Mozart of Jharkhand can’t afford ‘grand’ piano

Vijay Deo Jha | Ranchi

RANCHI | Saturday, February 6, 2010

Even in a small town like Ranchi people have a passion for the majestic piano and they have notched a mark for themselves.

If it requires a proof one can find it on the fine prints of the results of music examination in piano held in the month of August last year in Kolkata. Seven children of various schools of Ranchi took the examination in piano and all passed with distinction.

Out of the seven, one Mabel Kujur topped Kolkata centre and was awarded with a trophy. Remarkably the examinations were held by prestigious Associated Board of the Royal School of Music, whose patron and president are the Queen of England and Prince of Wales respectively.

But then finding a teacher to learn piano is not easy. “I am the only person who teaches piano in Ranchi,” Rajdeep Singh said. Most certainly he is the only teacher in Jharkhand who teaches piano. Interestingly, there are 55 children in his waiting list who want training under his tutelage.

“At a time I can enroll only 20 students and devote one hour to each; five days a week. Lots of people approach me for this. But I am not in the position to enrol more than 14 students,” he said. It is because of his strong belief: “commercialisation of art and music is a sin.”

Rajdeep Singh is the concert of music and passion in toto. Unadulterated by the commercialisation of the music, he refuses to draw himself in the race where melody turns into shrill.

Although, it could have fetched a lot of money and fame for him but he prefers to stay in his small accommodation where he teaches students piano.

“It is for art sake. Music is my passion and I have been doing it from the day when I landed in Ranchi in 2002 to finally settle here,” he says.

But availing a ‘grand piano’ must be an elitist enterprise. Neither his small accommodation can accommodate bulky grand piano nor his pocket would allow him to get this.

“I train them on the electronic piano as the maintenance of the grand piano is not possible in Ranchi. But the electronic version has all the qualities that the grand has,” he said.

He teaches his students each musical notes very beautifully. His effort paid handsomely when his seven students out of 14 passed the prestigious music examination in piano.

‘Wonderful tonight’ of Eric Clapton, soothing musical notes of other great pianists and some of his wonderful compositions are perhaps the best musical landmarks to locate his address: House of Ela Singh, Naya Tola, Ranchi.

One will find him fast strumming keys of pianos playing some beautiful compositions, “often close to my heart,” he says, along with his students.

And on every fine morning of Sunday, one can find him at the service of the God playing pipe organ at St Paul Cathedral. Even having no formal education in music and timbre he thinks it was God’s ordain which brought him in this field.

When he is fast approaching the wrong side of 60, he remembers his days in Sherwood College during 1967-71 where he met J Thompson, who taught him piano.

“I had no formal education in music. Even today you inquire from me about the theoretical part of the music I will not be able to answer,” Singh admits.

But, then his lone album “Holy Night” containing 13 Christmas Carol embedded in capriccio creates auditory illusion.