Welcome home

I started OCTAVES back in September 2006 thanks to motivation from a few online friends, when "audioblogging" had just taken off. From then to now, I like to think that OCTAVES and me have coevolved. I now see this blog as an extension of my mind; and my understanding of music in turn impressed upon by my writings and interactions here. I obsess over music (sometimes bordering on the unhealthy) and I use this blog as an outlet for that - you'll find here my recordings as well as some of my thoughts and views on music. I've been studying Carnatic music for about three decades and have been learning from Vid. Lalgudi Rajalakshmi for over a decade now. I care deeply about Carnatic music as a performance art, and as an intellectual, cognitive, philosophical and sociological endeavor. Indian Film Music (read "Raja and Rahman") is also very dear to me.

When I'm not thinking about music, I mull over ideas of truth and values in science and science education as an Associate Professor at California State University, Northridge. Before this I was a PhD student at UCSD and this blog was a big force that saw me through grad school.
(Visit me at my professional website here: http://www.sbhaktha.com)

Many thanks to regular visitors and their encouragement which keeps this blog going. And if you're a first time visitor, welcome aboard and I hope you enjoy this space.


A few sample posts from this blog:

My composition performed as part an IndianRaga production

My first orchestrated original composition featuring flautist Ravichandra Kulur

My second orchestrated original composition featuring vocalist Subhamita Bannerjee and flautist Ravichandra Kulur, with Vijay Kannan

My articles for Sruti magazine (one of which is on my performance with Pt. Ravi Shankar's ensemble)

My debut film playback song

My compositions

Original compositions of fellow musicians in my voice

GNB centenary series with author Lalitharam