‘Sci-fi from father, riyaaz from ma’

‘‘Just like children must go to school, so in my family children had to go to music classes. But riyaaz was like extra homework, academics was always my first priority,’’ says Ashwini, who grew up listening to sci-fi stories from her physicist father (a research scientist at BARC) and riyaaz by her mother, the renowned vocalist Manik Bhide.

In the flourish of a PhD successfully completed in 1990, Ashwini gifted herself just one year devoted full-time to music. It’s been more than a decade now. ‘‘Both music and science demand full-time commitment, and I finally chose music,’’ says the singer. ‘‘I miss my science days, but BARC has no dearth of scientists.’’

As a five-year-old, classical music meant a stereotype syllabus-examination routine under Pandit Narayanrao Datar. By 16, her mother had taken over her daughter’s riyaaz as a mission. ‘‘I was sick with typhoid and terribly unprepared for an Akashwani concert. My mother took over my training for the contest. Finally, I was learning stylised singing,’’ says Ashwini. Her voice swung around two gold medals at that contest, never mind the typhoid.

‘‘I don’t see a separation between the pure sciences and fine arts. Both fields demand an equal discipline and commitment. My scientific temper was useful in my music training,’’ says Ashwini, who graduated as sangeet visharad from the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and has been performing in public since the ’80s, and is credited with taking the khayal tradition of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana abroad.

Ashwini still skims through her science books occasionally, but there are students waiting to share her afternoons. Training is free and exceptional. ‘‘I tell my students to imbibe my music by observation and careful listening. I don’t follow a conventional teaching pattern,’’ she says.

Today she has lost count of performances and whirlwind tours abroad. ‘‘Three times in Europe, once to Australia, twice to the Gulf, and in the US…?’’

BARC is no longer classroom or office. These days Ashwini visits the Anushakti Nagar campus only as chief guest.