Master of all trades

Styjo George is so passionate about music that he has mastered 20 instruments and is now training youngsters keen to pursue the art.

The 41-year-old from Kerala’s Trissur, a teacher at the Indian Music Arts Centre (IMAC) Cochin Kalabhavan Bahrain, can play keyboard, piano, saxophone, guitar, violin, flute, trumpet, euphonium, bugle, drums side-drum, bass-drum, triple drum, tabla, harmonium, cymbals, maraca, metronome, clarinet and piccolo with elan. 

While the Covid-19 pandemic put a damper on classes, his hope of sharing his love for music didn’t.

“Life is a melodious journey with its ups and downs reflecting musical notes of varied kinds,” said Styjo.

“I always wanted to teach musical instruments, irrespective of the odds that a musician faces along the way. It is not like any other profession with job security and ample earnings – it is more about passion.”

Styjo is now busy with his summer class students at IMAC Cochin Kalabhavan and has observed a passion amongst youngsters towards music, which he attributes to social media and the pandemic.

“Covid-19 was tough on people like me as classes were hit, but thanks to Kerala Artists’ Fraternity (KAF), we were supported,” he added.

KAF, a collective of artistes under the slogan ‘by the artistes and for the artistes’, is managed by trustee and celebrity Indian musician Stephen Devassy. As a collective voice, KAF aims to mobilise help for its members in distress.

“Technology has advanced so much that people can now learn online and I have seen the interest growing by the day,” he explained.

“People also share their creativity on social media and the world notices their talents. It is all about passion and I see that in many youngsters. I am glad that many of them want to make it a career. Parents are also encouraging.”

Inspired by his father, George K O, a musician himself and a retired police official from the Kerala Police, Styjo first learned keyboard at seven. His fascination for music grew and he mastered 19 more instruments. The quest for perfection still continues and Styjo hopes to add a few more strings to his bow in the future.

“My father was a musician and I grew up seeing his involvement – he was also an artist with the All India Radio,” Styjo added.

“He is 66 now and retired from his job. Looking back, I realise that I was inspired by him from the age of seven. I used to watch him playing band instruments and when I was in grade two, he started teaching me keyboard. Then it was piano, flute, violin, guitar and saxophone. Later I was trained at institutes and under various teachers.”

Styjo was with Kerala’s renowned Cochin Kalabhavan (House of Arts) right from a young age and has performed in a number of stages across the country. He worked as a trainer at the Kalabhavan, Bahrain, from 2016 to 2019 and after a break returned to IMAC Cochin Kalabhavan in Segayya in March this year.

Of all the instruments he plays, flute remains closest to his heart. He also loves the pathos filled melodies on a violin and saxophone, the rhythmic beats of drums and the torrent of taps on the tabla.

“Whenever I play a flute, I tend to close my eyes and I visualise my childhood days with my father,” he said.

“The percussions have a rhythm - the drums are different from the feel of the continuous rain-like flow of beats on a tabla, while the cymbals chime totally on another plane. Instruments are beautiful and I am grateful to God that I could learn them all.”

Stringed instruments like sitar and veena are among those that Styjo wishes to learn in the future.

“I could not take to training myself on a sitar or veena, which in a way I would say, did not happen because of life situations,” he added.

“They remain a dream – as trainers of these instruments were not easily available then – but I am hopeful I will learn them someday.”