academically challenging and there is a mandate to be technically sound, which, of course, she has aced with elan!
“Pursuing Musicology is as important as performing itself or perhaps, even more, because there is a great need for more people to learn, experience and be impacted by the values of Classical Music which is our heritage,” Ranjani says with a clear vision.
Public Persona and Showmanship
A popular and admired face on Chandana, the flagship Kannada television channel of Doordarshan, she believes television also played a significant role in giving her acceptance and recognition. She has donned many mantles as a successful news presenter, a renowned anchor and RJ, while also being an established voice artist and a public anchor for live events. Her additional and significant achievements is music composition, creative writing and more! Ranjani is grateful for the wonderful experiences and mentoring she had in this space, wherein she has worked with the biggest names in the film and music industry.
Anchoring, presenting and leading public shows lend their own shade of nurturing a personality, Ranjani believes. Her ability to articulate complex concepts, in an endearing and attractive manner, her confidence in communicating to large anonymous and learned audiences significantly enhanced in this public role. Today, she is an established public persona and there is no looking back!
Continual Learning & Development
Ranjani strongly believes and advocates the process of continual learning. A research scholar at Jain University, Ranjani feels completely transformed and challenged, after taking up research. She is grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement at Jain University, and believes it is one of her best decisions, after resuming her education here. The research program will build the technical expertise, the depth of knowledge and can take her ahead in achieving her vision.
Building an art legacy
She endorses the view that Classical music must reach greater number of people, especially our youth. Just as students get mandatorily exposed to diverse subjects, in foundational years, they should be familiarized with our Classical music heritage. Her passion, and vision surrounds this concept that music should be introduced in school as part of general learning.
This led Ranjani to build the SAAMADAANI ART FOUNDATION – a platform to nurture musicians and build music connoisseurs in future. SAAMADAANI aims to rejuvenate the cultural dissipation by introducing music across educational institutions. The focus is to introduce music as a common subject at schools, complementing the existing music curriculum. The foundation also partners and collaborates with artists of varied fields.
One of the interesting aspects of the Saamadani Program is to ensure, every student has a base-level knowledge about the diverse musical forms of the country. “A strong sense of accountability rests in my heart, as it should, with artists like us. A sense of purpose guides me and I believe that we should create a viable platform for the next-generation to become qualitative musicians, performers, critics and audiences,” says Ranjani.
Ranjani has a clear vision and is carving out the future with an unshakeable focus and commitment to achieving the same. “I am perhaps at the tip of the iceberg,” she says with humility. Truly our country needs artists, scholars and youth icons like her, to make giant strides in their respective fields, while also building a legacy for the generations to come.
A multi-faceted youth icon, paving the way in MUSICOLOGY, AND CLASSICAL CARNATIC MUSIC with innovation and passion. In conversation with Aparna Shivapura.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It takes courage, passion and a whole different level of commitment to do, what she does, with so much ease and effervescence. The roles are many, but they are integrated into her ecosystem, seamlessly, as she carves out a niche in the world of Carnatic Classical Music, Engineering, Anchoring and Parenting.
I weave out a long thread, streaming pearls of achievement from Ranjani’s experiences. These include a magnetic combination of being a civil engineer, a well-known and established professional anchor, a Classical Carnatic musician, a researcher pursuing Musicology and last but not the least, founder of the Saamadani Art Foundation, apart from being a daughter, wife and mother all rolled into one.
Passionate Commitment to Excellence
Ranjani is committed to many projects in diverse fields, each demanding her dedication and time to the hilt. She is driving each one of them with passion, dedication and commitment to excellence. The vision to achieve substantial outcomes is high, even so that it makes the investment of time, quality and creativity seem natural and free from strains!
“From my younger days, I was naturally attracted to multiple fields of science and the arts. I pursued Engineering and Classical Music in parallel, in addition to learning the know-hows of professional anchoring. I do not remember even once thinking that I was doing many things, in fact, I thought there was lots more to do and very little time. This kept me going, of course with the support and encouragement of my family,” says Ranjani.
Music, Musician, Musical Notes
Ranjani wears many hats in the space of Carnatic Classical Music. As a child, she learned Carnatic music from Rajamma Keshava Murthy and under the tutelage of Ganakalabhushna Shri R K Padmanabha, she found herself completely transformed and moulded into a new persona. Ranjani’s tutelage under the great Shri Padmanabha resulted in paving a new path in her journey. She was able to build a greater vision, a new horizon and develop innovative goals in the genre.
This gifted artiste, is thankful for the deep-impacting role played by her musical mentor Shri R K Padmanabha. She says her musical horizons, knowledge of music, clarity in the genre and expertise has been completely chiselled by the great teacher. A great Guru takes the disciple on a great life journey, creating significant milestones, isn’t it?
An experience that covers diverse platforms, she has performed at various Sabhas, Concerts and Events, over the last decade. She has performed at prestigious platforms like Karnataka Ganakala Parishat, B.V.Jagadish Youth Music Festival, Hampi Utsav, Dasara celebration at BIAL, Kadambotsava, at various programs organised by the Kannada and Culture Department, Govt. of Karnataka.
Ranjani has also carved a niche as a Narrative Presenter of Musicology. In addition to learning Classical Music and performing at public spaces, she has also diverse experience in Musicology. She has presented lecture-demonstrations on various topics like Musical aspects of DVG, anthahpura geethes, Beauty of Natabhairavi Janya Raagas, elucidating Vivaadi Raagas through Dixithar’s compositions, Evolution of Mela system and more for Indian and International artists. This is an uncommon and unusual professional line to pursue, as it is academically challenging and there is a mandate to be technically sound, which, of course, she has aced with elan!
“Pursuing Musicology is as important as performing itself or perhaps, even more, because there is a great need for more people to learn, experience and be impacted by the values of Classical Music which is our heritage,” Ranjani says with a clear vision.
Public Persona and Showmanship
A popular and admired face on Chandana, the flagship Kannada television channel of Doordarshan, she believes television also played a significant role in giving her acceptance and recognition. She has donned many mantles as a successful news presenter, a renowned anchor and RJ, while also being an established voice artist and a public anchor for live events. Her additional and significant achievements is music composition, creative writing and more! Ranjani is grateful for the wonderful experiences and mentoring she had in this space, wherein she has worked with the biggest names in the film and music industry.
Anchoring, presenting and leading public shows lend their own shade of nurturing a personality, Ranjani believes. Her ability to articulate complex concepts, in an endearing and attractive manner, her confidence in communicating to large anonymous and learned audiences significantly enhanced in this public role. Today, she is an established public persona and there is no looking back!
Continual Learning & Development
Ranjani strongly believes and advocates the process of continual learning. A research scholar at Jain University, Ranjani feels completely transformed and challenged, after taking up research. She is grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement at Jain University, and believes it is one of her best decisions, after resuming her education here. The research program will build the technical expertise, the depth of knowledge and can take her ahead in achieving her vision.
Building an art legacy
She endorses the view that Classical music must reach greater number of people, especially our youth. Just as students get mandatorily exposed to diverse subjects, in foundational years, they should be familiarized with our Classical music heritage. Her passion, and vision surrounds this concept that music should be introduced in school as part of general learning.
This led Ranjani to build the SAAMADAANI ART FOUNDATION – a platform to nurture musicians and build music connoisseurs in future. SAAMADAANI aims to rejuvenate the cultural dissipation by introducing music across educational institutions. The focus is to introduce music as a common subject at schools, complementing the existing music curriculum. The foundation also partners and collaborates with artists of varied fields.
One of the interesting aspects of the Saamadani Program is to ensure, every student has a base-level knowledge about the diverse musical forms of the country. “A strong sense of accountability rests in my heart, as it should, with artists like us. A sense of purpose guides me and I believe that we should create a viable platform for the next-generation to become qualitative musicians, performers, critics and audiences,” says Ranjani.
Ranjani has a clear vision and is carving out the future with an unshakeable focus and commitment to achieving the same. “I am perhaps at the tip of the iceberg,” she says with humility. Truly our country needs artists, scholars and youth icons like her, to make giant strides in their respective fields, while also building a legacy for the generations to come.