About me

My Mother

Mrs. Nagalakshmi Sunderasan
Mrs. Nagalaksmi Sunderasan was born in Thirukkadayavur (Mayavaram Thaluk) on the 18th of November 1940 to Sri Amurthalinga Iyer and Smt. Seethalakshmi.
My mother who hails from a garden of music is talented singer. At her tender age she participated in many competitions and won many prizes and laurels. She learnt ?Devaram? from Mr. Swamy Ayya Desikar and won the first prize for her recital and this was published in ?Sudhesamitran?the only news paper in circulation those days. She also won the ?Sakalakala Valli Malai? award for noteworthy performance and won district level prize. Not just music, she was well versed in other fields too. She?s got a higher grade in music and lower grade in drawing. She is an excellent cook too. She is a murukku specialist and famous for godhumai halwa and other south Indian delicacies. Now she is enjoying her old age with her grand children, the next generation in our music family.
My maternal grandmother Mrs. Seethalakshmi was also great singer who learnt Carnatic Music with 3 other sisters and one of them was related to Mr. Papanasam Sivam. My paternal grandmother who was in North India was well versed in Bhajans and Abangs. She could also dance and sing simultaneously.

My Father

Mr. Sunderasan
Born in Chennai, My father did his schooling in Trichy and spent his college days in Pune. He is a B.Sc., (Agriculture) degree holder from Pune University. He was all rounder, who was interested in spirituality and music. He was also a Sanskrit Scholar, who encouraged me to learn Sanskrit. He was also an Astrologer and got the JHOTHISHA VISHARADH award from K.P. Systems
{Krishnamoorthy Pathadi}. His books were also famous. He has written many books about Astrology. He passed away in the year 2000. He is not only my spritual guru, philosphere, a unique personality. In my childhood day (in right from 1968) in thanjavur there are so many temples in and around esspecially thanjai bragadheeswarar alayam it is very near to our house.
We use to play their chatiny!what a memorable plesantant day in my life. The whole year all the religious functions sivaratuiri,arudhara dharshan raja raja sozhans sandya thiruall birthday function,Navaraturi festival 3 times thaipoosam devarthiruvizha, all temple pallake thiruviza and vennai thanzhi. Held one by one my father usually not allow we to go out. But he allow us to attend all the above said functions . At that time katha kaalatchepam by kamala murthy,bannibai,musical discourse by krupananda variyaar musical discourse by krupananda variyaar. Musical discourse by krupananda variyaar. Me and my elder brother use to attened variyars.discouse very eagerly because he use t ask questions form his discouse in between for children to test their skills.
if our answers are correct we got a big applause and gifts (spritual &sthotra book) what a wonderful experience. That experience thaught me a lot. Followed the same methodalogy in my sloka class.
The puppet show (dommalatam) poikal trudirai , karagattam are famous dance of thanjavur so in another way I got a big awareness and passion towards forklore arts and south indian culture other than this the main asset given by my father is learning the gods language sanskrits. Me and elder brother use to go sanskrit classes. The great sanskrit scholors and sison mani taken classes for us. Every year we participate in sankara jayanthi festival kolattam,gummi,sankaran dance drama my brother use to practice pate in same characters. The reharsals are place in class premises. Each and every cultural activities. We learned in very appropriate time. My father use to take us to attend lectureus on soundharya lahariat friday by famous sanskrit schalors.
That teachius is very helpful for me in teaching is very helpful for me in teaching of sowdharya lahari, vishnue sahasranamam, abiraman ahdhadhi and other slobas with meaning. This was a great asset given me by my father to sail in correct spritual path me my internal all my granmas are very good at carnatic music they use to sing a song with hiraval and karpain swaran so the margam of sabha gahan was taught in a very simple way. Very big lessons&experiences in a ordinary manner. I dont know why I have more passion on veena. The shape, the sound create a great impact on me. Many veena players cut shals place in and around tanjore. My guruis kutcheri in konganes war kovil he lift me to sit on the parapet wall for arial view. I attend so many wambrer of cutchain madurai some, kumakudi, m.l.v.m.s, are by one. Esspecially thiruvaiyaru saint thygarajar aradhana festival. Its a great for me. By that time before three days of aradhana festival countless cut cheries by elnivent artistes held sound the clock. Me and my, mother use to start very early in the morning thanjavur to thiruvaiyaru . Then my father prepared ghee pongal form, and brought in aluminium thooku. We three sat in the bank of river kavari, with thauarai yilai and vadam yelai yendhi bavan sapadu the wounderfull experience never comes again in my life. I am very proud of my parents to involve me in carnatic music. Assets like land, cash, jewels etc are not real assets but the great spritual asset are real assets. But that happiness does not continues in a long way. Because of my elder brothers education we shited thanjore to chennai.
Chennai is just opposite chennai air is fully of commercid with different style. My tought time start to learn music were started of course my mother tailoring supported the family but it was not sufficient. She worked with my patti in cookery kalyana seer dakshanam and special savouies item, appalam business are very helpful to our family. Thet money fulfill the monthlly expences. But for other activities esspecially my music was a question mark here all the teacher are slark the classes from scrates. My evel is well aelvaveen but for money sake.
The practice use to start from the beginning level. My brother education come into a final level .sonaturally the attention toward music is poye pochu.my education as well as my music attention given my parents went down day by day because of familysituation. From my side I couldnt balance music and my studies. Because of chennai surrounding my fathers view towards me totally changed. Just like my brother he wants we too in studies but how can the five fingers are same defanatlly it is not possible. People use this proverb very often but it will not give any result.
if the five finger are in the same height just imagine our activities at last my elder brother join engneering sucessfully. So the focus turned taste my brothers education. My father ask me to write. I.I.T entrenee . I dont know the seriousness of I.I.T . Being a tamil medium student with average percentage in studies how can I eagaged with higher studies litreally it was a Himalayan task. For me to come up in studie with flying colours is etter kani. By this time I finished my +2 again he asked to do b. pharm,. But at the cut shell man proposes god disposes this proverb got meaningful in my life. My education help me for music how? Because of average marks how can opt education as a carrier of courses I got admission in arts collage but money aspect again it is question mark my father attempt again it is question mark failure. If the life were combined in tagure itself. I can grew as a musician but the never taught music as a carrier for my life. At last I joined music collage of course it is it is my mother desire she explained very diplermatically thethe family circumstance. I finished my sangeetha vidwan title courses and diploma in music teaching pedagogy. In the mean time my guru family transferred and selled in chennai and mrs. Saradhasivavandhan got a lecturues post in my collage again the great turning point came to my life. After the great turning points came to my life . After finished my music studies in the collage inmediately I got a job through my guru chrini k.p. Sivavavdan in tamil isai kolluri as a lecturured, office assistant, competition co-ordinator, music libertary inchange of tamil isaisangam. My fathers point of towards music is different rather than he. He doesnt know the taste of music but unknowledgly he seaked music seed right from my child hood. He use to say onaku thenga moodi kutchedhan. But those words given me as a towic. When every negative comments on me with others . I started thinking me as a butter fly as it comes from shall to air. Ofcourse I started my music carrier ith teaching along with that I started given small cut chering in temples both vocala veera at one point my father attitude changed because

My Guru

1. Mr. K.P. Sivanandam:-
He?s the seventh generation representative of Thanjai Nalvar Quartette. Sivanandam is a disciple of Shri. Muthuswamy Dikshidar. They created the margam or the performance format for dance {Alaripur to Thillana}. He also composed several Varnas, Jathi Swaras, Thillanas, Padhams and Javalis in various ragas and thalas. Their mudhras were created for Sangeetha Kalanidhi K. Ponnaiyah Pillai and Sons, Thanjavur K.P. Sivanandam [My Guru] and Thanjavur Kittappa Pillai, namely guruguhadasa, guruguha bhaktha and guruguhamoorthy. He got SANGEETHA VIBHUSHAN title for Veena, from Annamalai University. He also won the various other titles and was appointed as Professor in Madras Music College. He also won Kalimamani Award form State Artists Department of Tamil Nadu Government and Delhi Central Natak Academy. He also received a Sangeetha Choodamani title form Krishna Ghana Sabha. At the time of retirement he was the Deen of the Faculty of Fine Arts Department in Annamalai University in the Year 1992. He also won the title Sangeetha Kalanidhi form Madras Music Academy.
2. Mrs. Saradha Sivanandam:-
She is a second wife of Mr. K.P. Sivanandam and daughter of Shri. Ramaseshan. She was trained at the Government Music College from 1949 and become adept at playing the Veena. She worked in several prestigious institutions. She has given several performances with her husband for more than 50 years in Indian and other countries. Tamil Nadu Government honored here with Kalaimamani in the Year 1981.
My Deivam
1. Oppiliyappan
2. Thirumeeyachur Lalithambigai.

About Me
Birth Place : Thirukadayur ? Mayavaram District.

MUSIC:
My first Guru is my mother. After that I learned music from Thanjavur Rama Iyer at his Thyagaraya Gurukulam at Thanjavur. In the same Gurukulam, I started learning Veena. After that, Madava Pillai taught me Veena. After I reached Varnam and Keerthanai, I started my special coaching with Thanjavur Kalyana Krishna Bagavather the legend and renounced musician and Veena player. In Vocal Concert the great top star Vidvaans allowed their disciples to sing a song along with gurus. In that way I am blessed. I performed in concerts along with my veena guru Thanjavur Kalayana Krishna Bagavather. He gave some separate pieces i.e. thudaka in his main concert. After that our family shifted to Chennai. I learnt a lot here, in this city. I started leaning music and veena from Mr. K.P. Sivanandam and Mrs. Sarada Sivanandam from 1980 to 1995, a golden period in my life. They helped to get great opportunities. I got a chance to work with Tamil Isai Kalluri Raja Annamalai Mandram for nearly 10 years. I worked as Tutor for Musicology (Isaiyial) Lecturer for Veena and worked in Administration Music Library and was the organizer for Tamil Isai Sangam competition.
I was blessed with great gurus. Under the guidance of Mr.K.P. Sivanandam and Mrs. Sarada Sivanandam, I relished the reality of music. With their support and encouragement I got my Sangeetha Vidvaan and Isai Kalaimamani from Central College of Music. In the period of Prof. T.N. Krishnan, I finished my diploma in music teaching and pedaology. I worked as music teacher in Saraswathi Vidyalaya and Narayana Mission Hr.Secondary School for 10 Years. After that, I started my own music classes with 3 students, in the year 1983. With god?s blessings my music class flourished to more than 100 students in just one year, so I resigned from my other job and was fully focused with my music classes. My banner, ?RASIGAPRIYA ? School for music, veena and bhajans? was created. This year we have crossed 27 Years of music. I have got B.Com. degree from Madras University. I must be thankful to my husband Mr. G. Subramanian. Without his co ? operation I could not have come to this level. He is my god father also. Next my elder & younger brothers Mr. S. Venkateshwaran and his wife Mrs. Uma Venkatesan, Mr. S. Rajagopalan and his wife Mrs. Bavana Rajagopalan, without their support, I could not achieve anything in my life. Last but not least, I should thank my mother? in- law Mrs. Karpagam Goplakrishnan for having given me a beautiful asset, my beloved husband G.Subramanian. He is not only my counterpart, teacher, my Parthasarathi, God Father, friend but, a good human being. I also want to thank my Children S Saranya (II year BSC) and S Sabarish (9th standard) who have understood my passion for music and has co-operated at all times. They have been my major strength at all difficult times.

My School:

Rasigapriya School of Music was started in the year 1983 with just 3 students. With god?s blessing my music class flourished to more than 100 students with in a short span of 1 year. Many of the students have won prizes and awards from various sabhas and cultural organizations like Indian Fine Arts Society, Lions Clubs, Probsdede awards, Mylapore Fine Arts. On and off every calendar month children are getting prizes for my slokas, bhajans, devotional, carnatic vocal and veena.I draw a lot of positive energy in seeing them perform and succeed. This further gives me strength to serve and give better service to the society.
Many of my students passed away with 1st class lower and higher grade examinations conducted by Tamil Nadu Government.
Rasigapriya?s morning star student V. Sree Chitra who is an advanced level student has given almost 60 performances in different Sabhas in and around Chennai. She is giving concerts during the December Music Season for the past three years.
Our students have given performance in All India Radio & Podhigai, (Arumbugal Arangam, Mazhalai Amudham, Siruvar Solai, Buds & Blossoms, Siruvar Poonga, Science Snipets and several other programs. Every year our students give performance in and around Chennai temples, Sabhas and various cultural organizations.
Some of our new productions are listed below:
1. Aalaya Dharisanam
2. Kalaiyum Kalacharamum
3. Devi Darishanam
4. Vinayaka Puranam
5. Bala Charithiram
6. Navarathri Oru Munnotam and Kannottam
7. 25th Year Celebration. Thyagaraya Aradhana Festival
8. For the past 5 Years our students are taking part in Iyappa Baktha Sarnajam. Iynavaram Villaku Poojai