Professional Flute player. I teach flute based on North Indian classical music and contemporary Bollywood styles.

Find out more about Dipayan

• Tell us more about your subject. How did you develop an interest in this field?

  Flute is one of the primitive instruments of the world as found in books and legends. Practices of side flute have been dated back to 2000 yrs the time of the Veda.
  Uses of the flute in classical music is rather new.
  It was mostly used in folk and traditional pieces of music ( tappa/thumris/kajri).
  
  Maestro Pannalal Ghosh revolutionized the instrument to play and perform North Indian Classical music back in the 50s.
  From then flute has been considered a complete instrument (an instrument suited to play classical music with all its alankars and Murchanas).
  Since then it has been used in film songs,
  Background scoring, light music( Bhajans, Ghazals, etc.)
  
  For how I developed an interest in music..
  
  Flute playing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My interest in this field began when I first listened to someone playing flute around my village, I was seven at the time. Also, My family is "Vaishnava" ( we worship Krishna - A deity who plays flute ), so it was natural for me to get curious about the instrument played by our lord.
  Later when I was around 10, I saw a Bansuriwala ( flute player in Bengali) playing and selling bansuris for merely 20 to 30 rs.
  
  I picked it up and tried playing, but nothing!! Not even a sound came. Back in those days, there was no youtube to give you a kick-start.
  From a friend of mine from school I learned some basics of the instrument. That's it. That little tune, whatever I could play, I played that same melody for hours.
  
  Then of course I went to a teacher to learn more,
  
  Learned for 3 yrs from one teacher specialized in folk music.
  continued Learning for 5 yrs from another teacher who specialized in Bollywood and film scores.
  And still learning for 6 yrs from someone who Specializes in North Indian classical music,,
  14 yrs and still learning have been a hell of a journey.

• What or who is the motivation behind you choosing to teach & why?

  My motivation for teaching comes from
  
  A. There are very few qualified teachers in any online platform who teaches flute with traditional styles.
  B. I wanted to make my classes beginner friendly, so the students don't get intimated by the vastness of the music and difficulties of the instruments.
  C. Music is a universal language, I am fortunate to get the opportunity to learn it myself, want to give others the same opportunity.

• How does your work help society?

  I believe that music, and flute playing in particular, can have a positive impact on society.
  It can bring joy and beauty to people's lives and provide an outlet for self-expression.
  In addition, learning to play an instrument can help develop important skills such as discipline (especially when you are playing an instrument like a flute)focus, and creativity.

• If you had to think of a role model for your work, who do you think of & why?

  When I think of a role model for my work, I am inspired by Padma-Bhushan Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. He is a world-renowned flutist who has dedicated his life to both performing and teaching.
  He played across 180 countries of the world.
  Just think of that for a minute.!!
  Most importantly he reached Indian classical music to every part of the world.
  I can't think of anyone else who has done it on a larger scale than him.
  I admire his commitment to excellence and music.

• Tell us about your hobbies outside teaching.

  When I'm not teaching or playing the flute, I enjoy Sports .cricket, football table tennis you name it. Though I like outdoor sports more. I find that being outdoors helps me to recharge and stay grounded.

• Do you have an anecdote to tell us about your student or professional life?

  One of my fondest memories from my professional life was when I had the opportunity to perform at guru purnima for tabla maestro Pandit Subhrangshu Chatterjee. I played in front of a hall full of musicians as an audience. And got applauded. If you are a musician; you know how it feels to get compliments from other musicians.
  
  It was an incredible experience to be part of such a talented group of musicians and to share my music with everyone.
  
  I have attached some photos of me playing the flute, including one from my recent performance.
  Also pictures of early flutes too..and text I have found researching.