Archive

The piano provides her with a medium to step into the composers’ shoes, explore musical periods and styles, and more so associate with basic human emotions. For Tanaz Irani, music is a form of expression and the piano, the perfect instrument due to its wide range of pitch and sound quality.

Most importantly the study of music has inculcated a discipline, persistence and determination that she could not have imagined with any other medium.  

"Inspiration I draw from all music maestros, whether it be Zakir Hussain or Zubin Mehta, because they all share one thing in common — dedication,” says the 20-year-old budding pianist from Poona. 

Seeing a friend of hers play the piano for the early morning assembly at their school, St. Mary’s, Irani decided to learn the instrument too. When she was 10 her mother enrolled her for piano, elocution and vocal music classes.  "I did not find the piano that intriguing until I finished schooling. I later realized that there could be a lot more to achieve depending on how I approach the instrument.  My entire learning experience has been a wonderful journey throughout the last nine years. My parents (Pratima and Rohin­ton) have been most suppor­tive throughout my growing years,” explains Irani. Tanaz started her junior music studies with Aarti Williams and Zubin D’Souza and embarked on self-study between Grade 5 to 8.

 She topped the Poona and Bombay lists for the Grade 8 exam of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) in 2003 and was invited for the Board’s Honours Recital at the National Centre for Performing Arts, Bombay featuring high scores in their respective grades and instruments. 

She started studying with Roxana Anklesaria-Doctor in 2003. "This was a new experience for me as my teacher had recently returned after years of teaching in Canada and I was fortunate to be exposed to an international standard of musical learning. Besides piano I also take history, harmony and repertoire classes. I studied pedagogy (art of music teaching) and undertook a year’s teaching assistanceship at the Academy of Music (my teacher’s studio) during 2005,” she says. She decided to take a break from teaching to devote her time exclusively for preparing for the LRSM exam (Licentiate of the Royal Schools of Music).

 In 2004 she was a finalist at the All-India Piano Competition organized by the Mehli Mehta Foundation. During the same year she performed for the Diploma ABRSM exam in Piano Performance and was the first piano student in Poona to pass this exam.

"My most recent accomplishment is passing the LRSM exam of Piano Performance. This exam is a crucial examination in an Indian piano student’s career, being the final diploma to be achieved. The number of students and the success rate is extremely rare and preparation for this exam took over my life last year,” she says.

 Presently an English major in her second year at Fergusson College, Irani has appeared for Trinity College Effective Communication Exams and attained distinction and been a medalist for Trinity College of Music, London (TCML) theory and practical exams.

"One incident I recall was a master class with the Trinity College senior examiner. My teacher had chosen an unusual Spanish work by Granados from his Goyescas entitled The Maiden and the Nightingale. I never quite knew I had subconsciously imbibed its exquisite harmonies into my musical expression. After the master class I was overwhelmed to hear my teacher tell me how proud she was of my performance and attention to artistic nuances of the piece and that no other student of hers had ever played the piece so beautifully. This thrilled me no end and pushed me even harder to bring out my best in other pieces that I set my mind to,” she recounts. 

Her parents have never thrust any religion on her ever since she was a child, so she grew to believe in one religion — humanity. "Service to humanity and one`s country in any form, in my opinion, would be the best way of applying the scriptures to daily life,” opines Irani. 

Her achievements have been the sweet reward of a lot of hard work. She recalls well the two-three year phase when her parents were unable to provide her with an adequate piano to practice on. She sometimes managed with her keyboard and at other times ran from one house to another to practice. 

"I remember the hours I spent practicing while my mother insisted I eat the food she sent across,” she mentions. When she reached the higher grades, they felt the pressure to invest in a quality instrument. "I knew for a fact, then, that my parents would go broke, but they would never snatch any opportunity from me, especially on the education front. Just last year, thanks to their efforts, we got home a brand new Yamaha U5 piano — the only piece of furniture in the house that matters the most to me,” she grins.

She hopes to further her post-graduate studies overseas and earn a Masters in Music from a reputed conservatory or music college, preferably in the States. She would like to shift to a jazz program after her music education and set up a studio dedicated to classical and jazz elements.

In Iran Farshid Sarhang Vahmani was a music teacher and played the tonbak for a group that performed at public shows for well over a decade. Having taken up residence in Poona since the last three years Vahmani is an accomplished tonbak and daf player. His desire to learn Indian classical music specifically the tabla and sitar, brought him here.

Both the tonbak and daf are Iranian musical instruments. The tonbak is a chalice shaped drum carved from solid mulberry wood and covered with lamb, goat and gazelle parchment on the top. The way to play this instrument is by using both hands and rolling and snapping the fingers in various ways. "The rich variety of tones of this instrument allow me to create melodic as well as rhythmic tones,” mentions Vahmani. 

The daf (in India it is more popularly known as the dafli) is a type of framed drum with the potential of making complicated rhythmic patterns and sounds. The metal rings on the inside of the frame which is covered with goat-skin produce a jingle effect. 

It all started for him when as a five-year-old child he would hear his uncle play the tonbak and its rich tones appealed to his creative side. "I would concentrate on my uncle’s hand movements when he would play,” recounts Vahmani. After experimenting and practicing for two years he was proficient in playing the instrument. When Vahmani was 20 he learnt how to play the daf, though he prefers playing the tonbak for the variety of tunes it offers to the listener. 

Probably the only Zoroastrian in Poona who plays these instruments for public performances, Vahmani believes that practice, patience and concentration are must haves for playing these instruments. "The fingers need daily exercise to be flexible to play the instruments. If I do not practice my hands will become hard and the tone will not be as melodious as it should be,” he explains. Vahmani takes immense pride in being a Zoroastrian and opines that this religion is one of purity, devotion, practicality and faith. 

Having performed at various Zoroastrian functions, college get-togethers and cultural festivals Vahmani is adamant that he will not commercialize his music or demand payment for his performances. "This is traditional Iranianmusic meant for public gatherings. I feel that playing for private parties is disrespecting this form of music. I love my music and money can never be a substitute for it. The happiness and joy of people when they listen to my music is a reward in itself,” he opines. 

In order to cross the Iranian-Indian cultural barrier as far as music is concerned this 25-year-old is also learning how to play the tabla and sitar. He plans to study the history of Indian classical music and then delve into the differences between Iranian and Indian classical music. "Music is universal and one must learn from the culture of the place where one lives,” he says.