{"id":859,"date":"2026-03-27T16:59:22","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T16:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/?p=859"},"modified":"2026-04-08T09:57:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T09:57:50","slug":"interreligious-classical-concerts-a-personal-note","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/?p=859","title":{"rendered":"MY CREATIVE PROCESS IN GERMANY: A Personal Note OF AN INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSICIAN"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>In 2022, I performed in the first-ever Interreligious Credo concert, where this concept was introduced. This was also my first concert in Germany, and I approached it with some hesitation, navigating both a new environment and an unfamiliar musical setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For this performance, I chose a simpler piece. I was asked to sing in C, whereas my usual pitch is A, so I selected something that would remain within a comfortable range (not exceeding Pa). Working within these constraints shaped my choices more than usual. At the time, Bhageshree was a raga I was deeply drawn to, so I worked with <em>Sagara Shayana Vibho<\/em> (inspired largely by Agam\u2019s version) and developed my own variations around it. The process felt like finding small pockets of familiarity within a new framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The video below begins at my solo, followed by contributions from Buddhist, Islamic, and Jewish musical traditions. The full concert is available to listen to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Credo In Unum Mundum Premiere complete concert 9 9 22\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SdZjBZLu3l4?start=1061&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This concert was also my first experience performing with an orchestra. Adjusting to that setting\u2014listening, adapting, and finding space within a larger sound\u2014was a learning experience in itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2024, an additional piece titled <em>Agnus Dei<\/em> was introduced. For this, Marcus Schinkel shared a base track inspired in part by Ravi Shankar\u2019s musical ideas and asked me to compose over it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first attempt was a completely new composition in Kalyana Vasantham. I spent time building it from scratch, but it did not align with his expectations. That phase involved a certain amount of rethinking and letting go, which is often part of collaboration but never entirely easy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Around the same time, I had posted <em>Ninnu Kori<\/em> (Mohanam varnam) on Instagram. Marcus adapted this into Suddha Dhanyasi and suggested I create something in that direction, set to a 3\/4 rhythm. Initially, it felt unfamiliar and slightly counterintuitive\u2014especially translating ideas into a structure I hadn\u2019t worked with before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Credo in Unum Mundum (jazzmess based on Beethoven&#039;s Missa Solemnis) 2025 version with church organ\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kShs9EuLWsU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Since I was not familiar with an existing composition in Suddha Dhanyasi set to that structure, I adapted <em>Narayana Ninna<\/em>\u2014originally in a 5-beat cycle\u2014into a 3\/4 framework. This required some experimentation, but gradually the phrasing began to settle into place, and the piece found its own coherence within the constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also incorporated konnakol elements, almost spontaneously, drawing from a recent practice session. That moment felt less deliberate and more instinctive\u2014an instance where the process became more fluid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Recordings from the final concerts will be made available soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This note was written in response to a request to document the process and context behind these performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Beethoven Credo - An Inter-religious interpretation (Trailer) German\/English\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eVXzgB0YiHE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In 2022, I performed in the first-ever Interreligious Credo concert, where this concept was introduced. This was also my first concert in Germany, and I approached it with some hesitation, navigating both a new environment and an unfamiliar musical setting. For this performance, I chose a simpler piece. I was asked to sing in C, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=859"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":864,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/859\/revisions\/864"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/music.sankarans.space\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}