Quirks & Queries
Nandini Shankar
1 . What made you pick the violin as an instrument ?
Belonging to a family of musicians with a rich legacy , it was natural for me to pick up the violin ever since I was a kid . Over 12 of us in the extended family play the violin ! I also enjoy singing .
2 . Talk to us about your learning years of the instrument
I started learning the violin from my mother Dr . Sangeeta Shankar and my grandmother Padmabhushan Dr . N . Rajam at the age of 3 . My elder sister Ragini and I used to learn together . At such a young age , I often was cajoled into practising and sometimes it was a discipline that I had to follow as part of my routine . I performed for the first time when I was 8 - and I absolutely loved the exhilarating feeling of being on stage . As years progressed , I began to find immense joy in the music and began to understand the true depth of Hindustani Classical music .
3 . What are some techniques you found challenging to incorporate in your playing ?
Every technique can be mastered with practice . The biggest challenge is to master the art of being disciplined !
4 . What are 3 most important qualities a violinist must possess according to you ?
a ) Never-ending learning spirit b ) Emotion in Music c ) Love for the instrument
5 . Tell us about your warm up and practise routine
I usually practice in chunks of 45 minutes , multiple times a day . I try to get in at least one session of practice on the day of a concert , to warmup .
6 . How important is collaboration to you ? Tell us about some of your best collaborations
Music has collaboration rooted in its essence - most musical genres in the world always have 2 or more musicians performing together . Collaboration expands mental horizons and often creates something new that was never possible by either of the two musicians alone . Among my favorite collaborations & bands are ‘ Sakhi ’ ( Kaushiki Chakraborty ’ s band ), inStrings ( a fusion band with my family ), The Kapi Dance ( a track with my husband Mahesh Raghvan who is a Carnatic fusion artist ) and various other tracks that I have worked on with some amazing musicians of the world .
7 . Your upcoming projects
The Score
18 highonscore Magazine . com
I am now collaborating with my sister Ragini on a very special project , which is to be announced soon ! It feels great to be back on stage during this concert season and perform regularly . I just returned from a tour in Europe and I am looking forward to the concerts that are lined up in India during December and January .