Giving an insight into what made MS Subbulakshmi’s music so great, mridangam maestro K.V. Prasad, who had accompanied her in several of her concerts, said she never took her concerts as just another working day in office. She always rehearsed in the green room for at least half an hour before she went on stage. “Even at the peak of her fame, she kept her mind open to learning,” Mr. Prasad said. “A lesson that all students of music should learn is to keep to their pitch. A person is recognised by his or her natural voice. It is wrong to assume that practising at a higher pitch will help one render a kriti at a [lower] pitch,” he added.
Even if one is unwell, changing the ‘sruthi’ is not recommended, he said.
