Sashikiran Narasimhan (K N Shashikiran)

Summary

One of the most sought after musician, scholar, and composer, arts promoter, entrepreneur, voice expert, teacher, author and daily columnist. Most of all, a very enterprising, energetic and innovative thinker with over 40 years of performing experience and 30 years of experience in teaching music globally to over 1000 students. Dedicated and accomplished honorary doctorate with a solid academic background in Carnatic music. Had the privilege of learning from stalwarts Sangeetha Kalanidhi T.Brinda, T.Viswanathan and Calcutta K S Krishnamurthy. 

Being successful as a concert musician and a very well-known artist of the present generation, had over 20 years of successful experience in management, administration, co-ordination, public relations, concept-designing and marketing.

Child Prodigy and Performer

Hailing from a family of accomplished musicians, Grandfather Gottuvadyam Narayana Iyengar was a legend in his times, and father 'Chitravina' Narasimhan, a musician with a vision and mission and brother ‘Chitravina' Ravikiran’, an internationally acclaimed genius. Stormed the music world as a child prodigy at the age of 2, identifying melodic scales(ragas), demonstrate complicated rhythms (talas) and answer other technical questions in Carnatic music.

With the first vocal concert at the age of 9, is an established vocalist with a vast experience of over 5000 concerts including lecture-demonstrations, jugalbandi and fusion concerts in prominent organizations in India, USA, Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe. 

Adept in playing the percussion instrument - Mridangam, having trained under the late Palghat Sundaram. 

Having made an international mark as a vocalist and scholar, currently performing vocal duet concerts along with cousin 'Chitravina' Ganesh Parthsarathy and popularly known as the “Carnatica Brothers”.

Work in promoting Hindu tradition and music

Has done significant work in promoting and preserving Hindu musical forms, by performing Katha-Kutcheris with U.Ve. Dushyant Sridhar and Sankeertana Kutcheris with Shenkottai Hari Bhagavathar in India and across US. As an organiser, has conceptualised and  organised hugely successful events such as Bhakti Sangeet Utsav and Global Heritage Festival featuring devotional music performances, Harikatha, Namasankeertanam, Sankeertana Kutcheri, Katha Kutcheri, Sant Prahavam and more. Is actively looking to propagate these art forms further by organising performances in temples across TamilNadu so that they reach more people. 

Arts Promoter

• Conceptualised and curated music festival such as Bharat Sangeet Utsav, Bhakthi Sangeet Utsav, Pallavi Darbar, Raganubhava, Sahityanubhava, Vadyanubhava, World Music Day celebrations, Eastern Ethnic New Year celebrations, Sangeetha Sandhippu, Sangeetha Shiksha and Moksha concert series
• Organized a 100 hour music marathon and a 72 hour nonstop music show for IFCM
• Organized several unique contests and felicitations to promote and recognize talents. Ms.Voice & Mr.Voice, Carnatic & Bhakthi Star, Virtuoso awards, Carnatic music industry awards, La Grammy awards, Carnatic Premier League are some of them
• Conceptualised and judged “Carnatic music Idol” and “Sangeeth Samraat”, reality shows on Jaya TV and Sri Sankara TV, popular television channels in India
• Pallavi darbar- Conceptualized a unique festival dedicated to the art of ragam-tanam-pallavi singing increasing the Carnatic IQ of the musician 

Composer

Composed a period music to recreate the melodic modes of 2^nd century music for “Silapathikaram”, an age old Tamil epic for a dance ballet. This was a big hit.

Composed varnam’s & tillana’s and tuned over 100 compositions of modern composers - Kalyani Krishnaswamy and Dr.Brazil Subramaniam. Has also tuned several “Sai Keerthana’s”, “Tiruppugazh” and 14^th and 15 century works of Purandaradasa and Annamayya. In all, tuned over 350 songs and scored background music for several thematic albums. Has been featured in over 25 music albums as solo and as “Carnatica Brothers”, including fusion and some collaborations with musician Dr.Sowmya.

Trendsetter - Techno Musical Achievements

• Producer, author and the spirit behind the world's first interactive and encyclopedic CD-ROM on Carnatic music titled "Nadanubhava - The horizons of Carnatic music"
• Joint Creator and developer of the world's first twin-pack VCD on Carnatic music titled "Nadopasana - My own Carnatic tutor ", a self-help guru with Karaoke features
• Producer of other popular music albums (audio & video) like the VCD on Bharatiyar songs, Vintage reminiscences and "Carnatic PEP Album"
• Designer of one of the first websites on Carnatic music - http://www.clickcarnatica.com, http://www.carnatica.com & www.mymusicalbum.com 
• Developed the first web portal for online teaching
• Developed the first Carnatic app “Musiguru” and current app “Carnaticworld GAME” available in android
• Initiated Mobile Gurukulam (school)
• Coordinator of several successful events like Raganubhava, Sahityanubhava, Layanubhava, Vadyanubhava and Natyanubhava series
• First to initiate the concept of thematic multilingual (French, English, Hindi, Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada) ragam, tanam, pallavi and highlight the creative form of the rhythmic cycle patterns
• Conceptualised and curated Mr/Mrs. Voice, Carnatic Music Idol, Sangeeth Samraat in leading television channels in India
• Rolled out the concept of online teaching through the first music, e-commerce web portal carnatica.com, which won the Britannica award for excellence in concept and design
• First to bring about the concept of direct marketing in Carnatic music at live events and festivals.
• Introduced the concept of Custom made CDs - "My music album" through music kiosks. 
• Partnered with Airtel - India’s largest telecom services provider, bringing in the first ever Carnatic music caller tunes & ringtones
• Continued working with music and technology, setting up the curriculum for Musiguru, the Carnatic music learning app and designing a 24/7 online radio channel "Carnatica"
• Introduced "Parichaya", a music acquaintance program in major schools in Chennai. 
• Mobile Gurukulam, Residential Gurukulam, Voice clinic, corporate stress management programs through music are few other ventures 
• Revolutionized and branded online skype teaching in music
• Introduced open air singing – Conducted sunrise workshops in parks and beaches and open air to improve voice quality
• Collaborated with dancers and performed “Nrithya Kutcheri” (Dance and vocal concert together)
• Introduced traditional Carnatic concert singing along with devotional bhajans(songs)
• Introduced “Chitra Kala Sangeeth” – Painting with music
• Performed concerts along with artistes adept in story-telling  - “Katha Kutcheri”
• First musician to initiate celebrating World Music Day across the globe through Carnatic music
• Conceptualised “Ethnic New Year” since 2000 where several musicians gathered to perform carnatic concerts all through night on New Year’s eve bringing the world together

Carnatica Archival Center for Music

• Founder and managing director of Carnatica Archival Center for Music, India
• Founder, global head and visionary of Carnatica Archival Center for Music, USA
• Built in total curriculum covering the basic, intermediate and advanced courses in Carnatic music
• Pioneer in online teaching
• Formed schools of Carnatica in many cities across the USA to impart education to the next generation – Detroit, Dallas, Delaware, Phoenix, San Jose
• Trained over 1000 students of which many of them are leading playback singers
• Websites www.carnaticausa.com, www.carnaticworld.com

Entrepreneur and Event Management

• Advisory Panel member and coordinator in the organization of major festivals like the Cleveland Thyagaraja festival, Sydney music festival, Minneapolis music festival, Bay Area Thyagaraja Aradhana, Carnatica, School of World music and dance- MI, Veda Temple – Seattle, Silicon Andhra, Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha, Nadhopasana, Panchamukha Anjaneyar temple, and many other leading institutions in India
• Coordinating various events and festivals across the globe: Nadothsavam- past 10 years, atlanta – Carnatic mela with CAMAGA-Atlanta – past 10 years, Carnatic mela in NJ – 5 years, IND-US Fest, Dallas – last 5 years, Veda Temple, Seattle – since 2 years , Sangeeth Samraat (first of its kind reality show) – was organized in 10 cities in the USA with around 900 participants competing
• Coordinate and organize tours for musicians traveling from India to USA and vice versa
• Organize concerts and coordinate with several leading organizations to promote and groom the young upcoming talents both in India and overseas
• First to initiate and introduce Carnatic mela, Carnatic party and IND-US fest, a daylong event to promote young budding students of music to showcase their talents in various platforms. Conducted skits, mini concerts, presentations and competitions on different levels and topics

Collaborations

• First Carnatic musician to perform in the Arts museum, France along with Herbert in the International music festival
• First musician to curate and perform Carnatic Symphony in the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival along with Prof.Leo Coach
• First Carnatic musician to conceptualize and perform Carnatic Jazz collaborations with musicians like George Brooks, Maya Azucena and Prof.Mark Stone
• Have collaborated and performed with musicians from the Europe and Africa
• First musician to integrated and collaborate with leading Hindustani musicians from the North India and provided them opportunity to perform in the south of India, bridging the gap between Hindustani and Carnatic music and bringing harmony through music barring caste, creed, race and religion. The collaborations have featured artists from all community
• First to collaborate and perform carnatic concerts with jazz, jugalbandhi and fusion with unique instruments such as nadaswaram, tavil, saxophone, veena, sitar, guitar, flute and keyboard

Teaching Experience

Teaching practical music for over 30 years. Expertise in giving over 500 lecture-demonstration’s in several universities across the globe. Visiting faculty, workshops on voice culture and music therapy along with concerts in many venues in the USA

• Experience of being an examiner and also delivering lecture-demonstration in Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society, New Zealand Carnatic Music Society
• Lecture-demonstration in major venues in Canada
• Conducted and compered several quiz programs, participated in panel discussions and presented papers in major centers such as Rice University, Houston; Ethnomusicology Society, Indiana State University; Drew University, New Jersey
• Conceptualized the Carnatic Symphony, trained about 120 kids from North America and premiered the concert in the Cleveland Thyagaraja festival and in several other cities in the USA and across the globe
• Chairing lecture demonstrations for the last 5 years in Sri Parthasarathy Swami Sabha - the oldest music institution in India
• Formed Academy of Musical Excellence in the UK
• Cleveland State University, OH
• University of Madras
• Purdue University, IN
• Harvard University, MA
• Stanford and Berkley, CA
• Boone University, KY
• Oakland University, MI
• University of Texas at Dallas
• Middlesex community college, CT
• Taught in Manasa Gangotri, University of Mysore and many corporation schools
• Designed a graded music school curriculum syllabus for students in grades 1-8. The curriculum was first adopted by Suguna International School, Coimbatore
• Faculty to BA and MA students in the University of Madras
• Gave presentations in the Music College, Chennai, Amrita college- Coimbatore
• Lec-dem in IIT, Madras on Music and Technology
• Trained over 1000 students to perform and sing for World Peace in the Art of living centre, Bangalore
• Trained over 3500 school children of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chennai for Carnatic choir to present before the late President of India, Dr.A P J Abdul Kalam. The performance received a standing ovation by the President. The President acknowledged and urged more schools to adapt music in their curriculum so that future of the country is better

Voice Consultant and Music Therapy

• Organized voice camps and workshops on voice management and voice care in many cities in the USA and across the globe. Conceptualized in India, conducted voice clinic, voice gym and voice spa workshops in several countries across the world
• Conducted music therapy workshops for sinusitis cure through music to many medical students and doctors in various universities
• First musician to set up and create voice programs with leading voice gurus. Anant Vaidyanathan, Peter, Prakash Boominathan – Speech Pathologist, Dr. S V K Durga – musicologist and voice expert, T V Gopalakrishnan – voice guru, Unnikrishnan and Sriram Parasuram

Mathematics and Science in music

• First to create infinite rhythmic meters and structures based on day, month and year
• Brought in several mathematic formulas into music – arithmetic progression, algebraic formulas, which have stunned even mathematicians
• To heal stammering and stuttering – Introduced voice therapy instead of speech therapy

Awards

• Sangeetha Kalasagaram in 2018 in Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival
• Kalaimamani award
• Yuva Kala Bharathi in 2001 – 02
• Outstanding Young Indian by Jaysees - Special millennium Honor award
• Rani Sethulakshmi Bai Memorial Award in 1990
• Best Pallavi Singer
• Innisaimamani by Irai Pani Mandram
• Asthana Vidwan, Kanchi mutt
• Best Exponent of any melodic scale(raga) from the Music Academy in 1990
• Best Vocalist in 1998 from the Carnatic Music Association of North America
• Bharat Nirman Excellence Award in 1999 for meritorious accomplishments in diverse fields of activity that have immensely contributed to India's progress

Social Worker

• Performed a marathon 24-hour world record concert dedicated to all those who lost their lives in the various natural calamities, terrorist strikes on September 11 and to mark World Peace Day
• Always believed in supporting noble causes
• Organized a mass musical Independence Day celebrations with 23000 students at the Marina Beach in Chennai, India
• Played a major role in bringing together 3500 musicians at the Art of Living center in Bangalore, India
• Organized concerts with over 120 musicians to raise funds for the Tsunami victims in Chennai
• Performed concerts for the Shooting star charity to support the children's hospital in London 
• Performed fund raiser concerts for organizations like Shankaranethralaya, RASA and Shankara heart foundation
• Contributed towards temples and music festivals like Thiruvayyaru Thyagaraja Aradhana
• Supported 78 musicians and families and other people of Tamil Nadu, India during the heavy floods in December 2015 by fund-raising concerts and campaign, distributing food, water, clothes, medicines and blankets to other victims of this disaster
• Supported Vishranthi old age home, truth foundation and Spastics society
• Supported and recognized Tambura artistes, other musical instrument manufacturers and differently abled musicians
• Founder and President of Youth Exnora in Green Revolution and to avoid global warming. Was involved in cleaning the city projects

Countries Performed

Travelled and performed extensively in over 30 states in the USA, 5 states in Canada, extensive traveling in the UK, Europe (France, Germany, Austria, Spain and Luxemburg), entire Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and New Castle, New Zealand – Auckland and Hamilton, Singapore, Malaysia, Middle East - Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha and covered the length and breadth of India and Sri Lanka

Performed with Celebrities

Performed concerts along with many celebrity musicians from India and in the USA -Dr.Balamuralikrishna, Aruna Sairam, Sudha Raghunathan, Chitravina N Ravikiran and Prof. T. Viswa. Collaborated and performed with Prof.Leo Coach, Prof.Mark Stone – Oakland Univ, Maya Azucena, and George Brooks. Had the rare privilege of being accompanied by senior musicians including Sangita Kalanidhi Umayalapuram Sivaraman, Palghat R. Raghu, Sangita Kalanidhi T.K.Murthy, Sangita Kalanidhi Vellore Ramabhadran, Guruvayur Dorai, Mannargudi Easwaran, Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam, K.V.Prasad, Trichur Narendran and Kamalakar Rao on the mridangam and M.S.Anantharaman, Nagai Muralidharan, B.C. Manjunath, M.A.Sundareswaran and V.V.Ravi on the violin

Was the only Carnatic musician to perform along with Pt.Hariprasad Chaurasia and Pt.Vishwanath Sharma in IIT Delhi Virasat. This was an all-night program organized by the SPICMACAY

Interviews and TV Shows

• Interviewed by the German radio, London television program, Canada TV program, India television channel based out of CA and all leading television channels in India that include Doordarshan- The national channel, NDTV, CNN India, Headlines Today
• Performed vocal concerts and judged reality shows in Jaya TV, Star Vijay, Sun TV, Zee Tamil, Kalaignar TV, All India Radio (National Radio), SVBC and Sri Sankara TV
• Experienced in producing program for CI TV and was interviewed by Deepam TV

Author

Authored popular books including Carnatic Fun Tasktic, Sangita Lipi and is a regular music columnist in leading newspapers like The Hindu, The Times of India, The Deccan Chronicle and The New Indian Express

Educational Qualifications

• Honorary Doctorate from King University, Florida for being an outstanding musician
• Has done research in "Teaching Methodology in Carnatic Music"
• Awarded Gold medal in Master's  in Music from the University of  Madras
• First person to be granted UGC scholarship; cleared the junior research fellow and the eligibility for being a lecturer
• Bachelor's in Music from the University of Madras
• Diploma in Audio and Video Technology