Pandit vinayakrao patwardhan biography of alberta

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He had played two songs for Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati in March 1926, and in 1954 he held concerts in the USSR, Poland, and Czechoslovakia as part of the cultural mission. He did that again when, in 1934, he led a fund-raising programme organised by the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya to help the victims of the earthquake in Bihar.

He was an author as well.

Vinayakrao accepted teaching assignments at the various branches of the school at Bombay, Nagpur and Lahore. He leased a 12-room mansion of his to the school at a monthly rental of only 90 rupees.

The student strength had now gone up to 150 and classes were held morning, afternoon and night. His aim was to bring it to the common man.

And he did keep his promise. He could, therefore, sing in a very high pitch and in a very fast tempo. During that era, he was among the rare practising musicians who authored music textbooks. He had to assist in the maintenance of the school building and the garden and the work of the press division; play the cashier's role; and also assist Sankarrao Vyas in the co-operative store.

He saw it too as a place to groom performers and teachers of music who would carry on his own mission.

The school, which followed the broad vision of Vishnu Digambar, had some important distinguishing features:
* Its aim was the propagation of music. He also learnt a few raga-s of Carnatic music.

Khayal, tarana and bhajan were his favourites; he shunned thumri, dadra and tappa.

His favourite ragas included Bahar, Adana, Multani, Malhar, Jaijaivanti, Hamir and Bhairav-bahar. He had also picked up the rudiments of composing and printing as he and some of the other disciples of Vishnu Digambar were involved in the printing of books on music. The other, Keshavrao Patwardhan, a disciple of Balakrishnabuwa Ichalkaranjikar, taught music at the Ganesh Sangeet Vidyalaya.

Accordingly, he picked select students of the Vidyalaya who he believed had the aptitude and the potential to become musical missionaries. This was in 1934. Not surprisingly, the school attracted many youngsters, among them one who would later becoine very renowned, Prof. The small staff consisted of Vinayakrao's disciples, Vishnu Ghag and Janardhan Marathe.

They had to be students in residence for seven to nine years who had received intensive training in music.

Though initially opposed to the idea, Paluskar gave his approval after he was convinced that a career on the stage would not interfere with Patwardhan's concert career.