Chennai lad, piano prodigy Lydian, is all set to prove he’s the world’s best

His name means what you think it does! And Lydian (Lydian mode is a musical scale) Nadhaswaram (an Indian wind instrument) lives true to his name in every sense. The 13-year-old Chennai lad, who is already a known face in the city’s music circle, has now gone global after appearing in the American television show hosted by Ellen DeGeneres. Lydian’s day starts and ends with music, and there’s more music in between as well.Seven to eight hours of practice is what he puts in every day. No wonder, he played Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Flight of the Bumblebee at a speed of 325 beats per minute and left the judges of The World’s Best show spellbound. Before he left Chennai to Los Angeles for the semifinals of the show, which is scheduled to be held today, we manage to have quick chat (though not as quick as his fingers run on the piano) with him.
With a broad smile and his hands still on the piano, Lydian starts, “I am very happy with how things have turned out in the last few weeks — Ellen show and The World’s Best. It’s been hectic, but I am enjoying every bit of it. My father had been following the producer of the Ellen show for quite some time. And when she started working for this show, I got a call from her and I was invited to compete. After seeing one of the episodes of this reality show, I got a call from Ellen’s show as well.” Prod him about the conversation he had with Ellen outside the set, and he says, “I am a big fan of her. She told me that apart from my piano skills, she liked my confidence, especially, to play the piano blindfolded on such a
big show.”
Lydian’s father tells us that he started showing an inclination for music even while he was baby. “When he was 18 months, he first played a regular rhythm pattern. There’s been no looking back since then. He’d immediately imitate any rhythm pattern I would play to him. But initially, I never thought that he had such a great inclination for percussion as I myself have always been into keyboard instruments. But I let him be and encouraged him to try out every instrument he showed interest in. Much before that, when he was four months old, we started noticing him crooning some tune and tapping his thumb in rhythm. We were surprised, but didn’t tell anyone.”
“Others wouldn’t have believed me even if I had told them about this then. Now, people will, after seeing how he performs (smiles). But since then, I’ve been waiting for a day to showcase his talent to the world,” recollects Varshan Satish, Lydian’s father who is a music composer by profession.
He adds, “When my daughter, Amirtha Varshini, was ready for Grade II piano exam, I brought home a piano. I also used to play it. So, Lydian was exposed to its tone, feel, etc. And every time it was left open, he would want to touch the keys and play something. One day, again to our surprise, he played a western classical piece by just listening to his sister. He almost got the melody right. And that was the starting point of his piano journey.”
Lydian had been to school only for half-a-year in Class 1. His parents say that attending a regular school may be a deterrent to his true calling in music. “We’ve got all materials for him. Even Varshini is homeschooled. She completed the 10th board through National Institute of Open Schooling. Now, she’s about to attend her Class XII boards. Lydian will also be doing the same in a few years. I don’t want them to miss educational qualifications and regret later,” says Varshan.
Lydian also helps his father in his studio. “Both Lydian and Varshini help me out in the studio. Being a music composer, I have learnt instrumentation and I teach them that. Generally, Lydian wakes up at 8.30am. After some exercises and breakfast, they both get started with their music lessons by 10am. By 1pm, they have lunch and continue doing music post lunch, too. I give both of them assignments daily. They also help me with my recordings. Whenever I require live instruments for recordings, they play. For recordings, Lydian plays the piano, bass guitar, etc. At times, he plays the tabla, too. They also share their ideas while I arrange music,” he says.
And his friends? “They are completely into music all the time. I would say, they don’t have time to make friends. They don’t even watch TV or play video games. They both are very focused on music,” says Varshan. Interrupting his father, Lydian reminds him with a grin, “But now, I’ve got a few musical friends from around the globe.” Varshan adds, “Many of his friends from the music circle are much older than him. But that’s important for his development in music.” And when asked about his dreams, he is quick to respond with the innocence of a teenager, “I’ve got a wild dream — to play the piano on the moon someday and I’ve already composed something for it, but I don’t want to reveal it now.”