Building My Music, One Breath at a Time

In my line of work, as a construction professional, everything comes down to the foundation. You can’t build a strong skyscraper on weak ground. You have to put in the time, the work, and the patience below the surface before you can even think about going up. I’ve spent my life understanding this, but I never thought I’d be applying that same principle to a piece of bamboo.

My journey with the flute started, of all places, on YouTube. I was just scrolling through, watching videos of songs and social events, when this ad kept popping up. It was from a man named Ashish Dave from Flute Gandharvas. At first, I just dismissed it. “Music? An instrument? That’s a subject I can’t even go near,” I thought to myself. I’d never touched an instrument in my life. It felt like it was for other people, not for me.

But the ad kept showing up. And one day, a little voice in my head just said, “Why not? Why don’t you just try it?” So I did. I signed up and soon a straight flute arrived at my home.

Honestly, those first few weeks were tough. Trying to make a sound, learning the *swaras* and *alankars*… it felt like my brain was trying to learn a completely new language. I felt like I was in a totally different world. On top of that, my shoulder started to hurt. I’ve had shoulder issues before—I’d been to physiotherapy dozens of times for it—and holding the flute, tensing my muscles to get the right posture, it just brought all that stress back. There were days I had to take a short break, but I never gave up.

This is where my professional life kicked in. There’s a story about the Chinese bamboo tree. For five, maybe seven years, you see nothing on the surface. All the growth is happening underground, building a massive root system. Then, once that foundation is set, it shoots up hundreds of feet in just a matter of months. I thought, “This foundation course is my bamboo root system.”

I told myself right then that I wouldn't rush. The course had a 120-day target, but I decided I was going to make my foundation double strong. If it took me twice as long, so be it. A building with a weak foundation will crumble. I wasn’t going to let my music crumble. So, I took my time, did all the exercises, and slowly, painstakingly, built my base.

Of course, it wasn’t always a smooth process. I remember one specific problem that drove me crazy for a month. I was trying to play the note ‘Pa,’ and it just wouldn't come out right. I had to blow so hard, using so much extra breath, and the sound was weak. I couldn’t figure it out. The little decorative band on the end of my flute had slipped and was partially covering a tiny side hole. It was something I never would have noticed and did it at last

Once I fixed it, the sound came easily, but I had spent a month learning the wrong way. I had to re-learn how to blow properly for that note. It was frustrating, but it was also a good lesson. Sometimes the mistakes you make are what teach you the most. You have to be willing to unlearn and start again.

When I first started, my family was not exactly thrilled. The sounds I was making were… well, let’s just say they weren’t musical. "What is that horrible noise?" they’d ask. "We're getting disturbed!" I can’t blame them. I felt awkward and shy about the awful squawks and squeaks I was producing. I’d lock myself in a room to practice just so no one had to listen.

But now? Now everything is different. The flute has just become a part of my daily routine, like my morning duties. I wake up, practice my long notes for a few minutes before my walk, and then practice a bit more before I head out for the day. During my walk, I’ll have my earphones in, listening to recordings of my lessons or other musicians. The shyness is gone. If someone walks into the room while I’m playing, I just keep going. I don’t even think about it. That, for me, is a huge change. I can hear the progress just by comparing myself to who I was last month, and that gives me all the confidence I need.

If you’re in that difficult middle phase right now, where it feels like you’re not getting anywhere, my advice is simple: stop comparing yourself to others. It’s not about them. All that matters is the hard work you put in. You might get a note a little later than someone else, but when you do get it, it will be solid. It will be yours. Don’t look at your progress day by day. Look back at where you were three or four weeks ago. I promise you, you will see a big change. And don’t be afraid to take your time, especially with the fundamentals. If it takes you 200 days to do what someone else did in 100, that’s perfectly fine. A stronger foundation will serve you better in the long run.

When I started, I just thought it would be nice to learn a few Tamil or Hindi songs to play. What I got was so much more. This practice has increased my energy, my focus, and my attention span. It’s exercise for my fingers and, more importantly, it has rewired my brain. When you learn something completely new, no matter your age, you activate parts of your mind that have been dormant.

It all began as a funny little experiment, a simple “let’s just try” moment. Now, I see it as a journey for the rest of my life. God willing, I will keep practicing and become the best I can be—for myself. This little piece of bamboo has given me a new kind of addiction, and I don't ever plan on giving it up.

— Chandran K R R from India