Tracing the Music in His Memories

Tracing his own life trajectory through the decades as a professional musician, Subrahmanyan looks back at life

- By Deepa Kandaswamy

Music plays an important part in the lives of most Indians. But what drives a person to pursue a life in music? What is the difference between a musician and a performer? What is the music world like? These and more such questions are explained and explored as the author pulls you into his musical world.

In On That Note: Memories of a Life in Music, we learn about the author's gurus and his family's passion for music. Imagine being told his name is not really Sanjay Subrahmanyan! It made me grin, as it is something peculiar to Tamils. Most are named after grandparents, but parents refuse to call us by our name as it might seem disrespectful to do so in front of their parents. So, most get called by nicknames, and that eventually sticks, and the real name becomes our middle name. Although trained to be a violinist, his guru insisted his students should also know how to sing and this eventually led to Subrahmanyan becoming a singer.