I began talking about the Music section from the incident on my birthday in 1965. A long time has elapsed since this Music section came into being and I have gone through a lot, with ups and downs. With regard to my negative experiences, all I wish to say is that we have all come to the Ashram to work towards a change of our nature. That change of human consciousness is the heart of Sri Aurobindo's and the Mother's yoga. Nobody has come to the Ashram a transformed being already. That is why if there are elements in my nature that are still unchanged from the earlier part of my life, my whole-

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hearted endeavour is precisely to work towards their change Let me refer here to a positive development among the good things that have blessed my life. This is in reference to my interest in music and to the Mother's Music section.

    I was very young, then, and my musical voice was quite sweet. I used to live in Red House on the ground floor. There was a well-known singer, a French woman named Marie-Amélie who lived on the floor above. One day around 6 in the morning (my voice training time), someone knocked at my door. I opened the door, it was Marie-Amélie. I welcomed her in. She explained to me in her broken English that she liked my voice. She asked me if I would like to learn western classical music from her. I told her that since I could not quite appreciate Western classical vocal music, I did not feel like learning it. Then she tried to explain that my voice would sound very fine in the Western style of singing. It still did not convince me about taking up her offer. The following Sunday when I went to see the Mother, She told me:

    Mother - Marie-Amélie spoke to me about you. She liked your voice and would like to teach you Western classical music. Do you know about her?

    I - Yes, Mother, I do. But I don't quite like Western classical singing.

    Mother - You have never tried, you have never learnt it. How can you decide whether it is good or bad? She is a very good singer and a very good teacher too. Why don't you give it a try?

    The Mother's word was sacrosanct to us. If She said something, it was impossible for any of us to disregard it. And so I started classes with Marie-Amélie in her apartment at the Red House. After a few lessons, I began enjoying these Western classical music classes and the vocal training this style of singing demanded. That earlier dislike I had for this music slowly changed into genuine appreciation of its method and sweetness. My voice had quite a good reach in the higher range and so when she made me sing alone, I was asked to sing as a soprano.

    Marie-Amélie. used to take her classes in the New Hall

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(today the Hall of Harmony) at the school where there was a piano. The choir group she taught consisted of 78 persons. Four among them also received individual classes, Minnie-di, Ravibala, Wilfy and I. When we had progressed in our training to Marie-Amelie's satisfaction, she organised two programmes for the Mother to hear. One of these happened at the New Hall where the choir was divided into four groups, as is common in Western music: Bass, Alto, Tenor and Soprano. The programme started with four of us singing solo, Minnie-di, Ravibala, Wilfy and I. I remember I had sung a very well-known song, 'Ave Maria' by the famous French composer Charles Gounod. By that time I had really started feeling the depth and sweetness of Western classical singing. The Mother had come to listen to our programme and She appreciated our solo songs. The second programme took place just before Marie-Amelie left for France and this was in the Ashram courtyard, next to the Samadhi, in front of Dyuman-bhai's room. It was a wonderful recital too. The Mother came down the stairs from Her room and sat by the first floor window overlooking the Samadhi.

After listening to me, the Mother told me that She found my voice quite suitable for Western classical singing. I was advised to continue my Western singing classes. Unfortunately Marie-Amelie had to return to France just a few days after this and, consequently, my singing lessons also came to a halt. After quite a long gap, another choir conductor named Richard Eggenberger (Narad) arrived in the Ashram. Some of us took classes with him as well. With Narad too, we had sung for the Mother in front of Dyuman-bha's room and She came and sat by the first floor window to listen to us.

These lessons in Western music were yet another chapter in my life. At that time I was only learning. Today after all the time that has elapsed, I understand how the Mother had imperceptibly unlocked closed hidden doors in the world of my musical aspiration and through these open doors a lot of different kinds of music from many countries and cultures had entered my consciousness and left an imprint on my own music. Today, I have learnt to appreciate a wide variety of mu-

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sic and evaluate and understand them differently. Sometimes, through my musical compositions I get a touch of some new kind of music which leaves me perplexed because I truly wonder where it came to me from. My inmost being tells me that this is a direct gift from the Mother: She has liberated the notes of music within me! From beyond the boundaries of the past, the pulsating throb of a new vibration has dawned upon my heart at the divine touch of the Mother.

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