I cannot remember a particular day when I was initiated into the world of music. It was a part of me from as early as I can remember. Indeed, I cannot think of a moment when music has been separated from my life. My father, the legendary sarod maestro, Ustad Haafiz Ali Khan Saheb, lived for music. For him, life itself was music. And so I came to inherit from him the legacy of five generations of musicians.

What is music? There may be any number of scientific explanations about pitch and vibrations, but it is difficult to explain how sound becomes music. It has more to do with human nature. Music is a unique and precious gift of God to mankind. Music is a celebration of life. The wonderful truth is, any music, from anywhere in the world, is based on the same seven, beautiful musical notes. These seven notes are the alphabets of a universal language. Of the seven notes, the first and the fifth are fixed while the remaining notes have sharps and flats, making a total of 12 notes. Music has been in practice for at least 5,000 years, yet we have not been able to discover a 13th note! Music has many faces. Conversation, recitation, chanting and singing are all part of music. Musical vibrations can convey moods and emotions, and have the ability to mould our consciousness. Different types of music can have different effects on the mind. Music can either be vocal or instrumental. Vocal music appeals to most of us because of its poetical or lyrical content. Instrumental music on the other hand, such as what I play on the sarod, is pure sound. It needs to be experienced and felt. Since there are no lyrics, there is no language barrier between the performer and the listener. A wonderful and strange mystery of Indian classical music is the fact that one can spend a lifetime trying to attain knowledge and perfection, and still feel that one as only touched the tip of the iceberg. The learning never stops, and the understanding of music changes with each passing year in a musician’s life. This is true sadhana.

When I am able to get across to my audience, when I can get them involved, I find my listeners giving me the inspiration to create that special atmosphere, the ambience, where music, musician and audience become One. A great deal of importance is given to tradition in Indian classical music. In fact, tradition and spirituality are the backbone of classical music. They form the foundations for the teaching system or the structure of ragas and talas.

Music is the greatest wealth that I inherited from my forefathers, and I am constantly sharing it with my disciples. My other inheritance was the house of my birth in Gwalior , Madhya Pradesh, the birth place of four generations of my family. Today, it houses ‘Sarod Ghar’, a museum of musical heritage; a tribute to my guru, and to all our great musicians. It houses, apart from the instruments of my ancestors, the instruments and artefacts of great musicians from all over the country. Should you find yourself in the vicinity of Agra , you are most welcome to visit this humble house of music in neighbouring Gwalior .

Sixty years since India’s Independence ... along with development, Indians are beginning to lose their inherent tenderness. This tenderness, in the earlier years, was encouraged by an emphasis on culture, music, dance, art and education. In the absence of such an emphasis, I believe that our traditions, identities and values are gradually eroding.