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On That Note: Memories of a Life in Music
About the Book
A CANDID MEMOIR AND A WIDE-RANGING LOOK AT MUSICAL PRACTICE BY A LIVING LEGEND OF CARNATIC MUSIC.
‘Thinking back, after receiving the Sangita Kalanidhi, I came to realise that I was entering a stage where I might eventually sing a film song. I had evolved from the person who said, “I absolutely will not do it.”’
Sanjay Subrahmanyan is the musician of musicians—for his mastery of the craft as well as for his intellectual and theoretical depth of understanding of the art. An embodiment of rigorous traditional practice and constant innovation, he has today ventured out of the world of Carnatic music to explore new worlds and new ways of doing things, but always with his life in classical music intact.
As he stands at this crossroads, Subrahmanyan looks back at his life in music. Unusually candid and quite ready to look idealised notions about art and music in the eye, this is as intimate a view of the world of Carnatic music as one is likely to have. Tracing his own life trajectory from childhood and through the decades as a professional musician, Subrahmanyan takes a close look at the nuts and bolts of the industry. He yanks the veil off the rarefied image of the artist, showing us the person who also needs to run a house, wishes to earn well and houses ambitions as well as a range of passions beyond his music.
Written in collaboration with the novelist and journalist Krupa Ge, this autobiography is a refreshing portrait of the artist as a man of flesh and blood as well as a rare insight into the musical practice of one of Indian music’s cult figures.
About the Author
Sanjay Subrahmanyan is a singer based in Chennai. A Sangita Kalanidhi awardee, his latest album is Anbenum Peruveli, which spans genres like blues and rock. This is his first book.
Krupa Ge is a writer based in Chennai. She is the author of a novel, What We Know About Her,/i> (Context, 2021), and a narrative non-fiction book, Rivers Remember (Context, 2019).
A CANDID MEMOIR AND A WIDE-RANGING LOOK AT MUSICAL PRACTICE BY A LIVING LEGEND OF CARNATIC MUSIC.
‘Thinking back, after receiving the Sangita Kalanidhi, I came to realise that I was entering a stage where I might eventually sing a film song. I had evolved from the person who said, “I absolutely will not do it.”’
Sanjay Subrahmanyan is the musician of musicians—for his mastery of the craft as well as for his intellectual and theoretical depth of understanding of the art. An embodiment of rigorous traditional practice and constant innovation, he has today ventured out of the world of Carnatic music to explore new worlds and new ways of doing things, but always with his life in classical music intact.
As he stands at this crossroads, Subrahmanyan looks back at his life in music. Unusually candid and quite ready to look idealised notions about art and music in the eye, this is as intimate a view of the world of Carnatic music as one is likely to have. Tracing his own life trajectory from childhood and through the decades as a professional musician, Subrahmanyan takes a close look at the nuts and bolts of the industry. He yanks the veil off the rarefied image of the artist, showing us the person who also needs to run a house, wishes to earn well and houses ambitions as well as a range of passions beyond his music.
Written in collaboration with the novelist and journalist Krupa Ge, this autobiography is a refreshing portrait of the artist as a man of flesh and blood as well as a rare insight into the musical practice of one of Indian music’s cult figures.
About the Author
Sanjay Subrahmanyan is a singer based in Chennai. A Sangita Kalanidhi awardee, his latest album is Anbenum Peruveli, which spans genres like blues and rock. This is his first book.
Krupa Ge is a writer based in Chennai. She is the author of a novel, What We Know About Her,/i> (Context, 2021), and a narrative non-fiction book, Rivers Remember (Context, 2019).
188 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 3, 2026
Some books find you exactly when you need them. On That Note came to me at a time when I was searching for a spark in my own musical practice. I picked it up at Sanjay sir’s concert in Austin, and I’m so thankful I did. What a truly heartwarming, honest, and nostalgic memoir it is—written with so much clarity, humility, and warmth.
Right from the Acknowledgements, I felt drawn in. I loved that Sanjay sir began by thanking people right upfront, and the way he shared insights in the preface reminded me of my own habit of always reading prefaces to understand a writer’s intent or creative journey. There’s something deeply satisfying about tracing those behind-the-scenes stories before diving into the main narrative.
His reflections on music practice being “boring,” especially during quarantine, were endearingly real. And for anyone who’s grown up in a typical middle-class Iyer household—those nostalgic memories of Sunday Pongal–vada outings or debates about who earned an evening concert slot—these passages hit home.
What truly stayed with me was his candor about learning—how even someone of his stature could admit he once didn’t quite grasp kalpana swaram or manodharma sangeetham, and how he learned from a friend, practicing after him. That honesty is so rare and grounding. His curiosity as a chronic listener, his study of not just the music but the mannerisms and nuances of great artists—all of it reflected a spirit of endless growth and humility.
His take on teaching versus performing, notation versus listening, and his phase of rediscovery after the Kalanidhi award offered such raw insight into the mind of an evolving artist. I particularly resonated with his mindset of “I want to experience everything, do everything, try everything.” It reminded me that creativity thrives on curiosity.
And then there’s that magical vignette—Ilayaraja sir teaching him a line 200 times. That moment embodies devotion, perseverance, and the sacredness of the teacher - student relationship. It humbles you to realize that even masters keep learning, repeating, perfecting.
On That Note isn’t just a memoir—it’s a mosaic of life, learning, humor, humility, and music in its purest form. For anyone who loves Carnatic music, or simply the discipline of pursuing a craft with sincerity, this book will touch your heart
Right from the Acknowledgements, I felt drawn in. I loved that Sanjay sir began by thanking people right upfront, and the way he shared insights in the preface reminded me of my own habit of always reading prefaces to understand a writer’s intent or creative journey. There’s something deeply satisfying about tracing those behind-the-scenes stories before diving into the main narrative.
His reflections on music practice being “boring,” especially during quarantine, were endearingly real. And for anyone who’s grown up in a typical middle-class Iyer household—those nostalgic memories of Sunday Pongal–vada outings or debates about who earned an evening concert slot—these passages hit home.
What truly stayed with me was his candor about learning—how even someone of his stature could admit he once didn’t quite grasp kalpana swaram or manodharma sangeetham, and how he learned from a friend, practicing after him. That honesty is so rare and grounding. His curiosity as a chronic listener, his study of not just the music but the mannerisms and nuances of great artists—all of it reflected a spirit of endless growth and humility.
His take on teaching versus performing, notation versus listening, and his phase of rediscovery after the Kalanidhi award offered such raw insight into the mind of an evolving artist. I particularly resonated with his mindset of “I want to experience everything, do everything, try everything.” It reminded me that creativity thrives on curiosity.
And then there’s that magical vignette—Ilayaraja sir teaching him a line 200 times. That moment embodies devotion, perseverance, and the sacredness of the teacher - student relationship. It humbles you to realize that even masters keep learning, repeating, perfecting.
On That Note isn’t just a memoir—it’s a mosaic of life, learning, humor, humility, and music in its purest form. For anyone who loves Carnatic music, or simply the discipline of pursuing a craft with sincerity, this book will touch your heart
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January 14, 2026I read it in bereavement as classical music opened up and plumbed the depth of my feelings. I have been a fan of Sanjay Subrahmanyan over the years and have admired not only his talent but also his creativity as an exponent of Carnatic music, but the ways in which he has employed technology and languages to explore musical forms. This book offers a window and I gained a better understanding into his education as a musician, his very Chennai liberalism of both adores tradition and open-mindedness, his pursuits of interests other than cricket (boardgames, for example), his inspirations and family life. I grew up in the same city a few years later -- so the book brought a fountain of old memories that I hope to preserve like Sanjay has shepherded Carnatic music.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews