In each of record-making attempts, keyboardist M.S. Martin has included his students. As a way of showing their gratitude for such thoughtfulness, his students, led by their parents, put up a show that acknowledged their master's efforts in moulding their careers.
Titled ‘Raagasangamam’, the two-hour concert on keyboard, held recently at the Music Academy, was an ensemble presented by nine students of Mellifluous Melodies, the music school run by Martin. From receiving the guests to ensuring the smooth run of the last song on the list, parents showed commendable involvement in conducting the event.
Unlike the performances aimed at the record books, where combined effort was crucial for success, some of the students anchoring this show had to practise alone and hard because they had to perform solo.
The students also formed themselves into groups for some performances. “For the last few weeks, they have been practising extremely hard. I heard my son humming the tunes in his sleep. The children were invariably exhausted after a practice session,” said Pattu Subramaniam, whose son Raghav participated in the event.
For this show, nine students proficient in Carnatic music were chosen. “Ragas can be played on the keyboard and this show showcased the beauty contained in each raga,” said Martin.
Carnatic vocalist Sirkazhi G Siva Chidambaram was the chief guest.
It may be recalled that in January this year, Martin presented a show featuring 229 students on the keyboard to enter the Guinness World Records.
Similarly, in 2011 and 2009, he organised other events with his students to enter the Guinness World Records and Limca Book of Records.
K. S. Adhiyan, S. Chellammal, S. Harikrishnan, S. Raghav, K. Ramcharan, S. Ramakrishnan, Roshan S. Kaundinya, Sai Prashanth and B. Vijay Krishna have been a part of their teacher’s world record making shows.
