RESEARCH ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Many distinguished personalities helped me directly or indirectly in this project up to this moment.

These include:

  • My Gurus Late Pt. Govindrao Patwardhan and Late Pt. Bhalchandra Patekar, the blessings of whom, I believe, were the source of my inspiration and success.
  • Pt. Tulshidas Borkar who very kindly came at my request, to my residence and demonstrated with his own hands, how to chisel and tune harmonium reeds to the Shrutis I was playing on the Synthesizer. Without this help, further work was impossible.
  • Shreeram Halankar, who made the first 22-Shruti Harmonium, painstakingly encompassing all my tedious requirements, despite his busy harmonium manufacturing business.
  • Pta. Asha Khadilkar and Pt. Satyasheel Deshpande, who were the first to hear and evaluate the 22 shrutis generated and encouraged me to move ahead without any hesitation.
  • Rahul Deshpande and Pta. Asha Khadilkar, who, publicly and graciously took 22-Shruti Harmonium for 'First-ever' accompaniment of the instrument to their own vocal performances, on the celebrated stage of Savai Gandharva Mahotsav at Pune on in December 2006.
  • Prof. Dr. Ashok Ranade, who has continuously been a source of authoritative guidance on various fundamental and applied aspects of this research work and for giving his comments as an expert in the book.
  • Shri. Madhav Khadilkar (Uttung), Shri. Narayan and Mrs. Saroj Sardesai (USA), Shri. Mukund Marathe (Nadabrahma), Pta. Shruti Sadolikar, Dr. Krishna Joshi (Dadar Matunga Cultural Centre), Shri. Anant Marathe (Atre Katta) and Pt. Pramod Marathe (Gandharva Mahavidyalaya) who took great initiative in organising my presentations/workshops on 22-Shruti Harmonium in their respectable organisations.
  • Top critics Shri. Rajeev Khandekar, Shri. Sadashiv Bakre, Shri. Mukund Marathe, Shri. Amarendra Dhaneshwar, Shri. Uday Jadhav, Shri. Shekhar Abhyankar, Smt. Asha Mandape, and Dr. Deepa Karlekar who wrote articles in various prestigious publications, taking active personal interest in my work. Their help was critical to the project.
  • Shri. Arun Puranik, a genious research worker of Harmonium, for various discussions and for providing guidance on drawings which were useful in the process of patenting.
  • Shri. Datta Marulkar, Pt. Shreekrishna Haldankar, Pt. Dinkar Kaikini, Pt. Arun Dravid, Pta. Neelakshi Juvekar, Dr. Soman, Shri. Jayant Bhalodkar, Shri. Shekhar Khambete and Pt. Arvind Gajendragadkar for offering precious encouraging comments on hearing the 22-Shruti Harmonium.
  • Shri. H. W. Kane, my patent attorney who took special interest in this work and offered his personal invaluable time and guidance in the process of patenting.
  • Dr. Suhas Purohit, Shri. Praful Chitnis, Shri. Shriniwas Naik and other members of Rotary Club of Thane for noting my contribution in 'Research and Innovation in Harmonium' and awarding me with the coveted 'Vocational Excellence Award'.
  • Shri. Nandu Naik for all the technical help and trouble-shooting during the creation of '22-Shruti-Metallophone'.
  • My son Amod Oke for creating this website and creating videos for the same since 2008.
  • Last but not the least, my family member, all the Okes; for tolerating me and my madness for 3 years at home!
below:
First accompaniment of 22 Shruti Harmonium for vocal classical music at the '54th Sawai Gandharva Mahotsava', on 9th and 10th December 2006, at Pune.
rahul_deshpande

Shri. Rahul Deshpande. Tabla: Nikhil Phatak, 22 Shruti Harmonium: Aditya Oke

asha_khadilkar

Pta. Asha Khadilkar. Tabla: Bharat Kamat, 22 Shruti Harmonium: Aditya Oke