Yeah. I so wanted to write something on music. It'd have aptly been 'The journey through music' but I somehow (thank the stars for that) realised that the word 'journey' has been so oft used in my blogs to being classified as cliche.
And I feel like praising myself today (its not wrong to praise myself once in a while, is it? ;)), so anyone who cannot stand my self-eulogy, or direct referrals to people, may skip reading this blog. Yeah, I intend to credit all the people (most, if my memory doesn't permit all) till now, and talk about their influence on me too.
So, we have a plan! :P
It is something I'd not have dreamt of, around 19 years back. Something that doesn't seem so old, since it is picture printed in my mind. I can still smell the fresh paint! Titanic was called the ship of dreams! :P :P :P
December 89, by the numerous praises on how good my pronunciation was, when I'd been reciting the numerous shlokas in Sanskrit, taught by my first teacher, I should say, my Grandmother, I was made to join Carnatic Music Classes, under the tutelage of Mrs. Manjula, the lady who stayed across our house. Classes and practice went on, complementing each other, at an age where in I didn't even realise that something was going to happen to me, as an effect of all this. Something, indeed.
Time progressed, my next teacher was Mrs. Lalitha Panthulu, under whom I completed my Junior level music exam. Learnt under Mrs. Uma Shambhoj next, when my mind slowly started opening up to how modulations can be made and with what finesse. Of course, by now, I'd started to earn envious looks and expressions from almost all guys at school for being in large groups performing songs, where in the female population was dominant. I didn't disappoint them. You pervert mind, I meant the audience.
There were considerable number of people now, who knew I'd sing. I don't remember, frankly, if they complimented me on singing good or not, but there were quite a few people who thought I was synonymous with the word music. I saw my slam book of the Tenth standard in school, recently, and I see many of them having written that they wanted to see me as a singer! Maybe I did sing really well then. :)
Tenth exams, I discontinued my classes. After the exams, I didn't go to class regularly. I didn't free myself from music though. Not that I'd some blossoming new found interest, but I just didn't. Don't know why, still.
A couple of group songs, zonal level competitions happened during my 2 years of college after tenth. The only 'mention-worthy' event during this time was my organising of a group, taking us to the state level competition at Belgaum. (The northest, I'd travelled, till then)
With sheer force from parents, and my grandmother in particular, I was compelled to practise music at home. I make a mistake in any note, my mom could realise something going wrong, though she couldn't tell what it was. I really didn't like being forced into practice. Music should flow shouldn't it? ;) Little did I know that it was majorly because of such rigorous classes at such an early stage in life, were the accolades, the certificates and the prizes for singing.
That break from continuous practice sessions, that break from music classes and that break from Bangalore, when I scooted off to Tumkur, for my Bachelor's started a brand new chapter of my life. Not that I found some teacher there, but I rediscovered something long lasting in myself in that phase. Those 4 years. It was during this time that I got an opportunity to sing with SP Balasubramaniam, on a kannada TV show. It was during this time that I more or less found out that I was indeed blessed with some kind of a boon that safeguarded my voice without considering the fact that I, then and now, don't take 'that special' care for my voice.
Attitude changed. Outlook changed. Started listening to stuff. I started analysing songs. I vividly remember plugging in my earphones and walking around the hostel corridor at 3 in the night, deciphering a song from ParthaaLe Paravasam, wondering how it was made, how it was arranged. I just don't know what made me think so, but I knew something.
Everytime I heard something superlative, I could feel my adrenaline pumping. The same thing that pumps your blood when you drive fast or satiate your sensory activities, which involves being on the same track of a moving train, and scampering away so that you aren't crushed, walking on a railway track some metres above the ground fully knowing that in case you slip, nothing can be found.
I started changing my style of singing. Started going with the flow. SIT played a major role in changing me overall, giving me the STAGE so many times and making each performance of mine, a memorable one.
Prithwijit Ghoshal, my classmate at SIT thought of making me listen to Heavy Metal, for fun. I was in my phase of confusion and frankly, I don't know of any other classical singer who would have appreciated Heavy Metal at the first hear. I didn't feel it was noise. I felt a connection with it. Not something that made me change my liking toward music or my loyalties. But I just didn't feel noisy!
One of my journeys (there we go, again) from Tumkur to Bangalore, incidentally was with Nani, a person who would later become a co-lyricist, a member of the critic panel of BlendzZ, and a person who would change my outlook to a considerable extent, and one of my best friends. For the entire stretch, I remember singing songs. I'd never sung so much continuously. I was witness to a great sense of enjoyment with all his clapping and dismissal to my anxiety that it would cause disturbance to the rest, in the bus. No one complained. Nani knew no one would. The one song that slapped me right in my cheek during this entire travel time was Nani's singing. I'll be very frank. The way he sung wasn't even close to it being categorised a song. But the whole expression in his eye is what i'll remember till I die. Oh re taal mile, by Mukesh, was Nani's favourite number then. I was awestruck by the glint in his eye while singing. I realised that there is much more to a song than just notes and rhythm. There was a cute mini-concert arranged for me in the first year hostel, at his room, on the eve of my first birthday there. It was close to fifty songs. Nani had written down the entire order, and there were about 40 - 50 people clamoured in his room, and I was given a chair at the center! This was of course, by far the most I'd sung.
Venkatsubramanian. I've not tortured anyone more than him. Yet, I don't know what made him come home to give me Safriduo's latest album. The guy who re-introduced me to Western music, and introduced me to Scorpions, which later grew on to become my one of the 'all time favourites'. I can never forget those endless loopings of Salaam Bombay. We discussed about those violins for I don't know how long!! Nani and I went by bus, Venkat and I spoke non-stop in train. It was all about Sivamani, AR Rahman, how on earth songs come out, how on earth they are conjured at all. I'm quite sure that my classmate who accompanied us, Sarada went crazy. She never travelled with us again.
[It is gettin' into a long blog, again. So typically me :P]
If I tell i'm a fan of AR Rahman and quality music today, I've to, unassumingly, credit that to Karthikeyan. This guy made sure that I heard all the music that he's, and we've had endless discussions about how songs are, how songs were, how they could've been and stuff. Karthikeyan. He was generous enough to write a couple of songs for the band.
Shantanu, unfortunately, [don't know for whom, though :P] wasn't in Tumkur with me. He nevertheless, observed change in my singing. He and his mother are the supreme critcs, I'd encountered, till then. I frankly don't know how they manage to do it, everytime. I know him for such a long time now, and he knows how my mind works. This guy can actually categorise the music based upon who would like it, how much they would like it, what would the critics say, and how better it could be. Trust me, there is nothing more than this that a critic can do. I called him the supreme critic for no reason. :P
While I'd been singing at school, competition at that stage is so rampant. Trying to prove better than the other person is a common thing that happens in school. I'm happy that amidst all this brouhaha, I made good friends with Harsha, who also took classical lessons with me and gave me inspiration to an extent, and Sinchan Dixit, with whom I gelled so well on stage. We would start songs at the same time on stage, as if someone gave a cue, without a count. So much was the understanding we shared that, a group of 50 people were split into 2, one under me and the other under her. When the groups combined, there were no musical clashes! Magic! ;)
One person, besides Shantanu whom I know since birth, [well, almost] and still share the same camaraderie is Kiran Lingappa. This was rather strange. We didn't even know when we were friends, we didn't even know when we became close. Of all the above mentioned critics, this active critic counts my mistakes as I sing, and unfortunately, the fingers on his hand won't suffice. When he likes a song, he moves all mountains to make sure that it is put across in the right way, and when he doesn't like a song, he tries to make you realise how bad it sounds. He liberally moves around with chords and notes when we sit down and compose and leaves a lasting impact on what one hears, later. Kiran Lingappa. I'd like to call him one of the co-founder members of BlendzZ. He's been there since she started and has seen it all. THE Perfectionist.
I've made a lot of friends till now. Some of them instigated purely because of music, some of them, starting with music, some of them instigated combining both. Chetan is the classic example for this. This guy surprises me, each time about how diverse and variegated his musical ability and talent is. I'd generally get to know any person's preference over a period of time. But Chetan reminds me everytime, as to how wrong I can be. He's there in the audience at almost all the trials conducted, but misses the real show sometimes. I get down the stage and see him. He'll be all smiles, there'll be some satisfaction, but then he'll start off. That line, this line and stuff. Send him an own composition, which you are sure that he'd like. For all you know, he'll dismiss it off as banal! I remember Chetan complimenting only on 2 of the songs we've composed, ever, almost out of 10 - 15 that i'd have made him listen. Makes life difficult with him around, for people who complain.
I was in 2nd year PUC, and I have had a clear memory about a female flautist. It was so unnatural then. Got in touch with her later and started BlendzZ. A very good friend, weird, just like I'm :P. Critiques almost all the parts of all the songs sent. Its hard to convince her. You'll feel she's convinced, but then, she'll start that 'oh i don't know' tone of hers which makes you feel you've gone nowhere. Aravinda K Srinivasan. Simply wants the best everytime! :D
You need to have driving force to do anything and everything. The main driving force to start off BlendzZ, for me, which I'm sure was reciprocated in the same extent from the opposite direction was the one and only Vinay Shantagiri. By far, the best guitarist, I've ever jammed with till date. By far, the best composer who has worked with me. We compliment each other so well which just surprises us, each time. He puts in a new chord when jammin sometime and I slam down on a corresponding note almost as if by cue. BlendzZ, is incomplete without the co-ordination between Vinay's simplicity, reflected by his tunes, and my wavering, hard to reproduce notes. It is this note that coincided between us and propelled us to start a band.
My next teacher for Carnatic Music, Chintalapalli Srinivas, was a major source of inspiration and encouragement for me to perform. His knowledge database enriched my learning and put in loads of creativity, with spontaneity.
Easwaramurthy, my ex roomie, my tamil teacher, made sure I got the words right, all the time
Sharath, my roommate for 3 years, made me realise that I need to improvise to survive.
Harsha CR, the computer genius, reminded me each time that I need to take a risk, and gave me the 'in your face' opinion about any song.
Naveen Prabhu, the guy responsible for our band having a name, keeps reminding that I'm a rockstar and I'm my own competition. Well, his opinion. I just wrote it. [:D]
Prashanth Shukla, who was kind enough to sing with me at SIT, during a coupla shows, made it really memorable and enjoyable for both of us.
Karthik Rao, the guitarist from Nevermind, who just doesn't give up trying, till you actually sit on his head and tell him not to do so.
Shankar Shastry, the spontaneous guitarist, again from Nevermind, who comes up with improptu leads and fast lyrics.
Mandyam Jairaj, the boisterous Indian percussionist of BlendzZ, without whom things are lifeless and boring. He just starts playing a rhythm when we are lost in space thinking about how we could do something. He is a bundle of energy.
Amith Nadig, the celebrity, the exponent. I don't have much talent, nor the knowledge to talk about this guy's talents. Hear him to believe him. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have already heard him.
Almost 19 years into music. A part of 4 bands till now. Raaga Incorporated, BlendzZ, Nevermind, Rhythmica. Blending of genre. So much fun till now. Quite a bit of writing songs, stage shows and composing songs. I have tried to think of all I'd to tell in this. Didn't wanna leave anyone go. I know its a big one. 19 years has quite a bit of story to tell. What do you think? ;)
