Carnatic music

As a teenager, Patti did not idle away her time out of school. Instead, she devoted her time to pursuing the arts, including Carnatic Music. Growing up in Puducherry, Patti did not always have access to highly trained teachers, but she supplemented her lessons by eagerly listening to the radio.

Along the way, she learned several ragams and the intricacies of swaras and niraval. She strove for mastery and rigorously studied for Madras University’s certification in Carnatic Music, passing both the lower and higher education exams.

Later on, Patti passed on the gift of music to her children, dedicating the early hours of the morning to singing practice and teaching them the full syllabus for Madras University’s lower exam.

In turn, the following generations of the Santhanam family all grew up with an appreciation of Carnatic Music and fond memories of singing together.