Music:

Access undeniable!

Angu RAJENDRAN

How is Indian Classical Music different from Western Classical music? They are like two different languages. “Like English and French for example. They use the same alphabet - in this case the same notes - but they produce different music. Each one has a different vocabulary.” Spontaneous music is the best. Using different cultures and traditions you can bring out whatever sounds you like, to make the music that you want

Twenty five year old Eshantha Peiris is a phenomenonally accomplished musician who is still ‘evolving’ as he likes to put it. Having graduated summa cum laude from New York University with a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, Eshantha came back to Colombo last summer with a Masters in Music Composition and Scoring for Film and Multimedia as well.

Since his return – Eshantha has formed a fusion – jazz band called Thriloka – meaning three worlds – with four like-minded musician friends, with Eshantha on keyboard. He is also an associate conductor of the symphony orchestra of Sri Lanka.

Eshantha’s musical life started in a not very dramatic manner. When he was very small, his mother sent him to Music teacher par excellence Ramya De Liviera Perera for piano lessons. And then he went on to Ananda Dabare to learn to play the violin. Having obtained a diploma in both Piano and Violin from the Royal Schools of Music, London, Eshantha was selected by Prima Ceylon limited as a scholar.

For all his accomplishments Eshantha is very unassuming and always seems as if somewhere in his mind a musical instrument is playing and he is arranging the music.

Eshantha says that though western classical music is only appreciated by a niche market in Sri Lanka, it is very good ground for understanding music itself. With his magnetic gaze he explains what he feels has happened to the music scene in Sri Lanka – People listen to music - all kinds of music. But very few people want to make music. He says that creation of music has stagnated and this is exactly what he wants to change.

“Whether it is singing or playing a musical instrument that is what I want everyone to do. Music is a very important part of life and everyone has a right to music. I want to create a culture where everyone wants to and can create their own music by mixing and matching sounds and notes and melodies and harmonies.’ Eshantha is currently exploring Indian classical music. How is Indian Classical Music different from Western Classical music?

Eshantha explains that they are like two different languages. “Like English and French for example. They use the same alphabet - in this case the same notes - but they produce different music. Each one has a different vocabulary.”

Eshantha is of the opinion that spontaneous music is the best. “Using different cultures and traditions you can bring out whatever sounds you like, to make the music that you want. That is what I am always doing.”

As a means to this end, along with a good friend and jazz drummer Sumudhi Suraweera, Eshanthe has opened a school of Music called Music Matters.

In a very innovative, outside the box manner, young kids are taught the rudiments of rhythm, harmony and history of music.

The school works six days a week. Students, age ranging from five to 22, are allowed to choose an instruments of their choice and is taken through half hour of individual lessons, half hour of theory and then one hour of group lessons which the kids love the most where they are taught to appreciate the music of different cultures and play together in groups of five.

The Daily News caught them right in the middle of such a group class. A six year old drummer and another six year old organist are playing music of their choice while a seven year old pianist is playing along, with a teacher on the piano. They are all maintaining the same beat and rhythm. They are all listening to the others play and yet creating their own music.

The motto of our music school is ‘Nurturing creativity through music education’ and that is what we are doing here. Our children mostly perform their own compositions which we help them arrange. ‘This is what I want the world to do,’ says Eshantha. ‘...make their own music while blending with the music of others. My students don’t do exams. They perform every couple of months. That is what is important about music. Performing for friends, yourself, others and giving the world the happiness that music gives you.’