Monday, May 22, 2006

A Day For Geniuses

In this post, my definition of a 'genius' might be totally wrong. So for this post's sake, envision a 'genius' as a person who just blows you away with a moment of pure brilliance. You can see it - his soul is in what he is doing, and the energy and passion is oozing out. He is at his best. To me this is refreshing and fascinating, and it is something that my permeable self takes in with sincere pleasure and appreciation. Today a certain selected group of random people left me smiling and well, quite honestly, spellbound. Hats off to them.

My favourite guitarist, Ali (yeah I know my belief is to prevent revelation of real names, but this is for true appreciation) was the first one to cast his magic on me. Our school hosted an internal, low scale "Battle Of The Bands", which should have been called "Battle Between The Bands", because there were only two bands, both comprising what one would call 'amateurs' or 'juniors'. Both of them were, quite frankly, lousy. No 'brilliance' there, but potential - yeah, loads. Anyway this not-so-fascinating show got over quickly, leaving me quite bemused, especially because of one farsical cover of a famous Queen song. So, where does "Ali" come in? After this average performance, Rohan, 'the-you're-fat-you-suck' sayer, begged the 'School Band' to perform. Enter Ali. Unaware of what to play, with no real preparation, the 'School Band' decided to show-off with a 'jam' session. Almost shocked by this sudden compulsion, Ali, stepped in. The rythem, as in the easy part, began, and Ali asked Rohan, the bassist, "Which key you playing on?"
"A," was the reply. And then lead guitarist, Ali, unleashed an improvised solo, feeling every note he played, putting on no fake show, but releasing a natural flow of energy and music which only comes when someone 'good' is perforiming, a real performer. Yes, you may argue, there are many people in the world who can do that, but to me that moment was one of pure joy. The wonderous feeling you get when some one good does something classic and leaves behind 'oohs' and 'aahs', is rare. To me it was genius, he was, atleast for that moment (for all you debating freaks) a genius. He was a genius accompanied beautifully by an able drummer Udai, a confident rhythem guitarist Jitin and an enthusiastic and apt bassist, Rohan. Truly, bravo. I really enjoyed it.

Adding to add to this remarkable performance, was Harry, my very close friend. He hosted the "Battle Of The Bands", and it was a last-minute decision to make him the host. But his composure and delivery, mixed with this homely confidence thrilled me, and made me think - there we have it, the next great TV Host/News Reporter/Actor or definitely something in that field. A genius, not because he had done something amazing, but because of his confidence and because he gave off the feeling - I am in control of this, and I am good at what I do. It was just his presence, genuine and loving - oh I hope this potenital and talent is not wasted, and I hope that everything gets sorted out for him now and in the future.

This next instance is a more, well, maybe something you won't be able to relate to entirely. 1st session, in school, we were having our singing/music practice. The group song we were singing, 'Eagles' by Abba, went off decently. The 4 piece harmony, blended delightfully, and the literally 'rocking' track brought out a very decent sound. After that, the necessary people practised the 'Prayer Song', a more intricately composed song, with harmonies that blended even more beautifully. They put on a fairly pleasurable performance. But that nor the earlier song falls into my definition of 'genius'. In fact, this is where my definition of a 'genius' goes wrong. During those songs, there were two people working energetically at perfecting every single note. One was Mr Axel (no not 'Rose'). An extremely hard-working, maybe a little exploited, genius, whose love for music is like of no one else's I have seen. Once he loses himself in the music, he is transformed into this radioactive element that is constantly emitting energy in all directions. An amazing pianist who has a mastered the art of track-making, and the only person I know who totally understands music, he often leaves me awestruck. Today, what made me realize his 'genius' abilities was not his skill, but his passion and his joy of teaching and transferring music. That sir, is truly revered by me. The second of the two people is our very own Sharen ma'am. A principled woman, whose attitude is positive and right, mixed with a tinge of fun, she has a lovely voice. But what makes her different to me from all the other people who have lovely voices, is her passion and her love for what she does. This accompanied by her truly loving and caring nature makes her a 'genius' in her own way. Today, while practising the 'Prayer Song', she just let her self go, and her voice, boosted by her passion and skill, resonated in my ear, and once again left me smiling. Yes the day did involve a lot of smiling - which is my expression of 'wow', and well done.

I don't know what it is that's so amazing. No actually I do. Beyond just the skill, it's the passion, yes, it's the passion. That's the word that separates the 'geniuses' from the rest. That's what I want to appreciate today, because that is what most of us fail to do. We lack passion, and what's even worse is that we lack the ability to express our appreciation. We envy them instead of lauding them. Yes, it's natural to envy, every single person does, but it's how you raise yourself beyond that, and learn to appreciate things that deserved to be appreciated. It is then, that this envy automatically turns into honest appreciation for someone other than YOURSELF. And then follows, joy and satisfaction for you.
I have experienced this, and that's why I am saying it. That's my point, and this is how I felt it would come across best.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

ello Anish!It's so funny you posted this post when you did because I have been thinking about this very passion ever since I saw you play against Orion. Not your drive to beat them or you channeling of anger into demolishing their defence, no, it was when I saw your 3rd goal and how you reacted to it. Since then i couldn't help but compare you to Ronaldinho and most other Brazilian footballers not for skill, but for sheer love of what you do-passion. Your definition of'Genius' is born in conviction. That desire to just keep doing something until you finally enjoy yourself straight to perfection.When it doesn't feature whether you're good at it or what people are thinking, all that matters is you in that moment giving your all because it makes you happy to do so.
I couldn't agree more that this passion is in Ali, and that is why I will always have the deepest regard for his music and him.
Creativity is boundless. To soar through it with complete ease takes passion. To whoever gets this, they'll know their life will always be full no matter what.
Thank you Anish for another great blog!
Toodles!

Anonymous said...

hey anish
ditto to what harry said. football is one of your many passions (the main one) and we can all see the passion with which you play. its bloody amazing!

its true, passion is necessary. everyone has to passionate about something... whether it be sport, music, drama..anything.
its not like its something that you are compelled to do. being passionate about something is very natural. the thing is that you have to reallise what your passion is (or wat your passions are).

respect dude.
great blog

Anonymous said...

ever wonder why im so in love with jon bon jovi, in particular? his passion when he sings.
i completely agree with you on your definition of genius, to be a genius, u dont have to be totally smart and get good grades. u gotta love what u do, and u gotta do it well. when it comes to music, ive noticed only three singers who sing with so much passion and love: jbj, meatloaf and sharon maam. honestly. u can tell they love singing, and u can tell they mean every signle word they sing. the reason i consider richie sambora god and gary moore a genius... their passion when they play.
which is why i absolutely adore watching sunita haridas play basketball! the girl loves the game so much, and when she dribbles that ball and weaves through players, her skill and her passion show. the girl rocks!
one can be passionate only about something they love. they just have to realise that one thing they love (or things they love)... just changing what ali said a wee bit.
good post! adios!

Anonymous said...

It is so interesting to know your thoughts. U all sound so matured.keep it up