Dr. Thomas Chandy has a collection of over 400 musical instruments from around the globe.
Meeting Dr. Thomas Chandy is not easy. The chance to see the orthopaedic surgeon’s collection of over 400 musical instruments was cancelled twice as the good doctor is called away for emergency operations. Finally when we do meet up, the musician-doctor takes us through his collection, which is arresting not just for its variety, but also for the insight it offers into Dr. Chandy’s interests. Walking through his house, is like stepping back in time.
A range of antique swords are on the ground floor and a host of musical instruments, including an ancient harp, occupy vantage points in his drawing room.
“I would advise everyone to be associated with music from a young age,” says Dr. Chandy, who first sang in a church choir when he was barely seven. He was later trained to play the guitar, saxophone and the piano. “Learning an instrument is a bonus for surgeons. Like musicians, brain-eye-hand co-ordination is vital for us.”
Dr. Chandy is Chairman and Managing Director of HOSMAT, and has done 30,000 operations in 30 years. After graduating from St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore, he moved to the U.S. in 1976 for his residency and returned to India in 1993 to start an orthopaedic, neuro and accident-trauma hospital.
“I am spiritual and worship my music,” says Dr. Chandy as he leads us into the humidity-controlled space that houses his instruments. Neatly stacked and labelled, he picks up each to play and explain. As he plucks on the strings of the harpsichord, he explains that it usually has two keyboards with two or more strings for each note. The concert harp and the 100-year-old lute from Germany have their sounds intact.
The U.S-based Society of Musical Instrument Collectors has recognised his collection as the biggest in Asia. Amongst his priced possessions are the South American Marimba (a large wooden percussion instrument with resonators;) a pedal steel guitar, a Steinway piano; a vibraphone; the stringed Chinese koto and the oldest 14th century keyboard clavichord from Germany. “I also made an electric guitar while I was in PUC.”
Plucking on the psaltery that looks a giant violin, the doctor says: “I have nearly 70 guitars, more than a dozen saxophones and western flutes, several clarinets and host of percussion instruments including drums, marimba, xylophone and the Indonesian Anklung.”
Dr. Chandy, is a jazz vocalist, and heads the 14-year-old ensemble, Jazz Revival Band. The deep-toned native Australian Didgeridoo is an aboriginal wind musical instrument that looks like a straight wooden trumpet. Dr. Chandy remembers the instrument being confiscated by airport authorities as it looked like a missile!
He has travelled 15 times around the globe for his instruments that are from the U.S., Africa, China, Japan, S. America and Europe. Growing up in a family interested in music, young Thomas was warned by his strict father that music could be pursued, but not at the cost of studies. St. Germain High School at Frazer Town provided opportunities for weekly jam sessions at 3 Aces and Gaylords restaurants. “The pocket-money we earned made us enjoy our singing much more,” says Chandy, who nurtured his vocals and tried his hand on the guitar during his college days at St. Joseph’s College days. “Being part of music groups helped me develop team-spirit apart from being noticed by girls!”
Chandy moved from rock to folk music during his third year at St. John’s Medical College forming the Barbershop Harmony group. Later moving over to the U.S. was a boon not just for his post-graduate studies, but for his formal study of Western music at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music in New York. On his return to India, Dr. Chandy joined the Bangalore School of Music and built the Cecilian Choir. “Music is therapeutic and invigorating.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> MetroPlus> Society / by Ranjam Govind / Bangalore – August 05th, 2014