Allalaghatta Pavan and Pooja Goswami Pavan
Spouses Dr. Pooja Goswami Pavan (voice) and Dr. Allalaghatta Pavan (tabla) enchant audiences in Minnesota and abroad with their renditions of Hindustani khayal, thumri, ghazal, and music from folk traditions. Pooja herself hails from a musical family, as the daughter and sister of Hindustani vocalists Pandit Surendra Goswami and Dr. Shailendra Goswami, respectively.
Says Pavan of his musical connection with spouse Pooja, “Being partners in life as well as on the musical stage, we feel truly blessed, as 1+1 makes 11. Well, much of the time anyway.”
He adds, “Given how intrinsically intertwined our lives and our music is, we are in a constant state of reinforcement learning, with feedback and critique that is honest, forthright and immediate; no punches pulled! Hopefully, this reflects in the joy of music we are always attempting to bring.”
Balaji Chandran and Praseed Balaji
Minnesota-based percussionist Balaji Chandran performs on ghatam and other Indian percussion instruments on local, national, and international stages. He plays in traditional Carnatic music settings as well as crossover concerts.
Both his older son Prasad and younger son Praseed (pictured above) became fascinated with music because of Balaji’s career. Praseed now studies mridangam with Vidwan Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi, and voice with Smt. Leela Ramanathan. He commenced his own career in 2022.
Says Praseed, “Music and family are synonymous to me. Without family, I wouldn’t have music – and without music, I wouldn’t have family.”
Sriram N Iyer, Samskrith Iyer, and Layyasaaram Institute of Indian Arts
The founder of Layyasaaram Institute of Indian Arts, Sriram N Iyer is a percussionist and proponent of South Asian art who supports the activities of several Minnesotan cultural organizations. Both he and his son, Samskrith, study mridangam with Vidwan Thanjavur K. Murugaboopathi, with Sriram performing in Minnesota and abroad.
Though father and son share an instrument, it was the son’s forays into other genres that inspired his father to consider learning other art forms, too.
“When my son took up Western classical violin,” says Sriram, “I started playing piano with him to help him practice his lessons.” Sriram was then asked to train students in Western music at their religious organization, Chinmaya Mission. “My son and his musical journey was what enabled me to even be considered for this opportunity. I’m so grateful that we live in a community in the Twin Cities that enables and fosters such diverse musical experiences. ”
Sriram adds, “A family that eats, prays, and plays music together, stays together.”
Anu Krishnan, Shree and Prem Ganesan, and Shruthilaya School of Carnatic Music
Anu Krishnan, founder of Shruthilaya School of Carnatic Music, is an artist promoting Indian classical music in the community through performance and teaching. Her daughter Shree (violin, voice) and son Prem (voice, percussion) learned Carnatic music from her in addition to their studies in other genres.
Says Anu of her twin children, “I noticed that music came naturally to them, maybe because they’ve been learning from the womb onwards! During that time [of being pregnant with them], I was teaching non-stop. So, I feel you should start them that young! I noticed that when my daughter was learning violin, she could play without reading the notation – it just came to her.”
She adds, “My belief is: nourish the kids with a lot of music, any form it might be in, on a consistent basis. That love for music will never diminish. And in today’s discussions of wellness, I think that music plays such a key role. I would encourage all mothers to inculcate an appreciation for music in their children–and be a musical parivaar.”