MEET OUR ARTIST: MAIURIE
Maiurie Rasakulasuriar
Bansuri
Selvi Maiurie Rasakulasuriar is a young upcoming musician who plays the Carnatic flute and has opened for our Back to the Lounge: Baithak sessions.
Selvi Maiurie Rasakulasuriar is a young upcoming musician who has been learning the Carnatic flute for 7 years under the guidance of her Guru, Sri Madhusoodanan Satchithanandan. Her Carnatic music journey began when she started learning vocal at the age of 5. A couple of years later, she started learning the veena under the guidance of Smt Renuka Shriananda and Smt Bhairavi Shriananda. She has recently completed her arangetram in both Veena and Flute in September 2022. She has also achieved grade 8 in both the piano and Western flute, where she has performed in numerous orchestras in her school, university and county. In 2017, she completed her Bharathanatyam arangetram at the age of 13. Maiurie is currently studying Physics at the University of Oxford.
Learn more about her…
What first drew you to Bansuri?
As a child, I was always surrounded by music. When I was 10 years old, I started learning Western classical flute under the recommendation from my school music teacher. A couple years later I went to a bansuri flute arangetram, and I remember listening to the bansuri, being entranced and comparing it to the Western flute. A year later, when I was 13 years old, my mother found a bansuri teacher for me, and I am grateful to have learnt bansuri from my guru, Sri Madhusoodanan Satchithanandan, for 7 years.
What inspires you?
As an artist, I am constantly inspired by the intricacies and endless possibilities of expression and experimentation that music has to offer. I’m particularly interested in learning about different cultural music and how they differ and are also similar to one another. As a Carnatic musician, I find the different combinations of melodic (raga) and rhythmic (tala) patterns fascinating. I am constantly inspired by other musicians and always find motivation to pursue music even further after every piece I listen to.
As both a Carnatic flautist and veena player, how do these two instruments shape the way you express and experience music? Do you find they influence each other?
Playing both the Carnatic flute and the veena has shown me how differently the same music can be expressed. On the flute, I can often carry a phrase in a single breath much longer than I can sustain it with a single pluck on the veena, so each instrument naturally calls for different techniques. The flute feels more flowing and fluid, while the veena has a sharper, more percussive character that brings out precision and clarity in every note.
I find they complement each other beautifully. The flute encourages me to think in long, lyrical phrases, while the veena reminds me of the beauty of precision and rhythmic structure. As a result, I especially enjoy exploring ragams on the flute, whereas on the veena I find myself most drawn to playing tanams, where the instrument's rhythmic character really comes alive.
Who or what has been the biggest source of inspiration in your musical journey?
My gurus, Smt. Renuka, Bhairavi Sriananda and Sri Madhusoodanan Satchithanandan, have always been my greatest source of inspiration, and I love listening to their performances. Beyond them, I draw a lot of inspiration from artists such as Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, Rajhesh Vaidhya and Ramana Balachandran on the veena, and Kudamaloor Janardanan and Dr. N. Ramani on the flute.
When I'm looking for inspiration, I usually start by choosing a ragam. I'll listen to different artists performing a Ragam Tanam Pallavi in that ragam, regardless of the instrument, and try to absorb the way they shape the gamakams and bring out the mood of the ragam. Sometimes, if I come across a song I really enjoy, I'll make a note of its ragam and come back to learn and explore it later.
You've performed with zerOclassikal at a number of events, including performances and workshops. What has your experience been like, both creatively and in terms of your artistic and career development?
zer0classikal has provided an amazing platform for me to perform, share my music, and express my creativity through my pieces. The people have always been so friendly and welcoming, and I love introducing Carnatic music to audiences who may not have heard it before.
Having learnt both Western and Carnatic music, I especially enjoy explaining the similarities and differences between the two traditions and finding ways to make Carnatic music more accessible. Through performing and taking part in workshops, zer0classikal has helped me grow in confidence as a musician and develop my ability to connect with different audiences.
A personal highlight has been the zer0classikal workshops at the Third Age Project and Vicarage Farm nursing home. I find the performances uplifting, and the supportive, low-pressure environment always reminds me of the reason why I love playing music.
Are there any musical ideas, collaborations, or themes you're excited to explore in the future?
Before learning the Carnatic flute, I originally trained in Western classical flute, and I would love to explore creating pieces that combine elements of both traditions. Although I have performed regularly, I have never recorded my own music, and that is something I would really like to explore in the future. Recording would allow me to experiment with layering different parts of the same instrument and creating a fuller musical texture. I have been inspired by Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh’s veena tanams, where she layers multiple parts together to add depth to the music. She has also incorporated keyboard backing tracks into some of her recordings, which I find really interesting as a way of blending modern Western instruments with traditional Carnatic music. I would love to explore these ideas while continuing to learn new ragas and develop my own style of expression.
What music has been inspiring you at the moment? Would you be happy to share a playlist with your current favourite tracks?
Yes, of course!