He is the fifth among the 11 children that these couple begot. He is natal blind.

He exhibited interest in music since early days of his childhood
and started learning basic vocal music lessons from Sri Chelluri
Sooraiah Avadhani locally.

How Sarma ji’s interest turned towards flute from vocal?

A street vendor used to roam around playing flute
to sell them. Sarma ji was mesmerised by the flute music and used to
roam along with the vendor. Sarma ji’s interest instigated his mother
to buy him a flute and an era has begun showcasing the underlying
musical passion to the awaiting world.
One evening his father, returning from his farm after a hard
day’s labour, was greeting by a sweet flute music from a room and was
surprised to find his blind son. One auspicious day he took Sarma ji
to local flautist Shri Nadiminti Nageswara Rao pantulu where he
could learn harmonium based basic lessons upto Alankaras.
Some time later renowned vocalist and violinist Sri Pullela Peri
Somayajulu relocated to the same town who accepted Sarma ji as his
disciple on his father’s request and started teaching classical vocal and
violin. He progressed to learn various forms of classical music like
varnams, kriti, raagalapana etc., in both vocal and violin. However,
he also tried them on flute successfully. All his teachers were either
vocalists or violinists or both but none were flautists and there were no
renowned flautists during those days in the entire Andhra Pradesh
and therefore the entire process was through Svīya abhyāsaṁ i.e. selflearning.
Sarma ji once proclaimed that he has had admonition from Shri
T R Mahalingam in his dreams about the nuances of dynamics of
classical carnatic music i.e. gamakas, which he used to practice
immediately and was successful in reproducing the soul of the
composition. This way Sarma ji can be referred to as Ekalavya
shishya of Shri T R Mahalingam. He was equally exponent in vocal
and violin and undoubtedly the first flautist from the telugu fraternity.
1958 saw him as the winner of Classical Music contest held by
All India Akasavani and was recognised as the Artists of first rung and
received “Golden Veena” as the momento from the then

President of India Dr. Babu Rajendra Prasad. Akasavani recognized him as a ‘B’
Grade Artist. During this period he has had the opportunity to
practice music under the aegis of renowned carnatic classical vocalist
Dr. Mangalampalli Bala Murali Krishna garu.
He then relocated to Hyderabad and established Saradamba
Sangeeta Kala Kendra and taught musical aspirants on vocal, violin
and flute. He applied for upgradation of certification from Akasavani
and was re-certified as ‘B-High Grade’ in 1967 and subsequently
recognised as a ‘A-Grade’ artist in 1971. He performed at many a
prominent musical concerts across India. The instrumental
accompanists used to find it very difficult playing along with him
because of his unbelievable intellectual musical prowess which
reflected in his raagalapana and swara kalpana. Even vocalists used
to find it difficult as expressed once by another renowned vocalist Dr.
Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana garu.

Marriage:
He was married to Vijayalakshmi garu in 1973 and was blessed
with two children viz., Seshulata (daughter) and Ananta Krishna (son)
and taught flute to both of them. Daughter started her career as a software
engineer after marriage. Son is settled in Tirupati and is serving as a
flute teacher in Sri Venkateswara Sangeeta and Nrutya Kalasala and
has been recognised as Akasavani ‘A-Grade’ artist and spreading his
musical lineage.

Occupation
He joined Akasanvani Vishakhapatnam, established in 1975, as
tambura player and came back to Hyderabad in 1979 to serve as
flautist. However, the authorities were initially apprehensive and
were of the opinion that he will not be able to play because of his
inability to read the ‘Beat work’ of light music. But subsequently he
won over their hearts courtesy his amazing proficiency and excellent
rendering that he was appointed as flautist.

Musical Journey
Irrespective of his stature, he used to practice daily fours from
morning 4 am to 8 am and never has a habit of performing without
practice. In 1977 he was asked to perform at Ramachandrapuram of
East Godavari dist of Andhra Pradesh during scorching summer.

He selected Megharanjani raga as main raga and behold as the concert
neared completion dark clouds engulfed and a heavy downpour cooled
the entire locality. Sarma ji’s venu ganam reverberated in the nature
and appears to have pleased the rain god Varuna.
Mesmerising the audience was his forte.

Once at a concert at
Ongole, he selected Sahana raga as main presentation. The entire
gamut of audience experienced a sort of trance to the extent that one
of the audience literally fell on his feet and in all tears expressed his
desire to follow him for the rest of his life, sacrificing his worldly
bindings. The following ragas can be identified as his main
presentation ragas viz., Sahana, Todi, Aahiri, Bhairavi,
Kharaharapriya, Khamas, Kaanada, Keeravani, Bilahari, Simhendra
Madhyamam, Mukhari, Ananda Bhairavai, Reeti Gowla, Kedara
Gowla, Yadukula Kaambhoji, Shanmukhapriya etc. Particular
mention needs to be made to his rendition of Shri Tyagara Kriti viz.,
‘Giri pai Nela konna’ in Sahana raga.
He was equally expert in using long and short vibratos along
with mandra and anumandra swaras to create a plethora of musical
expressions. He was also expert in selection of chronology of ragas
during rendition in a concert.

Sangeeta Sabha
A few carnatic classical music enthusiasts, in 1989 at Sankara
Vidya Peeth (Kanakaraju gari Thota), Anand Bagh, Malkajgiri,
conducted Sri Tyagaraja Swamy Aaradhanostava spanning over a
period of 3 days with utmost devotion under the aegis of Shri P.
Hanumantha Rao garu renowned music teacher. From next year
onwards Sarma ji took over as the President of the organizing
committee and started conducting many more successful musical
concerts which are all the more significant in the times where the
physical as well as financial resources were meagre.
Many a renowned artists performed at these musical
extravaganza like S/Sri Dr. Mangalampalli Bala Murali Krishna,
Marella Kesava Rao, Puranam Purushottama Sastri, Kumari
Srirangam Gopalaratna, Kolanka Lakshmana Rao, Dr. Yella
Venkateshwara Rao to name a few. The legacy is still continued and
now the organization is headed by Shri S. Rama Murthy garu.

Naada Loludai
Sarma ji might not be physically present yet his presence is felt
through the flute playing fraternity. Sarma ji used to play Saint
Tyagaraja compositions like Naada Loludai, Gaana Murthe,
Mokhsamu Galada. His last concert was in 2000 and selected Sri
Tyagaraja’s composition Needu Charamule nammiti, in Simhendra
Madhyamam, as his main presentation and performed despite ill health which is talked about even today. March 23, 2001 was the eventful day when Sarma ji breath his last and merged into Shri Krishna. A selfless soul who never sought
recognition may be one of the reason his contributions were not
properly acknowledged.