2642) Leisure Time - Hobbies: The Musical Journey of Veteran Wing Commander Anup Banerjee (Anupda):
Editor's introductory Note: This is an amazing write-up by Anupda (Veteran Wing Commander Anup Banerjee) about how he developed an abiding interest in music and musical instruments. Among his various accomplishments, while studying in Bishop's School, Pune, in the eighth standard, he and his friends formed a rock band, the first Boy Band in Pune, where he was the lead singer and harmonicatist.
Read on about his amazing musical journey (in his own words):
"My Journey to becoming a musician & an instrumentalist: (Veteran Wing Commander Anup Banerjee):
As a child, I grew up surrounded by music. My aunts, on my mother’s side and my uncles on my father’s side, were talented singers and played the Harmonium & Tanpura very well. My father too, was an accomplished bathroom singer, who could hold a film song tune well flawlessly.
I guess, music seeped into me, in a kind of aural, osmosis way! I have never formally learnt music anytime in my life.
No Gurus, no classes, no music teachers. I cannot read or write formal music notations or sheets, either in Hindi or English.
However, I have the ability to remember and recall a tune with great fidelity, once I’ve heard it. This helps me hum a tune correctly, anytime, and play it accurately on the harmonica or keyboard.
I am a self-taught instrumentalist, too. I have taught myself to play the harmonica at a very young age, when I was in class seven.
My first harmonica was a "Hohner Puck", that my father bought me in 1964, for Rs 20, from Fazal’s, a gift shop on MG road, Pune (now closed). It was a princely sum, in those days, for a tiny, pocket harmonica!
In the eighth standard, in school (Bishop’s), in Pune, we formed a rock band, the first Boy Band in Pune, where I was the lead singer and harmonicist. But, in those early days, my playing was pretty rudimentary!
Over the years, I’ve improved my skill and style through sheer practice & ‘sticktoitiveness’. I have also acquired a few, good quality, professional harmonica models.
While in the Air Force, I got a number of opportunities to play the harmonica at Officer’s Mess parties, thus honing my skill further.
Post-retirement, my wife has roped me into participating in the philanthropic activities that she organises, by playing for cancer patients at the Army Military Hospital, and for our paraplegic Army jawans in PRC, here in Kirkee, Pune.
I am happy that my music has given solace & soothed the souls of those in pain and distress.
I have also taught myself to play the Keyboards (Yamaha) about eight years ago. A combination of Harmonica and keyboard played together, is a ‘Jugalbandi’, I’m pretty tickled about!
Recently, having taught myself some home, audio-video recording and editing, I’m having a rewarding time chronicling my progress in the field of music and uploading my music videos on YouTube. You can check out my videos on my channel ‘Crosswind Harmonica’.
People say I’m ‘gifted’, but really, I don’t know much about that. Tremendous amount of practice, over the years, has gone into developing my skills and a great amount of sheer tenacity! A “Lage Raho Munna Bhai” attitude!
The undernoted is a link to Anupda's rendition titled" "Harmonica Cover of San Bernadino". Please do visit this link:
Links to some other short stories on this Blog by Rajeev Prasad:
1) Leisure Time Short Stories: Friends at the Crossroads
7) Leisure Time Short Stories: Connecting through several lifetimes: The Story of the "Panditji" (Priest) of the Hanuman Temple at Chandrasekhar Azad University, Kanpur
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