GURU AND EARLY TUTELAGE
Born in a family of musicians, music is divine blessing to Pravin. He is fortunate to have his father Pandit.VENKATESH GODKHINDI, an eminent vocalist and Bansuri artiste of the country, as his first and only Guru for Flute.
Pravin started toying with a small flute at the tender age of 3 and since then it has been his best companion.
His passion for Flute could hardly be matched with anything else even during his childhood. With such a passion blended with grilling early hours of rigorous Riyaz under the able guidance of his guru, Pravin started exhibiting the glimpses of a genius in the making.
Pravin gave his first public concert at the age of 6 years and held the audience spellbound. His quest for deeper knowledge about LAYAKAARI brought him to his Guru, VIDWAN ANOOR ANANTH KRISHNA SHARMA a reputed Mridangam artiste who is providing able guidance to Pravin on the deeper aspects of LAYA and LAYAKAARI.
TWO DIFFERENT STYLES OF PLAYING:
His father has taught him BANSURI in KIRANA GHARAANA GAYAKI STYLE. But Pravin added the GATKAARI or TANTRAKAARI STYLE by his own efforts and succeeded in it. He is adept in both the styles. Sonorous blowing, control over breath, elaborations of Raga with its aesthetic appeal, extraordinary and skillful rendition of Layakaari are but a few salient features of his flute recital. He has been ably balancing between traditional and creative music. Western classical, Jazz and Carnatic classical also have favorably influenced him.
TITLES AND AWARDS:
At the age of 16, Pravin performed at the KAL KE KALAKAR SAMMELAN at Mumbai and was awarded the title of “SURAMANI” by the Sur Singar Samsad. Pravin stood first in the All India Radio music competition in 1991, at the age of 18 years, for which he was automatically, graded “B” for Akashavani and Doordarshan. He later on went to become one of the few young artistes of the country to have been graded “A” at the age of 21 years. An achievement indeed!
In 2003, he was awarded the title of NAAD-NIDHI by KALACHETANA, Gadag.
Recently, in 2005 he has been awarded the ARYABHATTA, for his composition of the title song of the tele-serial Malebillu.
BERU a Kannada film got the prestigious national award for 2005 in the best regional language category, for which Pravin has scored the music.
A fact, which may serve as a role model for young aspirants, is that Pravin never neglected his academics. A front ranker from the beginning, he is proud to have passed engineering BE (Electrical & Electronics) in first class with distinction.
