Meet GAAYATRI

We had the good fortune of connecting with GAAYATRI and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi GAAYATRI, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
“सत्यमेव जयते”

Satyameva Jayate

I deeply believe that the more we align ourselves with truth, the more we divine ourselves and usher in harmony.

When I was a child, I lived with my parents and Grandparents. My Grandfather had a lifelong love for Hindustani Raaga music. I grew up listening to Hindustani Raaga music and sang along to all the great masters of this practice. I had an absolute favorite artist out of them all – the Sarod maestro and GRAMMY nominee – Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. His album “Journey” was the one I would listen to for hours. Somehow instinctually, I connected to his music from my soul. I told my parents I would learn singing from him when I was 2. Unlike most parents who would take this to be the musing of a child, my parents took my words seriously. They searched for a way to make this possible. After some research, they came to know he had a music school in Marin County called the Ali Akbar College of Music, and was actively teaching classes. When I was 4 years old, my Dad relocated the entire family from Colorado to California just so that I could start taking music lessons.

It was something of a miracle – here was a world renowned master musician of a very rare craft, 74 years of age at the time back in 1996, meeting with a 4 year old child eager to learn music from him. Upon seeing me, he remarked, “well, I don’t usually take students this young, but let me see.” I will never forget the day he took my hand, walked me across the green carpeted classroom to the music stage, and asked me to sing “Sa”, the first Sargam (Indian Solfeg) note of a scale. After singing Sa, without a moment’s hesitation, he said “keep her here.” From that day forward, I grew up sitting right at the foot of the Maestro attending his vocal classes and learning Raaga music from him for the rest of my childhood.

I did not fully understand growing up the depth of the ancient knowledge that I was being taught with full uninterrupted access and authentic intention by one of the greatest practitioners of all time. What I learned was not Hindustani Raaga music as a performance art – it was the deep spiritual practice of Naad Yoga through Raaga. This is what made my Guru so different from the rest of the musicians of his time, and what captivated so many people from so many diverse backgrounds to come together to sit in his classes. At a time when the true practice and authentic knowledge of Naad Yoga through Raaga is on the decline, at the AACM it persisted well into the 21st century bringing deep healing to all who attended classes. Today, after 28 years of study, I feel I am only beginning to uncover and understand the legacy left behind.

I was not only the youngest student in his classes, but also one of the only students with Indian heritage. Most students came from a host of different countries, spoke many languages, played various instruments, spanned different age groups, and many were already accomplished musicians attending his masterclasses. The room would be filled with anywhere between 30-60 people in each class from all walks of life aligned over the experience of Naad Yoga through Raaga. When asked about the question of this being an Indian practice and therefore how to culturally relate to it if not Indian, Baba would remark “what, sun is not in your culture? Sky is not in your culture?” Not only did I learn what it means to live Naad Yoga as a lifestyle through Raaga, I also learned one fundamental truth. Anything rooted in universal truth will resonate across every boundary and unite us as humans.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider myself to be a Naad Yogini first, and musician second. I see music as a Siddhi, or acquired ability, along the path of the this yogic practice, not the end goal. So I try to approach it less as an art, and more as a spiritual Sadhana. I also separate “music” from Naad Yoga, especially when it comes to music made for entertainment vs. sacred music practiced as a path toward enlightenment. They both have their own special place.

Secondly, as far as Hindustani Raaga practice goes, my story is a bit unconventional. I grew up learning vocal from an instrumentalist. Our lineage of Hindustani music is famous for its instrumentalists – who include the biggest names in the world of Hindustani music, including my Guru, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan himself, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Smt. Annapoorna Devi, and the Grandfather and founder of the current format of the tradition, Ustad Allauddin Khan to name a few. While our lineage traces its roots back to the famed singer Mian Tansen, since the era of his daughter Saraswati, there has not been a single musician who was considered a performing vocalist – though the vocal music was stewarded and passed down generation to generation down to present day, until it reached me. I was trained extensively by my Guru to be a pure performing vocalist of this lineage.

One of the challenges I experienced along this journey was to authentically reconstruct the vocal music renditions of this style. I had to take the musical template laid out by my teacher on what to sing, and figure out how to sing it. What I had to research and study on my own was how to develop my voice as my instrument. Usually, when your teacher plays the same instrument as you do, a lot of the technical skills are easier to directly communicate and replicate through observation. While my Guru was a very good singer with training in vocal music, he was primarily a Sarod player. Learning from someone who specializes in a different instrument, I was taught what to sing, but after a certain point, had to figure out how to sing on my own. This was an extremely challenging and delicate process. I researched many different techniques and picked up skills from various sources to develop my voice as my instrument. I then had to match carefully and appropriately where each technique should be applied within the template laid out by my teacher to reconstruct the correct representation of this unique vocal style. What was perhaps most rewarding was to be able to present this research to my Guru’s sister, Smt. Annapoorna Devi, and receive her blessing that I was rendering the music as per the authentic teachings of their father.

I feel that as I deepen my skills, I’m able to unlock more depth and power in the Raagas. I hope to keep learning more and more to discover what other hidden secrets can be uncovered from this practice. It is a privilege to get to do it – especially in this day and age.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spot to eat is probably Cafe Gratitude in Venice for some healthy and delicious, rejuvenating vibes. I would also be sure to hit up Power Yoga East in Santa Monica. The studio is serene, and welcoming to all to participate in Yoga as a community. Then of course jam out in Palisades Park by the bluffs, and take a little night time dip in the ocean under the stars next to the Pier.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to dedicate this shoutout to my Guru, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, who worked so tirelessly for 42 years to improve access to authentic Naad Yoga practiced through Raaga to all who wished to learn. I also want to give a shoutout to my fellow Guru Bandhu from the Ali Akbar College of Music. Growing up, I would never have understood the power of this practice without having been so lovingly welcomed into a community that practiced Raaga as a lifestyle. I was blessed to grow up with a strong community oriented around this – which supported and sustained my interest. It made the challenges feel more like an exciting new level to beat in a game rather than something lonely and burdensome. I was always excited to learn new skills, refine my practice, and inspired to keep finding more depth thanks to the encouragement and love I received.

Website: https://gaayatrimusic.com/

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