Scientists build detachable Mridangam [Dec 12 2014 : The Times of India (Chennai)] In a case of science meeting art, scientists at CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute here have developed a detachable mridangam that musicians will find easier to carry. The travel-friendly version of the traditional Carnatic percussion instrument was developed over a decade in collaboration with mridangam exponent Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, who told former CLRI director Dr T Ramasami about the difficulty he faced while travelling abroad for concerts. The traditional mridangam has a hollow body made of columns of wood from the jackfruit tree. It comes in three sizes -22, 23 and 24 by CLRI scientists inches -to cover the entire vocal range. The ends are cov ered with goat leather held in place by leather straps. The prototype engineered at the CLRI lab has been cut into three parts with a larger central part and two smaller parts corresponding to the right and left drumheads. The final product, which has been patented, is not just travel-friendly but weighs about half of the three mridangams. M D Naresh, retired scientist from CLRI, said a musician who needs all three sizes for a concert can carry just a central piece and a left piece with drumheads in varying sizes for the right side to produce the critical harmonic overtones, semitones and halftones to cover the entire vocal range. “Since the left sides tuning is less critical and the tone is achieved with semolina paste, we decided to have three different sized right drumheads and a single left side head. So, only the central and left side, which produces the bass, will remain while we can detach and attach the drumheads on the right.When you change the right drumheads, the mridangam would measure 22, 23, and 24 inches in length accordingly .The left one can be detached while packing,“ he said. To ensure that the entire instrument can be carried as a compact package, scientists scooped out the central part of the mridangam to hold the left and right drumheads. The central section is covered with a wooden plate on either side. So, even if it is tossed into the cargo hold of a plane, there will be no damage to the instrument or the black patch on the right side of the drumhead, Naresh said. “We used gaskets on the edges of the air column to maintain its integrity . But the most difficult aspect in the development of the instrument was ensuring that the tonal quality is acceptable to a maestro like Sivaraman,“ Naresh said. Umayalpuram K Sivaraman, who collaborated with the research institute, said he usually carried two or three mridangams, each weighing 10kg to 12kg, for a series of 10 to 12 concerts while travelling abroad. “When I travel abroad, I pack my mridangam in a drum so that it doesnt get damaged in the cargo hold.One packed mridangam would weigh about 20kg. The detachable one will weigh about 15kg in all. I approached CLRI because I wanted to make the instrument travelfriendly and affordable for the entire percussion fraternity ,“ he said.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:36:44 +0000
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