Young Achiever: This Delhi student secured second position at the District level Kala Utsav competition

If music be the food of love, play on. This couplet from Shakespeare’s classical play Twelfth Night resonates with all musicians this world has ever witnessed.  After all music can never be replaced by any amount of money, its strength lies in its immortality. Having similar line of thoughts, Rik Roy Chowdhury, student of class XI at Apeejay School, Panchsheel Park shares that music is a form of art and cultural expression that uses sound and rhythm to evoke emotions, convey messages, and create an aesthetic experience.

The instrument flute has a deep iconic and a symbolic significance in our culture. When it produces that divine and enchanting sweet sound, the whole atmosphere transforms into a magical reverie.

Carrying the same sentiment for the instrument in his heart, Rik Roy Chowdhury created history by bagging the second position at the recently held district level Kala Utsav competition. “I played a composition of raag yaman on the flute, which was well received by everyone present at the event. I really enjoyed performing at the event,” Rik said.

He collaborated with another fellow student Hardik Bisht who played the tabla and their jugalbandi took the entire competition a notch above. “We started practicing just two or three days before the event and I must say that Hardik performed really well and was in perfect sync with me,” he said.

Interestingly, Rik’s musical journey with the music began with the keyboard and later his guru introduced him to the flute. “I was in class II then, since then there is no looking back,” Rik reminiscing his learning days shared.

Rik trains himself on and off since most of his time is devoted to his studies now. But he points out that the flute had brought in certain reverberations in his life that are unforgettable. “Playing flute is a great stress reliever for me and it makes me appreciate music even more,” he confesses. He names classical and Hindi (film songs) genre as his favourite music.

Rik’s uncle, Vinod Mishra who is also a musician and plays the tabla, is his biggest inspiration. “My uncle performs at different concerts whenever he is in the town and after that we both jam together at home and create our own set of special musical masterpieces”, he shares on a light note.

He explains that there are numerous raagas- bhairav, yaman, and desh in Indian classical music that use different combinations of swaras. “I love to play raag bhimpalasi and raag bhairav on my flute for an hour at a stretch,” he added.

Calling his parents as the biggest emotional support, Rik gushes about the times when his mother nudges him to play different music on the flute and enjoys his performance. “She would keep requesting different tunes and I have to fulfil all her demands,” he shares jokingly. His immeasurable attachment to flute lies in the testimony he propounds. “I have a special connection with the flute and will continue playing in future also,” he said in conclusion.