A very inspiring, honest, touching and mature talk with the outstanding Bansuri player from India, Milind Date, that surely will spark any student or lover of Indian music, connecting them to India and its magical music and learning paths.

Some of the main subjects covered in this interview conducted by Manish Vyas:

The relationship with the music Guru and the blessing of such invaluable guidance in the path of a student.

“At some point, I was thinking, what can I give to my Guru in return? I though a lot about it – I came to the conclusion that the best thing I could give him in return was to play the best as possible, because that was the only reason why he was teaching me. So that became very clear.”

Key aspects and requirements to be a student of Indian music.

“I have practised eighteen, nineteen, twenty hours a day easily. Not once, not twice… many, many times. I would wake up at three in the morning. I have practised a lot. That entire inspiration came from my Guruji, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia.”

The importance of understanding Ragas (moods of the music based on sets of notes) and what they express.

“Every serious student of Indian classical music is a composer, because in our learning system, from day-one a student starts to create his own music.”

A total different approach to the western music system. The depth of Indian music goes much beyond the technique and the music itself.

“The entire household of my Guruji kept me in the right direction. Right from the second class, I knew why I was going there.”

“If you learn Indian music, you need a lot of love towards the classical music of India and its thousands of years of tradition. You learn a lot of things besides music. It’s not just to pick up an instrument and make some sounds out of it.”

The tight relationship between spirituality, meditation and music.

“My way of meditation is through the sound: the purity of sound, the purity of the Raga. The spiritual connection is possible because of the purity of sound, purity of thoughts and purity of music. If that is achieved, you’re lucky.”

Indian music in the West and the problem of cultural (mis)appropriation.

“When you’re learning Indian music without understanding the fundamentals of it, even if you are talented and can imitate or fake, it is going to mislead people. You should find a Guru – youtube is not a Guru."

About:

Milind Date is a renowned musician from Pune, India. A Bansuri player and composer, who has grasped the essence of Indian culture through his art. Known as the ‘Virtuoso’ and a ‘Stage King’ for his immaculate Indian bamboo flute playing, Milind is one of the senior-most disciples of Bansuri legend, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. Milind's roots are in Indian classical music, but he also plays compositions for films, devotional music, fusion, world music and jazz among other genres. He has released several albums of his own production, as well as he contributed to hundreds of other third-party projects.

Milind started learning Bansuri and Indian classical music when he was around fifteen years old. Soon after, he met Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia from Mumbai, who became his Guru: a world-renowned name in the world of Indian classical music and Bansuri flute… one of the most amazing contemporary flute players in the world and of all times.

Thank you Milind for this wonderful contribution and inspiration!

Links:

webpage: www.milind.date

Bandcamp: milinddate.bandcamp.com

Song at the end of podcast: Govindam (Manish Vyas), Bansuri-flute by Milind Date