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Three jubilees in one year
 Have you witnessed three jubilees at a time? You have an opportunity to witness three jubilees in May 2005. Take part in vocalist G N Desikan’s school of music
‘Sri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidyalayam’, which would be celebrating its silver jubilee; and then celebrate the golden jubilee year of Desikan’s entry into music; and get his blessings on his 75th birthday (platinum jubilee).
Sri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidyalayam was started in 1980 by G N Desikan, its founder and principal.
Speaking about his birth and his childhood, Desikan said, “I was born on October 9, 1930, at
Kancheepuram. My parents are N A Varadachari and Rajalakshmi. I started learning music from my mother at the age of three. I had my musical training from V R Sethuraman, a senior disciple of late
Madurai Mani Iyer, for nearly 17 years. I had my debut performance at
Sri Thyagaraja Vidwat Samajam, Chennai, in March 1955. Since then, I have been giving concerts all over India with accompaniments provided by prominent and leading violin and
mridangam
vidwans.”
He had great admiration for his guru's guru,
Madurai Mani Iyer, and has been celebrating the Madurai Mani Iyer Day every year. He has also been celebrating
Sri Tyagaraja Festival and Sri Thyagaraja Sangeetha Vidyalayam’s anniversary since 1981. He has more than 2,000 programmes to his credit. He completed his 2,000th music concert at Visakha Music & Dance Academy,
Vishakapatnam, on July 30, 2004.
Desikan was employed in ICI paints in 1948 and retired as sales officer in 1985. He has been giving concerts since March 1955. He was able to manage both commitments successfully. He is also a graded vocalist in All India Radio (AIR), Chennai for which he has been singing from 1968.
He also performed in Doordarshan and other private
TV channels. Desikan has sang all over India in various sabhas, temples with all leading vidwans’ accompaniment and also given lecture and demonstration on music to students at several musical institutions in India.
His vidyalayam charges a very nominal fee for students and does not have any caste bar. He takes in children from the age of 3-4 years and many of his students give public programmes and continue learning music.
 His students have participated in many music competitions in schools, colleges, AIR, TV and other institutions and have also won many prizes.
Desikan has been conferred with many titles like Sangeetha Rathnam, Sangeetha Bhushanam, Asthana Vidwan of
Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam and many more. In 1999, he started a branch of his music school at Jafferkhanpet, Chennai, to conduct classes for interested students in that area.
Many vidwans have accompanied Desikan in his concerts: Annavarappu Ramaswamy, A Murali Krishna, V Sethuramaiah, V Govindaswamy Naicker and G Ram Mohan Rao on the violin,
Madurai Krishnan
Iyengar, Dandamudi Ram Mohan Rao, Dr T K Moorthy and Narayana Raju on the mridangam, Thanigai Nagarathnam, Srirangam Kannan and R V Pakkrisamy on morsing, Alangudi Ramachandran, T H Vinayak Ram and T V Vasan on the
ghatam.
Desikan has sung in Bilahari Gana Sabha, Indian Fine Arts Society - Chennai, Jana Ranjani - Kumbakonam, Kalalaya - Salem, Maharajapuram Trust -
Ranipet, Narada Gana Sabha – Karur and Neyveli Sangeetha Sabha -
Neyveli.
He has been honoured by varied personalities: Sangeetha Rathnam from Bhuvaneshwari Peetam, Om Shanthi Ashram, Ambattur, best junior musician award from Indian Fine Arts Society, T Nagar, and was made the Asthana Vidwan of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam in 2002.
Speaking about the celebrations of Sri Tyagaraja Jayanti, Madurai Mani Iyer Day and anniversary celebrations of the music school, Desikan said, “The school was started in May 1980 by me, since the music school conducted by my master, teacher V R Sethuraman Iyer (a disciple of late Ganakaladhara Madurai Mani
Iyer)
The school was managed by Keeranur Ramaswamy Pillai in the initial stages, since I was employed in ICI India Ltd. However, after retirement, I took over the classes in 1984. The music school also started
mridangam classes under the supervision of mridangam vidwan
Nagai S Soundara Rajan and was conducted for nearly 20 years.
The students of the vidyalayam are taught vocal music from scratch and classes are divided into groups based on the student’s mettle. Strict discipline is also observed in the vidyalayam, such as regular attendance, wearing kumkum, getting signature from parents for practising music at home daily, etc. At the school anniversary function, attendance prizes are given for meritorious students every year, which is usually distributed by a senior vidwan/eminent person ,who will chair the function that day.
Desikan is also a visiting professor for a number of institutions in India. He has also acted as a judge for music competitions in various sabhas in the country. The vidyalayam has so far taught music to 2,000 students since 1980.
Many eminent persons have taken part in Madurai Mani Iyer Day and V R Sethuraman has performed in the inaugural concert in such series. Some of the eminent musicians in the series are vocalists
Bombay Sisters C Saroja and C
Lalitha, Dr N Ramani (flute), Dr Madhurai
Somasundaram, Neyveli
Santhanagopalan, Sikkil Sisters Kunjumani and Neela (flute), vocalist
T V Sankaranarayanan and many others.
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