Practice = Mastery of the Art
Gurus and Ustāds of Indian Classical Music always say the if you do not practice for a day, you go fall four days behind in your pursuit to master this vast art form.
Practicing in Music (or any other Art form for that matter) is a kind of muscle and mind training which is required to get us past the initial hiccups of executing our myriad musical thoughts. We are the practitioners of the musical genre named 'Khayal' which literally means 'imagination'. As the name suggests, our music is largely improvisatory and follows its own course according to our imagination. The more we are into the though process, the more viable it becomes. Yes, sometimes we do have the capacity to surprise ourselves of how imaginative we could be.
Another thing which arises out of practice is our ability to execute our thoughts. Thinking is one thing and to be able to execute it, exactly the way one has thought, is a different thing altogether. Practice keeps our voice toned and fluid. A well practiced voice can easily put together seemingly jagged and incompatible musical patterns together without making it sound a tough act.
we try to create musical edifices with the help of frequencies, which is nothing but thin air. To be able to master the innumerable frequencies used in Indian Ragas is surely a herculean task and requires endurance, patience and perseverance. It surely is a daunting task, but the immense happiness and that beautiful feeling of achievement which comes out of the practice is worth every bit of the effort and the failures in the way.
Indian Classical Music is a never ending vast ocean of knowledge and bliss and the only way to travel in this ocean is through the ship named 'PRACTICE'