Sangeet mein itni ekagrata chahiye, ki jo dekh skta hai vo bhi aankhein band krke hi gaata hai, toh mujhe toh pehle se hi ye takat mili hai (music needs such dedication and concentration that the one who can see also sings with his eyes closed, and I have it by default), says Dr Prem Sagar (55), a music lecturer who is visually impaired and has been into teaching profession since 30 years. On World Music Day, he shares his story of finding solace in music.
His introduction to music happened through devotional and classical songs. The environment at the home was such that music would reach his ears through radio or TV all day long. In growing up years, singers Bhai Gopal Singh, Bhai Surjan Singh, Mohammad Rafi, Kishor Kumar and music composer Ravinder Jain had a great impact on Sagar.
He shared that his parents never had any formal training of music, but his mother used to sing and he would also listen to her. “I started humming and then developed interest. Teachers would often call me to classroom and would ask me to sing. This is how I found my love for music. Then I got admission in a school for blind where my focus stayed on sangeet and I started learning it as a subject,” he shared. Then, Dr Prem Sagar never stopped and did his M. Phil and then PhD in music.
Dr Sagar said when one cannot see, the power of hearing becomes even stronger. “Sangeet toh sunne ke sath hi hai. My teachers only guided me on this path. They told my parents that I must take interest in music because then I would not have to get dependant on someone. That is what happened. Today, I compose my songs too. Until now, I have composed more than 25 songs,” he said.
In his 30 years of service till now, he has earned respect from his students. “Koi Padma Bhushan is cheese se bada nahee, jo mere vidharthiyo ne mujhe dia,” an emotional Sagar shared.
He has a message for youth. Sangeet has so much power that if a person gets immersed in it, he/she would never fall prey to drugs, because then they will have no time to even think of anything else but just riyaaz (practice), he said.
World Music Day
- Also known as Fete de la Musique, World Music Day is celebrated on June 21 every year to honour the musicians and singers for the gift of music, which gives flight to the imagination and life to everything
- The first all-day musical celebration on the day of the summer solstice was originated by Jack Lang, then Minister of Culture of France, as well as by Maurice Fleuret. It was celebrated in Paris in 1982
- The theme for World Music Day 2022 is ‘Music on the intersections’. The day cherishes the spirit of music, the vibrancy of vocals and the melody of instruments.
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