Yuva Rasika 2025

Music Forum, in association with The Music Academy, organised a special workshop titled Sangeetha Kathanubhavam for school and college students on Saturday, 23 August 2025, at The Music Academy’s main hall in Chennai.

The half-day workshop, held from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, featured eminent musician and rehabilitation and physical medicine specialist Dr. S. Sunder and renowned scholar Dr. Sudha Seshayyan. Together, they engaged with young participants, offering them insights into music, storytelling, and the cultural dimensions of artistic experience.

The event aimed at nurturing interest in Indian classical arts among students by combining narrative, demonstration, and interaction in an accessible manner. Both speakers shared perspectives that blended tradition with contemporary relevance, leaving the audience enriched and inspired.

The workshop was inaugurated by K.N. Ramaswamy, Director, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra and witnessed enthusiastic participation from students across schools and colleges.

Experiences of students at the workshop

Yuva Rasika, a workshop held at The Music Academy and organised by Music Forum, was one that aimed not only at performance, but at something deeper – cultivating rasikas. Centered on Sangeetha Kathanubhavam (experiencing music through storytelling), the workshop explored how listening itself can become a form of devotion.

Two thought-provoking sessions were conducted by Dr. Sunder and Dr. Sudha Seshayyan, who guided the audience through the lives and contributions of saint-composers like Appar, Sundarar, Thirugnanasambandar and more. Their stories were not just told, but brought alive with music – tracing each composer’s first song and spiritual journey. Themes of Shravana-bhakthi, Smarana-bhakthi and Keerthana-bhakthi were beautifully highlighted throughout. The workshop concluded with a heartfelt performance by students of the Tamil Nadu Music College, rejuvenating our spirits.
Overall, Yuva Rasika was a wonderful programme that was a reminder that music is a tradition – not just to be performed but to be lived, remembered and deeply felt.

S.Smrithi

8E P.S.B.B.S.S Schools, K.K.Nagar, Chennai

********************************************************************************

Sangeetha Kathanubhavam  was the topic for the workshop conducted by The Music Forum of Chennai.

From Thirugnanasambandhar’s first song composed as a child, upon experiencing the divinity of Lord Siva and Goddess Parvati, to Arunagirinathar’s famous Muthai Tharu, each of this was perfectly explained. This was kind of like a Upanyasam (discourse), which increased my interest for music.

The sessions were amazing and I really look forward for the next workshop. I am grateful for this excellent opportunity given to me by my teachers, and I am glad about how I spent my Saturday morning because, this session made me love music more than I ever did and brought out the true ‘rasika’ in me.

Samhitha Balaji

This workshop Sangeetha Kathanubhavam, enlightened me on the stories through music. It gave me a lot of information on how stories were conveyed through music. For example, Krishna who played the flute, mesmerised everyone, which stopped the cows from grazing, birds from chirping, people from their work. This music through flute actually conveyed beautiful stories, stopping people from continuing their work.

The event started with a melodious prayer song, Vellai Thamarai. The resources Dr. Sunder and Dr. Sudha Seshayyan narrated a lot of stories about great musicians, saints and their first compositions in a chronological order. After listening to the insightful topics, it made me realise the important part of music, the background or the stories behind the great music vidwans I had missed. It also made me realise that these great musicians emerged to be famous personalities through rigorous training and practice which made them so skilled and specialised in this field.

V.L.Sahana 8R

PSBB KK Nagar