{"id":31246,"date":"2019-03-16T09:16:36","date_gmt":"2019-03-16T13:16:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=31246"},"modified":"2019-03-16T09:17:09","modified_gmt":"2019-03-16T13:17:09","slug":"on-stage-kiranavali-vidyasankar-showed-early-talent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/?p=31246","title":{"rendered":"On Stage: Kiranavali Vidyasankar showed early talent"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff<\/strong>, <\/span>Entertainment Editor, The Times<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Kiranavali Vidyasankar<\/p><\/div>\n

Many musicians trace their history of playing music back to the days of their early childhood \u2013 piano lessons when they were four years old or picking up a guitar at the age of six.\u00a0Kiranavali Vidyasankar, who will perform in concert on March 17 at The Rotunda (4014 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/firemuseumpresents.com<\/a>), takes it to a whole other level.<\/span><\/p>\n

By age two, Kiranavali, who grew up in Chennai, India, was hailed as a child prodigy. She was able to identify over 200 ragas (melodic scales), demonstrate the 175 talas (rhythmic cycles) and answer numerous other technical questions pertaining to Carnatic music.\u00a0The\u00a0Indian Express\u00a0(June 14, 1975) declared her to be \u201castounding in her precocity\u201d, while\u00a0The\u00a0Hindu\u00a0(June 1976) wrote, \u201cMore fantastic is the manner in which three-year old Kiranavali is able to tell the raga even at the commencement of its outline.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Kiranavali\u2019s father, Narasimhan, an outstanding musician and teacher, and son of the renowned Gotuvadyam Narayana Iyengar, saw Kiranavali\u2019s potential even as a toddler and started training her in the intricacies of music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn India, we believe that babies can learn in the womb,\u201d said Kiranavali, during a phone interview Thursday afternoon from her home in Montgomery County.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy first brother Chitravina learned from\u00a0my father and by age two-and-a-half could identify a lot of ragas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy father repeated the process with my second brother and me. While we were playing, he\u2019d sing a phrase and say the name of the raga. Thus, we unconsciously learnt a lot of material before we got aware of the world around us. I now see that these things take 10-15 years for the average student.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Indian music, we give value to what feeling the music has. Also, I had exposure to my older brother\u2019s singing and instrument practice. It was similar to how a child exposed to sport or TV learns.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Under Narasimhan\u2019s watchful guidance, Kiranavali grew from prodigy to confident musician. Her early performances were in tandem with her older brother Shashikiran. As a pair of bright young children, this unique brother-sister duo won much appreciation from connoisseurs, critics and the music-loving public. Both of them branched out as soloists during their teens.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy first full concert was when I was 11 with Shashikiran,\u201d said Kiranavali.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy brother started studying with T Brinda in 1986 and I used to go to classes with him. After four-to-five years of this, one day she suddenly\u00a0asked me to sing something. After I sang for her, she said — you come alone for classes henceforth. She was a big factor in my development \u2013 a big influence.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0T Brinda (Thanjavur Brinda), the grand-daughter of Vina Dhanammal, was a significant torchbearer of the finest Carnatic musical traditions. She was primarily a vocalist, although she also played the Vina. T Brinda, also known as Brindamma, was a great repository of some of the best Carnatic treasures. For nearly a decade, Kiranavali and her siblings assimilated a sizeable number of compositions of unparalleled quality in Brindamma\u2019s repertoire.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was singing solo by the time I was 14-15,\u201d said Kiranavali, who has lived in the Philadelphia area since 2005.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few years later, Kiranavali began learning to play the chitravina, an ancient South Indian slide instrument her family is famous for, and started pursuing it with\u00a0great passion. Within a span of two years, she made rapid strides on the instrument that not only allowed her to team up with Ravikiran but also allowed her to perform solo\u00a0at many prestigious venues in India such as The Music Academy (Chennai), Krishna Gana Sabha (Chennai) and Sri Shanmukhananda Fine Arts (Mumbai).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe chitravina was always in the family,\u201d said Kiranavali. \u201cUntil age 17, I wasn\u2019t very keen on taking it up. After seeing me play, my father and whoever heard me, said I had a good touch for it. After two years, I was ready to start performing. I already had music in me. I can play the chitravina with a lot of flair,\u00a0but it so happens that I get more invitations for vocal performances.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In Hindustani music (classical music of North India), ragas are categorized by the time of day in which they are performed. There are dawn ragas, morning ragas, afternoon ragas, early evening ragas, late evening ragas, night ragas and late night ragas. South Indian Carnatic music is different.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn South Indian music, we don\u2019t have the concept of ragas based on the time of day,\u201d said Kiranavali. \u201cThe mood of the raga can be changed with the way you sing it. Before I perform, I look at the feel of the hall and the audience and that sometimes influences me. I do want to present music in the right way. My classical context\u00a0and content\u00a0are things\u00a0I will never dilute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The rich musical environment in which she grew up, the thorough training from her illustrious gurus, the many years of hard work and good work ethic, have sharpened Kiranavali\u2019s innate talent and keen musical acumen. Some of her notable works include \u201cLakshmi Prabhavam,\u201d a special dance production in which she was a lead singer, and her much-acclaimed concert featuring a single piece in 101 and 108 ragas respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

She is the first Carnatic musician to win prestigious project and educator grants from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (2014) and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (2014 & 2016). She was invited by the University of Pennsylvania to spearhead a Carnatic music performance course and has been a Professional Associate there since Spring 2016.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my show this Sunday, I\u2019ll be accompanied by violin and two mridangams,\u201d said Kiranavali. \u201cI\u2019ve decided on some of the ragas and have an idea of what I\u2019d like to sing. I will also have a student singing along with me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Kiranavali \u2013 https:\/\/youtu.be\/9dVbTmH2uh0<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at The Rotunda will start at 5 p.m. Admission is free, but a donation is requested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Sean McConnell<\/p><\/div>\n

On March 16 Boot and Saddle (1131 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, 215-639-4528, www.bootandsaddlephilly.com<\/a>) will host a show featuring two American singer\/songwriter\/guitarists whose early family life also influenced their musical paths \u2013 Sean McConnell and Caleb Elliott.
\nMcConnell was born in Massachusetts to parents who both were folk singers.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy parents were folksingers in the Boston area,\u201d said McConnell, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Asbury Park, New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI grew up watching their gigs. I was also watching my dad \u2013 Greg McConnell \u2013 write songs. We were from the Marlboro\/Hudson area. They took Boston and ran with it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His family moved to Georgia<\/a> when he was 11 years old. Once his family relocated to the South, McConnell began playing guitar and writing his own songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMoving to Georgia was a big change,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cAs an 11-year-old, it was a jarring experience. The South was where I really started writing music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI stared writing when I was around 11 \u2013 after the move. Moving to a whole other area definitely stirred up a lot of emotions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made my first record — \u2018Faces\u2019 — when I was 15. I had a guitar teacher names Steve Rick. He had a little studio where I recorded the CD. I started playing talent shows and coffee houses. As years went by, I just kept making music.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

In his late teens, McConnell moved from Georgia to Tennessee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI moved to Murfreesboro, Tennessee<\/a> to go to college at Middle Tennessee State University<\/a>,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cThat\u2019s what got me to Tennessee. I met my future wife in college. I started playing shows there and then signed a publishing deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI split my time 50\/50 between building my career and writing for other artists in the country world in Nashville. Writing for other people was a huge help. \u00a0The royalties I got from those songs let me self-finance my own career. It was a blessing.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, I wrote my first Number One song with Brett Young. I also had a Top Four hit with Rascal Flatts. I also worked with Meat Loaf.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The song with Brett Young was the chart-topping hit \u201cMercy\u201d and the tune with Rascal Flatts was \u201cCome Wake Me Up.\u201d In 2012, Swedish country\/pop female singer Jill Johnson featured \u201cCome Wake Me Up\u201d on her album \u201cA Woman Can Change Her Mind.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell released his latest album \u201cSecondhand Smoke\u201d on February 8 via Big Picnic Records. Produced, recorded and written by McConnell in his Nashville home studio, \u201cSecondhand Smoke\u201d is a striking intimate portrait of life\u2019s intricacies.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to McConnell, \u201cThese are stories that people are familiar with. They steer the ship in a certain direction, then leave you off at this ocean of possibilities that we didn\u2019t plan on the story taking us to.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

McConnell took his time making the album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started recording in January last year,\u201d said McConnell. \u201cI worked on it two months straight and then did some touring. I spent another two-to-three months on it between touring. It was all done in my home studio in Nashville so there was no time clock clicking behind me.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always writing and creating. When I\u2019m out on the road, I tend to write every day. When I start a song, I know if it\u2019s for me or for other people.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWith the new album \u2013 for me, it was the topic of searching and life turning grey from black-and-white. There are spiritual undertones of mystery. Life definitely informs the art.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe spiritual vibe is not something I planned. It just crept out of my consciousness. I was raised in a Catholic household. I\u2019ve always had an interest in faith and the spiritual journey. I think this record is on the journey.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Sean McConnell — https:\/\/youtu.be\/V-B9Redp0xU<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Elliott\u2019s childhood exposure to music was completely different.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Caleb Elliott<\/p><\/div>\n

According to a press release, \u201cOn his debut album \u201cForever to Fade,\u201d Louisiana singer\/songwriter Caleb <\/span>Elliott tells his story, from preacher’s son in a cult-like religion to finding musical freedom in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t really a cult-like religion,\u201d said Elliott, during a phone interview last week from a tour stop in Asbury Park, New Jersey.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI did grow up in a really strict, religious household. It had that fundamentalist, evangelical Christian vibe. My dad is a pastor. My mom and my sister were never allowed to wear make-up.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI never listened to pop music when I was young. It was always religious or classical. My mom, my sister and I started looking for another church when I was around 12 or 13.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest miracle of the whole thing is that I\u2019m not jaded by religion. Faith can be a beautiful thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

While growing up, Elliott may not have been exposed to the music of the time, but he was exposed to timeless music.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom had each of us fur kids start on classical instruments in elementary school. I studied cello. I loved it but it wasn\u2019t very creative.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I was 13, we were discovering new churches. We went to a Methodist church and they had electric guitar in the church band. Right then, I decided I wanted to play guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI found there was a guitar at home and got it restrung. I started writing songs and it took me a long time to get decent. My mom still made me practice cello for an hour before I could play electric guitar.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBy the time I was in college, life seemed pretty normal. I was a biology major at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette \u2013 the Ragin\u2019 Cajuns. I was immersing myself into different music. Eventually, I got into Dylan and Neil Young.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn my first year at college, I had no car. So, I holed up in my room with my electric guitar and played and played and played. In my second year at college, I got my first gig at Bisbano\u2019s Pizza Parlor in Lafayette.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI started getting a lot of covers up my sleeve. In my last two years at college, I was earning all my money doing cover songs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Eventually, Elliott\u2019s musical journey took him to Muscle Shoals, Alabama.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI released an EP of tunes in 2012 and it didn\u2019t do anything,\u201d said Elliott. \u201cI did put cello on some of the tracks and then I started getting session gigs on cello.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne night, I was at a show by Dylan LeBlanc and he invited me to sit in with him. After that, we became good friends and he invited me to go on tour with him. It was fun.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLater in Muscle Shoals, I played on a record with him. After that, I played lot of session work with cello. I moved to Muscle Shoals in 2014.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Elliott\u2019s career progressed steadily and soon he was working on his own album.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI got a lot of my songs I liked together and started making the album,\u201d said Elliott. \u201cI had a good rapport with the engineer on the album — Ben Tanner.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Tanner, who is a respected producer and engineer, is a co-founder of Single Lock Records as well as the keyboardist for Alabama Shakes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBen was associated with Single Lock Records and that led to me getting signed to the label,\u201d said Elliott. \u201cThey released my \u2018Forever to Fade\u2019 album on March 8.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Video link for Caleb Elliott — https:\/\/youtu.be\/iaPgA6TsyQI<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The show at Boot and Saddle will start at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other upcoming shows at Boot and saddle are Sophie Auster on March 19 and Mike & The Moonpies on March 20.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Now through March 17, Azuka Theatre (The Theaters at The Drake, 302 South Hicks Street, Philadelphia, http:\/\/azukatheatre.org\/Bob-A-Life-In-Five-Acts<\/a>) presents the return of the Virginia & Harvey Kimmel New Professionals Production with the Philadelphia Premiere of \u201cBob: A Life in Five Acts\u201d by Peter Sinn Nachrieb.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob: A Life in Five Acts\u201d is a grand tale that spans birth to death, from America to Mexico, with dozens of true American characters along the way.<\/span><\/p>\n

The play chronicles the highly unusual life of Bob and his lifelong quest to become a \u201cGreat Man.\u201d The play is a comedic exploration of American mythology and values, the treacherous pursuit of happiness, and discovering what it means to be truly \u201cgreat.\u201d This everyman tale is directed by Michael Osinski, who previously directed Azuka\u2019s \u201cMoth.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a play I directed a few years ago for a student group at the University of Pennsylvania,\u201d said Osinski, during a recent phone interview.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBob is born in the restroom at a White Castle. He doesn\u2019t always go about things the right way. This play is about his entire life.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt starts with his birth on the bathroom floor of a fast food restaurant and covers 70-80 years \u2013 his whole life. He was on a road trip until age 12 and lived at rest stops until he was 18.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe play picks certain crucial periods where he has to make a decision in his life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Bob does not lead a run-of-the-mill existence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt one rest stop, Bob meets a woman he falls in love with,\u201d said Osinski. \u201cAct 3 is when he\u2019s 30. He keeps a list of things he wants to do. When he is 30, he reaches a point where he can\u2019t take it anymore. He keeps disappointing himself and other people. Later in the play, Bob takes a darker turn.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIn Act 4, he is 50 years old and is a selfish miser. Act 5 is the epilogue. We meet all the characters he has encountered in his life. Finally, when he\u2019s 70, he is peace with himself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

This production features the rising talent of Paul Harrold, Sabriaya Shipley, Frank Jimenez, Claris Park and Dan D\u2019Albis.<\/span><\/p>\n

The set features a large map of the United States. Actors will use found objects and magically pull props from areas on set the audience didn\u2019t know existed.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Osinski, \u201cIt will resemble a live action illustrated story book for adults.\u201d
\nAzuka continues its pay-what-you-decide model for this show where audiences are invited to experience the art on stage and pay what they think it is worth after. \u201cBob\u201d runs 120 minutes with one intermission and is recommended for audiences 15-and-older.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times Many musicians trace their history of playing music back to the days of their early childhood \u2013 piano lessons when they were four years old or picking up a guitar at the age of six.\u00a0Kiranavali Vidyasankar, who will perform in concert on March 17 at The Rotunda (4014 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31248,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7529],"tags":[11057,11055,6518,11054,11056],"class_list":["post-31246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-d-arts-entertainment","tag-bob-a-life-in-five-acts","tag-caleb-elliott","tag-featured","tag-kiranavali-vidyasankar","tag-sean-mcconnell"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31247,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31246\/revisions\/31247"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31248"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kennetttimes.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}