There’s never a dull moment. They swing, stretch and swirl swaras. They hop across ragas. They leap back and forth over scales. They pull out a plaintive note even as they ascend the octave only to strike the lower register the next moment. Musicians have to be as agile as gymnasts to achieve that transcending effect. And behind those flexible voices, singing strings or power-play on percussive instruments are extensive hours of practise, erratic eating schedules, constant travel, long recording sessions and of course, pre-concert anxiety and post-concert stress.
“Musicians often push their mind and body to extremes; few take enough care,” says the foremost exponent of Carnatic music Sudha Raghunathan. Quite like how strength, endurance and flexibility training help sportspersons prepare for optimal performance on the field, the vocalist feels that focussed fitness strategies can boost creativity, concentration and equanimity during performances and rehearsals.
You derive confidence, she says, not just from your skills; it’s also the way you present yourself on stage. “The manner in which you hold yourself physically certainly makes for a pleasant sight, but more importantly, it will reduce stress on the back, neck and leg muscles.”
Top-notch veena artiste Jayanthi Kumaresh agrees: “Posture is crucial, especially with a heavy instrument like the veena in hand. The shoulder, neck and back take all the pressure, compounded by the health hazards of sitting long hours. But not much thought is given to all this as we get busy with concert schedules, balancing home and art. We are often lost in our own creative world. In the past few months, though, I realised your body can only take so much before it begins to show worrying symptoms of fatigue and neglect.”
Besides the physical strain, diet is a major issue too. “Changing food, varying time zones, and diverse weather conditions, along with the tension before a concert take a definite toll on our eating pattern,” says Jayanthi.
Since it’s not advisable to perform on a full stomach, musicians prefer a light snack. “It’s best to avoid the green room staples — samosas that are high on carbs and sandwiches prepared hours ago. I prefer to carry energy bars and dry fruits. And, if possible, go in for freshly-prepared salads and soups. So, when the cutcheri ends you are ravenous, yet cannot have a proper dinner so late in the night. After exchanging pleasantries with friends and meeting listeners backstage, when you get back home, you would have also lost your appetite due to exhaustion. In fact, you want to do nothing else but relax,” she laughs.
Sustaining your energy level is a huge challenge,” says well-known vocalist Unnikrishnan. “As a performing artiste you cannot limit your daily regimen to just voice exercises and sadhagam . Keeping the body and mind in best possible shape is as important. Hence, strengthening exercises are highly recommended,” adds the voice behind many Tamil chart-toppers.
Before he began to pursue Carnatic music, Unnikrishnan was into sports, particularly cricket. Despite singing taking precedence, he never gave up the games. Even today, he regularly plays tennis, shuttle and cricket. “The amount of sitting I do for music is balanced out with the time spent on the court and ground. It’s the way I unwind and recharge myself for the next concert.”
Working out is important for artistes, points out Unnikrishnan, but make sure not to tire yourself. “We need to respect the body, understand its requirements and bring about some order in life to keep sicknesses at bay.”
Though modern lifestyle measures low on the discipline quotient, master-mridangist Umayalpuram Sivaraman states as emphatically as his vigorous thumps that it is the cure for many new-age ills. “My father would say naada vidhya is not just an art. It is a healer. And that the more I indulge in it, the healthier I would be. I have accompanied the legendary flautist Mali at a non-stop seven-hour cutcheri! Recently, I travelled to France as part of a jazz-percussion ensemble. And 2014 marks my 67th year in music. My father, undoubtedly, has proved himself right,” chuckles Sivaraman.
Today, all the world’s a stage and the dynamics of performances are changing rapidly. The veteran artiste agrees that for a sustained relationship with sound, the body and mind should be in tune. “I have been practicing yoga for many years. See it not as a fitness routine but as a service to your art and rasikas.”
Sudha, who does a combination of exercises, including stretches, pranayama and meditation, believes that an artiste should quieten the inner self to able to reach out to listeners. “Restlessness and anxiety can do more harm than physical stress,” she says.
That’s the reason why violinist Embar Kannan does not miss his morning walks. “The fresh air works as a detoxicant and it feels good to be on your feet sometimes. I also take care about what I eat — light meals at regular intervals. Snacking is usually restricted to fruits and dry fruits. My fitness formula is simple; if you can’t follow the good, avoid the bad.”
An accompanist to many senior vocalists, Kannan has been exploring the tune terrain through his five-member band Crossroads, besides working with celebrated music composer Ilaiyaraaja.
Yesterday, he left for London for a concert and did not forget to pack his walking shoes.
