Sapthak, a music organisation based in Bangalore, will complete six years on June 16, 2012. The sixth anniversary will mark the celebration of a specific model that G.S. Hegde, its founder, has designed to help promote Hindustani music in the city. “There are three parts to a concert — a teacher, a performer and an organiser. Sapthak, has integrated all these three components within itself. My wife Geeta trains students in Hindustani music, our students are our performers and I play the role of the organiser,” said G.S. Hegde.
In ‘Sushravya', his home in Bangalore, his wife Geeta Hegde teaches Hindustani music to more than 50 students at present. Over the past six years, she has trained close to 400 students, some of whom have become teachers themselves, she said.
“We do not believe in teaching groups of students. I believe each student must get the individual attention of his or her teacher. In a group, it is difficult to gauge each student's shruthi and laya. A group of students training for ten years is equivalent to an individual student learning under a teacher for one year, he said.
There is a small concert hall that is built on the second floor of the house where Hegde conducts monthly baithaks. “The hall can house up to 150 people. It was built to give our students a chance to train in the art of performance. We use this hall for our students who are amateur performers. A platform to perform gives these students the courage and opportunity to perform,” he said.
Sapthak also organises concerts in music halls in the city for the more established performers on a larger scale. What sets this organisation apart is its ability to attract audiences. “In the last six years, we have conducted 75 small and big concerts. And what makes our concerts different, and this is not just my opinion, is the sheer numbers we are able to attract,” he said.
Here again, G.S. Hegde has a specific plan that he follows. “For every concert, I choose artists carefully. For example, if I have an artist from Dharwad coming to perform, he will be followed by a local artist. So the artist from Dharwad will attract his enthusiasts and the local artist's fans will form another part of the audience. This combined audience will get the opportunity to listen to both artists. And through this exposure, the number of Hindustani music enthusiasts will only grow,” he said.
Hegde feels that there is also an area-specific-advantage in neighbourhoods like Malleshwaram and Jayanagar where the audience can be found. He acknowledges that the numbers are dwindling, but also feels that the interested ones will come to a concert no matter where it is located.
On June 16, Sapthak celebrates its Sixth Anniversary. There will be a vocal recital by Dhananjay Hegde, followed by Shounak Abhisheki from Mumbai, and a tabla solo by Pt. Ravindra Yavagal. The event will take place at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, Malleshwaram, Bangalore, 5.15 p.m.
