My experiences as a music student

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During my middle and high school, I’d opted for music as an additional subject. At that point of time, our group of eight girls was always chosen for group song. Every time a new music composition made by ‘Sir’ was taught to us. Sometimes, we used to sing ragas. I remember raga ‘kaafi’. It had always appeared the most melodious one to me and I’d always chosen this to sing at practical.

Once I remember, I was in seventh standard and I came out of the room after writing my theory paper. When I came outside, I was asked to sing a Bhajan. I was not accustomed to Bhajans but as it was a part of exam, I recalled one of the Bhajans which my grandma used to sing at Kirtan.

It was a Bhajan of Lord Krishna as my grandma is a devotee of him. I recalled and sang four to five lines of it. I was not even sure that I was pronouncing correct words or not. But I collected the courage and tried to sing it well.

‘Sir’ praised me but wrote O on paper in front of my name. I was like had I sung so bad that I got zero? Moreover, with that zero Sir had praised me. I went to the ground to meet my friends and told them what I sung. They firstly laughed and then told me, nobody of them sang a Bhajan as they didn’t know any. They were given an option to sing National Song or Anthem.

I was like I had got a zero. To save myself from more embarrassment, I decided not to tell them what I saw.

After some days when school announced results and report cards were given. I was shocked to see that I’d got 80+ marks in every subject but in music I’d got a zero.

When my mom saw it, she told me that it’s not zero but it’s Grade ‘O’. I felt some relief but the question was still striking what does it mean?

When after holidays, we’d to return the report cards to our class teacher and this grade was making me embarrassed to show it to anyone. Sir told the whole class that only I had got the best grade ‘O’ which means more than outstanding. It means I’d got grade better than A+. For giving me this grade, major reason wasn’t my voice but courage and my try to sing Bhajan. Nobody else had even tried for it.

It was the day I felt the need to show courage in every aspect of this. This middle school incident was one of those incidences which inspired me to become confident and to work hard without taking care of external environment.

You need to work with focus without thinking of results and ultimately things themselves fall at their place!