Our Team
Art Links' academic council has professionals across the spectrum offering guidance and support to the growth of Art Links Learning. On the council are Dr.Vijay Nagaswami - eminent Doctor with specialization in the field of Psychiatry and Ms.Usha Ramesh - Executive Director of Brhhadhvani, a Corporate professional with over 25 years experience in the areas of strategic planning, marketing and communications.
Shyamrao Gharānā, Volume 1, 2 and 3
Author: Pt. Shyamrao Kulkarni (Dharmavrat) | Assisted & Edited by: Dr. Usha Arunachalam
Publisher: Prism Books, Bangalore
Usha Ramesh - Exec Director, Brhhadhvani
With over 25 years of experience, Usha Rameshs core experience is in the area of strategic planning, marketing, corporate communications, corporate identity development, branding & brand architecture, as well as content planning and writing for internal and external communications. Usha has been engaged in developing marketing and communications strategies for a range of industries and implementing those using conventional and unconventional vehicles and media. She managed profit centres and has led large teams for over 20 years. She has worked in the Middle East and India, with extensive work experience in Cairo, Istanbul and Jordan as part of her assignment with as Islamic multinational bank. Usha has worked in the US market as part of an effort towards marketing an Indian film.
Usha comes with the exposure, insight and generic professional expertise to be able to make strategic contribution in the field of arts and culture in terms of visibility, networking and interfacing within the sector and with other sectors, especially the corporate. She has been engaged at various times of her career, with projects that involved strategic thinking, branding, launching and marketing - both within India and abroad. Ushas engagement with Brhaddhvani should leverage her skills which offer a unique blend of contextual knowledge of the Arts and the vast marketing experience she has in the corporate world and in the world of the Arts.
Dr.Vijay Nagaswami - Eminent Psychiatrist
Dr. Vijay Nagaswami graduated from the Madras Medical College in 1980, and underwent post-graduate training in Psychiatry from the same college. After having qualified as a psychiatrist in 1984, he served the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (India), also known as SCARF as Deputy Director till 1991. He also served as a consultant to the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation during this period.
Between 1991 and 1997, he worked in the corporate sector heading the Human Resources Development function for a Chennai based group of public limited companies.
Since 1997, he has concentrated his energies on Individual, Marital & Corporate Psychotherapy. He has written five books. His first book, Courtship and Marriage: a guide for Indian couples published by Penguin was a best seller. In January 2004, his second book titled The Splintered Mind: Understanding Schizophrenia was launched at Chennai. His third book, titled The 24x7 Marriage appeared in 2008 and is currently on its fifth print run. His next best-selling book, The Fifty-50 Marriage: Return to Intimacy was published in June 2010. His fifth book, 3s a crowd: Understanding and Surviving Marital Infidelity was launched in February 2012 and promises to be another bestseller. He is a columnist for The Hindu and also conducts workshops and seminars for business corporations as well as individuals and couples on marriage and personal relationships management. For all his adult life, he has been an avid theatre enthusiast and supporter of the performing and visual arts.
For all his adult life, he has been an avid theatre enthusiast and supporter of the performing and visual arts..
Pt. Shyamrao Kulkarni has recently written a series of books on his Gāyakī, where he proclaims a new Gharānā ShyamraoGharānā and where he has developed a new classification system for Rāga-s, which is based on their Calana (movement). The books are published by Prism Books Pvt. Ltd. (1865, 32nd Cross, 10th Main, Banashankari II Stage, Banashankari, Bangalore 560070. Tel: (080)26713979; email: info@prismbooks.com)
In ShyamraoGharānā, Volume 1: Redefining Hindustānī Music a Vocal Value based Classification System, a novel classification system developed for Hindustānī vocal classical music is described, which classifies 55 Rāga-s into 16 groups based on the predominant Calana (movement) observed in the Rāga. Some Rāga-s have a straight forward Calana, while others have more a complex Calana-s such as a zig-zag movement, referred to as SarpaGatiCalana. Here Pt. ShyamraoKulkarni redefines each Rāga - paying attention to the Upaja-s (key phrases in a Rāga) and the Calana. The Rāga-s that have a similar Calana are classified together. Unlike the other classification systems that have been developed in the past, which are based on the notes comprising a Rāga, this Vocal Value based Classification System places emphasis on the key vocal values, Calana and Upaja-s in the Rāga.
ShyamraoGharānā, Volume 2: Bandish and Badhat, provides notations for an elaborate presentation of 35 different Rāga-s, including compositions in both Vilaṁbita and Madhya Laya-s. The Rāga-s are presented in the order provided in the classification system elaborated in Volume 1, and the principles discussed on vocal-values, Calana and Upaja-aṅga Ki Gāyakī are all maintained in this Volume 2. In each Rāga provided, the presentation begins with an elaborate RāgaVistāra, followed by a VilaṁbitaEkaTāla composition, which is followed with Layakārī in second and forth speed, also in VilaṁbitaEkaTāla. The Vilaṁbita is followed with a Madhya LayaChoṭāKhayāla in TīnaTāla. The Layakārī in Madhya Laya is also provided for each of the ChoṭāKhayāla-s.
ShyamraoGharānā, Volume 3: Bandish and Badhat,Part 2, similar to ShyamraoGharānā Volume 2, provides notations for an elaborate presentation of 40 different Rāga-s, including compositions in both Vilaṁbita and Madhya Laya-s. The Rāga-s are presented in the order provided in the classification system elaborated in Volume 1.
Both beginners and advanced students of Hindustānī vocal music will greatly benefit from these volumes as they are a practical guide for the systematic and complete development of 75 Rāga-s.
Usha Ramesh
Dr.Vijay Nagasami
Art Links Learning is engaged with renowned musicians in the Hindustani style of music. Collaborating with Art Links Learning in this endeavour are Pandit Shyamrao Kulkarni- renowned Hindustani musician and author, teaching and residing in San Francisco and Dr.Usha Arunachalam - a Ph.D and an MBA,a biotechnologist with over 20 years of business experience with biotech companies, combined with a deep passion for music. Sadhana Rao, also a student of Pandit Shyamrao Kulkarni, through Art Links, is leading the initiative to develop the platform in Hindustani Music for graduate students.
He has recently written a series of books on his Gāyakī, where he proclaims a new Gharānā Shyamrao Gharānā and where he has developed a new classification system for Rāga-s, which is based on their Calana (movement).
Pt.Shyamrao Kulkarni
Pt. Shyamrao Kulkarni (Dharmavrat), originally a musician of the Gwalior Gharānā, was born in 1936 in Ichalkaranji in Maharashtra-India. He was initiated into Hindustānī vocal music at a very early age by his Guru, Bhimrao Mama of Ichalkarnji. Over the years, he has extensively researched several other Gharānā-s including Alladiya Khan Gharānā as well as Gokhale Gharānā, also known as Miyāṅ Gharānā. His musical style is greatly influenced by Alladiya Khans Gāyakī. In addition to being both an accomplished musician and a prolific writer, Pt. Shyamrao-ji has a unique approach to vocal music and has developed his own unique style.
Pt. Shyamrao-ji currently resides in California and teaches Hindustānī classical music to aspiring students in the Bay Area.
Dr.Usha Arunachalam
Dr. Usha Arunachalam, a Ph.D and a MBA, is a biotechnologist with over 20 years of business experience with biotech companies.
Since 2008, she spends most of her time in learning, preserving and propagating classical Hindustani Music. In addition to learning music from Pt. Shyamrao Kulkarni, she has assisted him in writing his books on Shyamrao Gharana and continues to assist him with book translations and other publications.
Pt.Shyamrao Kulkarni
Usha Arunachalam
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