Music is more than just earning money

Although I have nothing against the kind of music being churned out these days, it pains me to see music getting relegated to merely a profession or a means of livelihood, says ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh

Though people have started to notice it only now, I have always been spiritual. This aspect of mine has come into limelight only very recently; maybe because I have started singing a lot of meaningful bhajans. Even the poetry I choose for the ghazals I compose, isn't anything that's strictly for the masses. I try and look for simple lyrics with lofty ideas.

Is spirituality personal? It is, but anyone looking for perfection should adopt it for his own sake.

I associate myself mostly with melody. Music, in reality, is not what one imagines it to be. Or something people perceive it to be. The mushrooming of television channels, which broadcast songs from the latest music albums round the clock has made people feel that it is something ephemeral. It is not. Good music is something that lasts forever, just like one's values and time-tested beliefs.

Although I have nothing against the kind of music being churned out these days, it pains me to see music getting relegated to merely a profession or a means of livelihood. One's whole being stems from the spiritual yearning inside. To me, music is that calling. It helps me submerge deeply into the vastness of life and gain an insight into the unknown.

Why do I insist on complete devotion to my art? In my vocation, one cannot be a complete musician or achieve success if the effort is half-hearted. Therefore, I am firm about one basic prerequisite when any shagird (disciple) approaches me with a request to teach him - that he must learn Hindustani Classical music to be able to come to grips with the subtleties of music. Traditional Classical music transcends all barriers and would transport him to the divine. Only then can he take himself to greater heights and truly comprehend the mystical side to music.

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