I found a wonderful interview with Hariprasad Chaurasia, player of the Indian Bansuri flute. I am posting this here because the flute, like the Moog synthesizer, is also a monophonic instrument and because the interview shows to what lengths a musician can go to achieve his goal. His music is highly recommended as an inspiration for our own playing technique, and the interview serves as food for thought while pondering our arguments along the lines of old/new school and vintage/analog etc.
Excerpt where he describes his search for a guru, a teacher.
"Anna Purna Devi played the surbahar and when I went to her for the first time, she threw me out. As it is, filmi musicians have a flaky reputation, on top of that I played the flute, and not surbahar, her forte and thirdly she wondered why was I coming to her and not going to Raviji. The second time she threatened to call the police, but I persisted, and finally after three years of persistently dogging her, she finally relented. She asked me to play something and when I did, she said, that if I had to learn from her, I had to start from scratch.
To show her I was serious. I decided to switch hands. I used to play with my right-hand, I switched to the left and believe me it is sheer torture. It’s like if I tell you that instead of walking straight, walk backwards for the rest of your life without looking back. I used to cry in sheer agony."
http://www.littleindia.com/march2005/PrayingwiththeFlute.htm
Source:
http://www.musicalnirvana.com/hindustani/hariprasad_chaurasia.html
