HYDERABAD: The Devarajan household in Mumbai always resonated with sounds. In their drawing room, a four-year-old’s playing companion was a toy Casio. She would listen to the songs on television and play them back on the Casio, in her own way. “That’s how my parents realised I have a ear for music and got me a real keyboard,” recalls Apurva Devarajan with a smile. With a pleasant smile and personality, Apurva is the Mumbai-based young pianist who charmed her way into the hearts of Hyderabadis with her concert recently. Organised by Piano Forum at Bhaskara Auditorium, the the concert was in fact an interactive session and featured works of Frédéric Chopin, Alberto Ginastera, Claude Debussy, Dave Brubeck, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Lecuona, Isaac Albéniz and Mozart. Piano Forum is an initiative by two pianists and piano teachers from Hyderabad, Chaitanya Marneni and Mohit Kumar H Dodwani.
Music has been an integral part of Apurva’s life. Be it in Dubai, where the family lived for a couple of years or in Mumbai, Apurva was always surrounded by music. She trained her voice in Carnatic music, learnt to play harmonium and Hindustani classical music. “When I was back in India, my keyboard teacher suggested that if I wanted to take piano seriously, I should switch to it. So, it was only at the age of 14 that I started playing piano,” she reminisces. However, once she started playing the piano, she didn’t know how to find her way. After finishing the Trinity College, London exams, she found her teacher. “Anthony (Anthony Gomes, owner of Furtados) suggested Blossom Mendonca, a teacher in south Bombay but it was quite far away from where we stayed. He said if you want the best, you need to travel. So that’s how I found Blossoms. It is under her guidance and mentoring that I have achieved all that I have.” she smiles.
Apurva has recently won the young musician of the year award instituted by the Olga and Jules Craen Foundation. Her face lights up when she speaks about the piano summer course at New York University. “One of the most memorable experiences was when I got accepted at the New York University. It is one of the best music schools in the world and people from all over the world apply. We were prepared for the worst. Then one morning I woke up and checked my mail. I was still in bed and I remember I jumped on it because I had got the acceptance letter. That was when I realised, ‘Okay I am good enough to be selected,” she recalls.
Buying a musical instrument, especially a piano, is a big investment, she shares. “A good piano will cost you in lakhs, even crores. But to get a decent acoustic piano will cost close to a lakh. There are a lot of costs involved; the books one needs to buy, the time and effort. At least 20 years ago, women didn’t have that option; that’s why more men were inclined towards taking it further than women. But I think all that is changing. In fact, when I teach along with my teacher at her studio, we have more little girls learning than boys.”
She is active on Instagram and connects with other music lovers. “I put up little snippets on pieces that I am working on, posters of upcoming concerts. The more recognition you get, there are more chances of you succeeding. In the entertainment field, it is all about getting recognised,” she says.
Apurva has travelled abroad and given solo piano recitals. She observes piano playing is more of a mental condition than one’s physical ability. “You need to have the skill to move your fingers quick and in the right places and your hands are all over the piano. You are using your body in such a way that you are not harming your hands or any other part of the body when you are releasing that sound. You need a lot of depth, discipline and perseverance because without that discipline and self motivation one cannot take it forward. I think anyone can play an instrument if they have the will to do it.”
Apurva plans to be a concert pianist. “It would be shame for me to give up after coming so far. Nothing can top the feeling that I get every time I am on stage. The more I perform, the more I want to do it well. My love for music just grows.”
