Trichy Sankaran On Music, Education & Childhood Part-1
By kamla bhatt • Feb 17th, 2013Category: Chennai, Diaspora, India, People
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Prof Trichy Sankaran is a musician, composer, teacher & author. Based in Canada he teaches Carnatic music at York University.
A master percussionist, Prof. Sankaran plays the double-headed drum mridangam. He has written 2 books on Carnatic music The Rhythmic Principals and Practice of South Indian Drumming and The Art of Konnakkol. Prof. Sankaran has worked with musicians from different genres from around the world. In 2012 he was awarded the Sangita Kalanidh by the Madras Music Academy.
In Part-1 of our conversation Prof. Sankaran talks about music, education and his childhood. He was the only one among his 6 siblings who took to music. At the age of 4 he was introduced to the mridangam through an older cousin, who was also his first teacher. His first guru was the noted Caranatic music percussionist Palani Subramaniam Pillai. He was 10 years old when he made his debut on stage for a hari katha performance and there was no looking back since then. .
Prof. Sankaran was 10 years old when he made his debut on stage for a hari katha performance and there was no looking back since then. For the next 6 years he juggled his life between school and learning to play the mridangam. After graduating from high school he took a year off and spent the time with his guru playing at various concerts. What happened after high school is in Part-2 of our conversation. This is a multi-part interview.
Related Links:
Trichy Sankaran on Carnatic Music and Solkattu - video
Trichy Sankaran on Sangita Kalanidhi Award – video
Photo credit: Trichy Sankaran
Kamla Bhatt is the host and producer of an Internet Radio show where listeners can find stories about the new and emerging India and the global Indian community. As a pioneer of 'internet radio' format in India Kamla started her first show News about India, followed by TalkNewsIndia in 2005. In 2006 she premiered her new show: The Kamla Bhatt Show: Life, People and Ideas. 
