The Score Magazine October 2014

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 07 Issue 09 - October 2014

 thescoremag

 @highonscore

 www.thescoremagazine.com

India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

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+ Yamaha Powers BAND OF THE MONTH

Amit Yadav Talks About Success and the music of

Sifar

+ Casio Powers

Keyboardist OF THE MONTH

From Harmonium to fulltime Keyboardist,

Benjamin Johnson

+ Star OF THE MONTH Meet the voice of monsoonsiren

Nathan Menon Cover Story

Sachin &Jigar

on their Struggles, Big Breaks, & getting you to 'Shake Your Bootiya' InFashion: Great Finds That Will Get You Ready For Any Music Festival This Season

i nside the edit PAD It's the festival season, and the 'light' side always wins during Diwali!

In true Diwali style, we have a blast of an interview with Sachin and Jigar: the new crackers in the b-town! We're extremely proud of getting these rising stars first on a cover of a magazine.

After the festival season ends, the music season beckons. From the various independent music festivals starting from October to the margazhi and the end of the year EDM extravaganza there is much to look forward to. We endeavour, as always, to cover each with equal vehemence.

sachin & jigar 10 The powerful duo talk about breaking into Bollywood, Finding Fanny, and their perseverance to succeed.

Our newly launched www.skore.in opens new possibility in music coverage in India. We pioneered the art of making a magazine in music sustainable, and now we are setting out to making an online blog par excellence.

As we make further foray into digital media, we hope to make more offerings available. Mobile apps, Venue passes, Genre and region driven push notifications are all coming your way from our stables.

Our viewership base hit a whooping 200,000 with our Amit Trivedi issue, and we look forward to innovating further to keep you guys very happy!

Seasons Greetings!

Ajay Prabhakar Director

Star of the month 20 Nathan Menon of MonSooniren talks about his music and his latest EP

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brand partners

Band of the Month POWERED BY YAMAHA 22 Sifar are back for Band of the Month to talk Music, the Industry, and of course Sifar

Casio powers Keyboardist of the month

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Read about Benjamin Johnson and his life as a keyboardist.

In Fashion

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Get you festival groove with these great fashion finds

Mandolin Srinivas

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If Mandolin Srinivas's instrument could talk, what would it say?

Find out here.

http://www.motherteresafoundation.org.in The Score Magazine is proud to support the Mother Teresa Foundation and urge our readers to join us in giving back a fraction of what we have been given.

Director, Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Head - Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Associate Editor Ananya Ashok Content Coordinator Nidhi Iyer Shreya Bose Editorial Advisor Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director George Vedamanickam Lead Designer Nipun Garodia Cover Photography Parizad D

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DISCLAIMER: Reproduction in whole or part of any text, photography or illustrations without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. The publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and illustrations. Views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publication and accordingly no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof. Advertising copy and artworks are the sole responsibility of the advertisers

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Sachin &Jigar Sachin & Jigar are at the forefront of the Bollywood Music scene today.

With over 500 plays, 5000 television episodes for various genres and channels, and several Bollywood films under their belt, the duo have worked long and hard to be where they’re at today.

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Ananya ashok Jigar Saraiya was assisting Music Director Rajesh Roshan where he met Amit Trivedi. Trivedi went on to introduce Sachin Sanghvi to Jigar.

Later that year they joined hands and started assisting Pritam with musical arrangements. They soon went on to program and arrange for practically all the big names of Bollywood. From AR Rahman, Anu Malik, Nadeem Sharvan, Sandesh Shandaliya, to Vishal Shekher, these guys worked with them all before they took their next leap into becoming independent composers. When they were practically the highest paid music arrangers, Pritam encouraged them to the next level, which was composing music. “For us it was, Oh god, it is like going back to zero again", they reflected. But, in their minds, it was always a calculated risk. “Whenever we went to the next level, we ensured that we could sustain for six months financially.” Today, they are an incredibly soughtafter duo. Score had the opportunity to have a chat with them about life, work, and their art.

Amit Trivedi introduced you to each other. What was the moment where you realized that you both made a great team?

At that time, both of us were working individually at our levels, but we both needed helping hands. But it’s really important that you find someone who can understand your psyche, your style of working, etc. We started working as soon as we got introduced, however the real partnership dawned upon us when we realized we could hang out with each other apart from work. The Gujju connection helped, as well as our similar taste for food, chicks (chuckles). It began to fit sort of like magic.

Maybe Amit knew this and felt the two of us are ‘layak’ only for each other (laughs)!

Can you describe if possible, how the two of you go about working together on a musical project?

Well, we believe that you cannot create music together unless you see the purpose above other things. Our musical senses are still very different even after working together for so long (almost ten years now). Perspectives still clash sometimes and there are instances where we don’t talk to each other for days and all that jazz. But what brings us back together is that we know neither of us can go at this alone and we don’t wish to prove otherwise to each other. At the end of the day, the bigger picture is ‘The Song’. So, eventually everything is cool, especially when the song is coming along fine .

What do you feel is the greatest aspect of being a duo versus independent artists?

Adjusting to each others point of view. That’s the difference. Individually, you have only yourself to convince. But as a duo each one has a brainwave and you have to respect that. Thankfully, in our case we have only one computer (laughs). So, the one sitting behind has a better perspective. We can pull or push each other to our hearts content! Sometimes, for certain songs one is completely devoid of inspiration, so other one’s creativity comes to the rescue. Honestly though, even after explaining this to you, god truly knows how it all works (laughs)!

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When you both were growing up, who all were your musical inspiration and why?

Who would you say industry today, are the people you look up to the most and why?

Sachin: I was neck deep in Shastriya Sangeet, if you can believe it. But I was incredibly serious about it because I wanted to be a singer. Somehow, Roja happened to me. To this day, Rahman sir is and always will be my biggest idol. From there on, so many people have inspired me to bring out the composer in me: Nusrat Sahab, Abida Parween, Wadali Bros, Lucky Ali, Lionel Richie, U2

Sachin: For me that would be Vishal Bharadwaj. He’s the only one for me. He’s so alternative and courageous. He makes movies with these really parallel scripts and slips in one ‘Bidi jalaile’ or one ‘dhantana’ and makes the audience believe that his cinema is mainstream. But his production, both in a musical and cinematic sense has a very foreign touch to it. The very seed of the film, the script is very different. Respect.

Jigar: I was a complete boy band fan! Backstreet Boys was my tool to talk to the ladies and impress them. I had major western influence. MLTR, Cold Play, Silk Route, BB king, etc. Basically, I like my music simple and cool. So, naturally the Indian Classical just went way over my head. Yet today, we are what you could call a cocktail. Today I listen to Mehdi Hassan and Sachin is now listening to my all time favorite, John Mayer!

I was neck deep in Shastriya Sangeet, if you can believe it. But I was incredibly serious about it because I wanted to be a singer.

Sachin Sanghvi

Jigar: Amit Trivedi is the one for me as well as Pritam sir.

Trivedi is an inspiration because he dares to be different each time. From tune to production to choice of voice, the guy just kills it. Also, we’ve known him for so long and I can honestly say that even though he has revolutionized the music scene, the world hasn’t heard the best of him still. He is slowly but surely unleashing his genius on us one day at a time. Then there is Pritam sir who is literally our guru. Everything we know about 70 mm Bollywood music is because of his diverse success in the Bollywood scene. There is so much that happens at his studio, so much variety. He knows everything. Every genre, every style, and he is the master of understanding the pulse of the audience while composing and still maintains a classy/edgy production sense.

That’s why he will continue to be the great man he is. More and more power to him!

When you are assigned for a film, what is your creative process in deciding the tone of each song and the music for the film as a whole?

Whatever happens in a film, no matter who says what, it is driven by script.

The Plot, the dialogue, the backdrop, character design, everything changes. Take for example a particular situation in two different films. The love scenario in “Shudh Desi Romance (Gulabi song)” and “Rammaiya vasta vaiyya (Jeene laga hun)” has both been depicted so differently. Also, the director has a major say in our proceedings. His input and final word is very crucial for us.

There’s a saying, “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted.” Now, you have mentioned before that breaking into the industry has been all but easy. What are some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from those experiences that have made you stronger individuals?

Exactly. Somehow poking from the front is not all that difficult. The industry is constantly hungry for new talent. Sustaining is the differentiating factor. It’s important to stay grounded and keep yourself abreast the trends. So, our time with Pritam sir has really taught us well as we’ve had the opportunity to see how a producer thinks. We learned how music can go wrong unless that third person perspective is kept.

Pritam sir has always used this tactic to correct some situations. For example, he has changed the arrangements or chosen the right lyrics, or deleted portions of a song that he felt was unnecessary. These things are crucial in setting up one’s own style and standing out in the field. Above all, it is essential to believe yourself in difficult situations. It’s very competitive out there. At the same time bow down to the almighty and move on when a song does well.

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“Shake Your Bootiya”, the song you both worked on has been incredibly well received well before the release of Finding Fanny. Were you expecting it at all? What’s the story behind how you came up with this incredibly catchy number?

Its Homi all the way as well our relationship with Dinesh sir (Dino) at Illuminati. You can’t get away with substandard work with them . They are very alternative in their approach. Homi had this whacked out film and to top it all this insanely whacky concept for the video. What you are seeing now as the video for the song, was literally the exact way he had narrated it to us during the briefing. He just knows exactly what he wants. So, it’s easy to work with him. Luckily, the song came in the first go. Dino sir was integral in the composition of the song as well (I feel he truly enjoys it). He pitched a few ideas for the lyrics. Guess good things happen naturally and there is nothing to be done.

Aside from talent, what qualities in an artist really stand out for you?

His/Her involvement really matters a lot. We arrange all our stuff.

Even most of the programming, we do ourselves. So we know what we want. Only time we can really out source or bring in an artist is when we believe that particular contribution is taking the song ahead. Be it singer, musicians, or sound engineers. Also we are young, and we don’t care for those with the filmy formalities such as “jee and sir sir". So, its important they sync-in our vibe. We have worked with seniors like Taufiq Qureshi sir. He is so cool, so uninhibited, and so open to change and experimentation. That’s important to us. Today in the industry, we can’t afford ego above the song itself.

When not at work or making music, What does Sachin-Jigar like to do for fun?

(Look at each other, smile, and say in sync) PS4!!! (LOL) We have a small core team now. We find all our drama and love inside the studio. We are quite lousy and lazy and sometimes, we burn nights together to meet a deadline! So, we end up being at the studio more often. Thank god for the lovely people we have found to rub shoulders with. Of course, watching movies, finding new places to eat food, and downloading new music from iTunes is part of our everyday life.

If you could describe the music of Sachin-Jigar in three words, what would they be?

Eat pray love (laughs). In seriousness though, it’s difficult to define ourselves. We’ll leave that for the people to do. But that aside, outdoing ourselves is the biggest challenge and being different is very important for us.

What advice can you offer for young struggling musicians and aspiring producers?

They don’t need no advice man. They are all good to go. They know their stuff and believe in it so deeply. If at all I would say anything, I’d say just don’t be too pushy. At the same time do not let any opinion bring you down. Bas pravachan pura hua!

I was a complete boy band fan!

Backstreet Boys was my tool to talk to the ladies and impress them. I had major western influence.

MLTR, Cold Play, Silk Route, BB king, etc.

Jigar Saraiya

When you were discouraged initially from taking up to music producing, you have said that Pritam sir had reassured you that the times and music in the industry are constantly evolving. How do you see your music evolving in the coming years?

Youtube is going to every computer. The music of the world is playing on your Smartphone, isn’t it? Now, from here on rosy stuff will become extinct unless the movie script is very demanding of a score of high caliber. Honesty is the name of the revolution. We want more raw voices, we want to hear and say lyrics that we speak in our daily life. As for music, we want as much variety as possible. So, dubstep is already old now. That’s how fast times are changing. You must continuously and religiously fuse genres and reinvent your own brand new combination for each song. It’s full on mazaa now.

We’re loving it.

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appoints renowned musician

AR Rahman as Brand Ambassador Casio India Company Private Limited, a 100% subsidiary of consumer electronics giant Casio Computer Co. Japan, announced its association with celebrated musician, singer and music director, AR Rahman as the brand ambassador for its electronic musical instruments division.

CASIO is one of the most recognized brands across geographies with all its product portfolios especially musical keyboards and pianos, which are exceptional in terms of quality, performance and its wide range starting from learners, mid segment to professionals that gives the brand an extra edge over its competitors.

AR Rahman is India’s most respected music director and has contributed tremendously towards the Indian Music Industry and has been responsible for putting India on the international map.

Speaking about his association with Casio, Mr. Rahman stated, “I am proud to be associated with the brand Casio, which has inspired millions of youngsters to embark on their music journey with an affordable Casio Keyboard and today many of them have become professional musicians. By this association with Casio, I appeal to everyone that they should learn music as it helps in the overall development of the personality. ” He added, “Casio has the widest variety of musical instruments at affordable prices and here is a model suitable for everyone.”

Speaking about Casio’s association with AR Rahman, Mr. Kulbhushan Seth, Vice President, Casio India

stated “The overall market size in India for keyboards is small and is growing at slow pace, the key objective of bringing A. R. Rahman on board is to contribute to music by developing the market. More students should learn music and explore its creative functionality including editing of tones and rhythms, song creation and recording.

We are confident that with this association, enhanced interest can be generated in students for learning music and they can explore it in depth. With a wide variety of affordable keyboards available, more students can learn music. All these activities will help to serve society by producing better musician and by growing the overall market.”

He further stated, “A majority of children start learning on Casio Keyboards, and even when they mature, they still associate Casio with mini-keyboards and are not aware that Casio has high quality feature rich keyboards for advanced learners as well. With AR Rahman as brand ambassador, we want to break this myth and change Casio’s image amongst serious musicians.”

T he overall market size in India for keyboards is small and is growing at slow pace, the key objective of bringing A. R. Rahman on board is to contribute to music by developing the market.

Mr. Kulbhushan Seth, Vice President, Casio India

Casio’s Musical Instruments range includes Mini Keyboards These keyboards have mini-keys for young children starting their music learning. This range has models such as SA-46, SA47 (32 Mini size keys), SA-76, SA-77, SA-78 (44 Mini Size Keys) and MA-150 (49 Keys).

Standard Keyboards There are 2 sets of Keyboards: For Beginners: The CTK-240/245 & CTK-1200/ 1250/ 1300 keyboards, targeted at grown-up children or adults starting to learn music, have full size keys and basic functionality ideal for grown-up learners.

For Upgrading Students: The CTK-2200/ 2300, CTK-3200 & CTK-4400 are up-graded models for students, who have already learned basic keyboard playing.

High Grade Keyboards These keyboards are targeted at advanced learners appearing for various music examinations as well as performers into music making. These are 61 keys keyboards with Indian Rhythm & Tones.

CTK 860IN/ CTK 6300IN/ CTK 7300IN (Indian Keyboards): Along with basic functions, the range has music creation features such as Tone & Rhythm Editor, Registration Memory, 17 Track Sequencer, DSP Effects, 32 Channel Mixer, 5 Equalizer Modes, and SD card slot.

Casio’s WK keyboards: WK 220/225, WK-6600 & WK-7600 with 76 keys have various advanced functionality as in high grade keyboards (features vary from model to model).

Synthesizers Casio also has a range of Synthesizers targeted at Professional Musicians & DJs. XW-G1 (Groove Synth) & XW-P1 (Performance Synth).

Digital Pianos Casio also has an array of high end Digital Pianos (Privia & Celviano), which are blended with Multi-Dimensional Morphing AIR Sound Source, Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action Keyboard II with up to 256 note polyphony, which makes its tone quality very similar to Acoustic Pianos.

You’ve heard him on air, and loved his show, now he has his own TV show on NDTV Prime, interviewing your favourite Bollywood artists. We catch up with Mihir Joshi, who’s just had his own release, “Mumbai Blues” only a few months ago, read on to find out more!

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What inspired you to create a web series on YouTube and interview artists for your show?

How is The MJ Show on the web different from when you interviewed musicians on the radio?

The MJ Show was an evolution of what I did on radio and later on my blog. The name, The MJ Show was actually coined on my blog and taking it to YouTube was a natural progression. The fact that it’s reached television (NDTV Prime – Tuesdays 9-10pm) now is possibly the final step in this progression.

I’ve interviewed over 250 artists in my radio career and I think I’ve always loved interviewing other musicians and singers because, as a singer myself, I got to learn so much from the experiences of my seniors and it was so much fun to catch up with my peers. I always looked at the interview as a process that would help me get to know people better, and while I was doing that I gave fans a chance to get to know all these lovely people better too. The shows were always about the music and the artist.

For starters, people get to see us and that’s a HUGE difference. The freedom to explore topics is a lot more and I think because The MJ Show was shot at the homes/personal studios of the artists, they are completely at ease and you can notice that quite evidently. I think that helped make the shows a lot more fun and chilled out.

What has been the most memorable shoot so far?

Could share an anecdote with us?

It’s honestly so tough to pick one. I’ve been lucky because I had some of the biggest Musical names in the business on the show so far.

Influences Elvis The Beatles , Dean Martin, I really loved the shoot with KK Ray Charles, George Strait, Willie because he literally sang over Nelson, Queen, The Eagles, Eric 20 songs in the 70 minutes that Clapton, John Mayer and many we shot with him. The shoot with Lesle Lewis was more more. memorable for what happened off Two cassettes by Roger camera. I sat with him for almost Whittaker gifted to me by my 2 hours and heard brand new ununcle taught me a LOT released songs that he’d written. But I think jamming with Ehsaan Noorani on a Cream/Robert Johnson song has possibly got to be my favorite moment on The MJ Show so far.

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The YouTube culture is spreading in India, fast. In the, US we already know it’s a huge phenomena with fanfests etc. Do you think a platform like YouTube and its channels can ever come close to replacing mainstream Indian music media?

I think we’re almost there. Pretty much every mainstream channel has a digital/YouTube presence. Movies release their trailers on YouTube before releasing them anywhere else. Will it replace mainstream Indian music media…maybe not…but it will become the most important medium for sure.

How does it feel being part of the music industry itself? A transition from being the artist interviewing to Funniest being interviewed?

Moment on Air I love both aspects. Even when

While recording I land up making I was interviewing people I quite a few goof ups/retakes on never looked at myself as a certain segments (because I mostly journalist. I always looked at record stuff with just an idea of what myself as a singer who can I’m supposed to talk about but without talk and get people to talk. a script or a Teleprompter) and now I’ve been fortunate that in the at the end of the episodes a lot of 10 years that I’ve been in the those goof ups are there for industry, the press and media everyone to see in a small have always been very kind to blooper roll. me and have written about the various things I’ve done but now,

Nidhi Iyer

J

SHOW

with my own album out, it’s even more special because now I get interviewed about my own music and not about my radio shows. It feels great!

Going back to your days as an RJ, how did that come about? Was it just something you stumbled upon or something you really wanted to do?

Well, I finished my engineering degree about 11 years ago. I used to be the lead singer in my college band back then too. I would have loved to be a singer but all my musicians in college went abroad for their degrees and I knew no one in the city. I thought that I’d get on radio and play the music I loved for people and start supporting the musicians who were making original music in India.

This decision helped me meet the music industry. Years ago when I started radio, I was one of the ONLY people playing Indian bands on radio and I really enjoyed doing that.

Your band released their debut album “Mumbai Blues” just a few months ago. What was your key inspiration in making this album? What is that “something new” it brings to the My success table? charms

I’ve always loved the blues and rock n’ I’ve been lucky to have parents roll. With Mumbai Blues, I finally got who understood me and let me to put out songs that I’d written with do what and said “I want to get my fantastic band. into music”. And I’m lucky to I wanted to write songs that people have a wife who is my best could genuinely relate with. I wanted friend, manager, confidante the songs to be stories about everyday and everything else life for people living in India or for those rolled into one. who’ve lived in India.

I knew that if I was going to write a blues/blues rock album in India, then it had to be about things that people I know genuinely get the blues about. That was the main objective behind the album and I think we’ve managed to achieve it quite nicely.

Any plans of going Bollywood if the opportunity presented itself? Is acting something you would venture into?

I’ve always looked at myself as an entertainer. A few years ago, I even did an acting course from Anupam Kher’s institute but my focus, back then and even now has always been on music. I would LOVE to sing in Bollywood and to be honest if a good role came along that I could relate with and really enjoy doing I would not be averse to acting too. However, getting a song out in Bollywood is now a major priority!

How do you see yourself pushing your boundaries in terms of the music you want to create?

My first rule is – language is NOT a barrier. I would love to see a time when people think of music as just two genres – good music and bad music and they’d be open to listening to good music in any language and music style. I would love to record a rock n roll song in Marathi, or a blues song in Hindi or a dance track in Bengali. I think I’ve just begun as a singer and there’s a LOT that I would want to do in the years to come.

What are some things you would like to improve on or learn as an artist?

To look forward to

Taking Mumbai Blues on the road!

Learning NEVER stops. I’ve been Shooting season 2 of The MJ Show. primarily self-taught but since Right now, I’m also recording songs the last few months, I’ve started with various young programmers learning Indian semi classical and artists and I’ll be releasing and ghazals from my guruji – these songs on my YouTube Dhananjay Bhatt. I know that channel soon! it’s already helped me improve in my own style and I want to keep learning from him and from all the other fabulous musicians I get to meet.

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World-class workstation that grows with you

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MRP: INR 99,990/in.yamaha.com

Star of the Month

Monsoonsiren

Nathan Menon, otherwise known as Monsoonsiren, is making a name for himself in the genre of Electronica music. After releasing his debut self-titled EP, collaboration with Melbourne-based Electronica producer Tom Day in 2013, Menon has consistently been releasing new material and fans are going crazy over his killer sounds. Day and Menon spent a year working together on the five-track EP, an project that astoundingly was coordinated entirely online.

Lilting rhythm, flowy piano phrases and Menon’s lovely falsetto voice create a sound that is deep, and just a work of art in terms of sound and lyrics. These days, he is somewhat of a musical hermit, spending most of his days in his place, working on his music and hanging out with his pet cat, Maki. Currently, Menon is working on his debut EP and given this guys resume, it is sure to be a feast for your ears. Score got to talk to this incredibly talented dude to talk about his work, inspiration, and current favorites in music.

Albums featuring moonsiren

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In Return

by Odesza, "Memories That You Call (feat.

Monsoonsiren)"

Kodak to GraphRakshasa (feat.

Monsoonsiren)"

Tom Day & Monsoonsiren Love Is Rare

ananya ashok

Where did the interest in Electronica start? Who were you inspired by growing up?

5 years ago, when flying lotus album 1983 I heard that and I was like “Holy Crap, this is amazing”. I had no formal experience in music per se. I used to listen to Prince, Michael Jackson, and a lot of jazz when I was younger.

You’ve described your music as “Cinematic Funeral Music”. Why that description and what probed you to conceive that label?

It’s just how I would describe it. Upon coming up with a description for my music, that name stood out for me. My music in general has a sort of melancholic feel to it, in terms of the kind of sound I create. Even if I tried to do something upbeat and happy, it just always got a melancholic tone.

Automatically happened!

What is your favorite music software and why do you like it?

I like the combination of Ableton and Logic. I don’t really prefer one or the other. I use both!

How did the opportunity to work with Tom Day and Odesza come about?

I’ll start with Odesza. I heard Odesza’s album a few years ago. They had like maybe a 100 likes at the time when I reached out to them and said, hey I’d love to work with you guys and they liked my voice. I always wanted to work with them and jumped at the opportunity to work with them.

Tell us about your new EP. It comes out in December this year. I’ll be collaborating with five different producers. I’m really excited about it and I’ve been working hard on this EP. It’s not done yet but it’s very different, probably due to the fact that every producer has his or her own sound. It’s Unique and yeah, basically I am really excited.

Tell us about your creative process. What inspires you when making music?

I don’t actually have one. I like to go with the flow. When I start working on a track, I try to go based on what comes out naturally. A lot of things inspire me. Depression is something that I quite naturally get inspired by. Not depressing stuff (chuckles), but just melancholy, as an emotion is something I find to be mysterious and beautiful.

Who’s on your playlist now?

These days, I’m listening to just a ton of Spooky Black and FKA Twigs. Almost everyday now.

Track to Check out!

Low Roar x Monsoonsiren (Adeika) (Spheriá Remix)

Monsoonsiren 'Paper Tiger' (Project: Mooncircle, 2014)

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Band of the Month

Sifar

Sifar Rocks the Boat

I read that you “pretended to work” for two years in software company and then you uncovered your true calling. How did that happen?

Actually, I got into music a little late. I’d been dabbling with music in college, but after college I got into a multinational company like how every engineer does. I worked there for a couple of years. In college I was writing songs and composing them, but I wasn’t doing an entire production or I wasn’t recording those songs yet. So, this friend of mine suggested that I should try and learn production and he gave me Gaurav’s number. Gaurav Dayal is a music producer in Delhi. After calling him up and meeting him, I got excited about doing this professionally. I joined his academy, Beatfactory Academy, I learnt there for 6-7 months and then I started producing my own stuff.

Once I was comfortable and felt that I could do this professionally, I quit my job and got into this full time.

Six years of Sifar, how has the journey been so far?

It’s been great. I think the biggest thing we’ve achieved so far is that now we’re able to produce the kind of music that we want to and we’re able to do quite a bit of justice to our idea. When Anshul and I started off, for the first two or three years we weren’t really that good. The songs weren’t sounding as professional as we wanted them to sound like. They didn’t sound as big, loud and punchy as in our head. But the biggest thing we’ve achieved in the last six years is that we’ve nailed down the production process. Initially it was a bit of a struggle, but in six years, we’ve achieved it. When we make our music now, we make it sound like a professional sound.

What was the idea behind blending Hindi and rock music, in the age where everyone is behind following the West?

When we started, Anshul and I were already writing songs. Anshul writes only in Hindi, I write both in Hindi and in English. When we started this project we already had like about 6-7 songs that we had written collectively. We grew up listening to that music as well as we grew up listening to the music from the West. We’ve both influences Western music influences as well as Pakistani/ Indian bands like Strings, Junoon and even Euphoria to some degree. It wasn’t like we experimented or something, it was pretty natural because we were already writing in Hindi and was already listening to Rock music. So, putting the two together was pretty natural.

Who has been your biggest musical influence?

My biggest musical influence is probably Nirvana.

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If given a chance to collaborate with any Indian band, which would that band be?

One thing I’d like to say is that, we don’t want to collaborate with any fusion or folk band that is for sure. We like a lot of Indian bands. Avial definitely comes to mind, they’re really good.

Another really good band is Sky Harbor, but Sky Harbor is pretty heavy for us because it’s metal. As an audience and as a listener I like that music but I don’t want to make that kind of music. So, I guess I’ll go with Avial.

Sifar has always been giving out free good quality songs for download since “1,” what is your take on piracy?

Piracy is so ingrained in the audience now. We had tried selling our music, our first album was available for some hundred bucks, but our fans got back saying ‘Can you just send me a link to download them?’ I then sent them a link to our OkListen page, and then this guy came back saying ‘This is a paid link, send me a free link.’

I’m not blaming anyone, but the new generation, people who’re in their teens, they don’t even have a concept of paying for music anymore. They don’t even know that you can legally pay and download on iTunes and stuff like that. People don’t even know that it’s illegal to rip mp3’s from YouTube.

So, my take on piracy is that, if an artist doesn’t want to give his/ her music for free then you shouldn’t steal it. Do not rip YouTube videos; do not download it from Torrent websites, if the artist doesn’t want that.

But for my music, I would still keep a majority of it available for free. Because I know that if I ask people to pay for it, some people will not mind paying for it, some people will be happy to pay for it but most people find it inconvenient and weird more than anything else.

manisha Bhat

Since being nominated for Best Rock Band and many other categories at the IndieGo Music Awards in 2011, Sifar has gone on to become one of the most popular Rock Bands in India. Their music is all over the internet and they’ve got a steadily growing number of followers all around. Score got to chat with Amit Yadav, the lead member of Sifar about their amazing journey and their plans for the future.

But at the same time, I would recommend artists to actually give out at least some of their songs for free.

About your lyrics, they’re deep, meaningful and it’s got substance. Where do you get your inspiration from to write them?

I think most of the songwriters take inspiration from their own lives and that’s kind of what we try to do as well. But when you listen to commercial mainstream pop, then that might not be true because those guys are specifically writing for a certain audience and stuff. But we kind of derive the songs from our own experience. Some of the songs happened out of very unique situations that happened to Anshul or me. These are actually personal, I wouldn’t say all of the songs but 90% of our songs are very personal and were derived from real life experiences.

Which has been the best live performance you’ve given so far?

I think we’ve really enjoyed playing in colleges the most. We have played in some pubs as well, but we don’t really enjoy playing in pubs because we mostly play only originals and there’s this underlying thing from the organizers that we’re supposed to play a certain amount of covers as well, which we don’t do. We actually haven’t played even a single cover so far. So, colleges have been great for us, we love playing at colleges. They’ve been very receptive and we’ve got a great response. IIT Guwahati was a lot of fun and that has probably been our best performance so far. Apart from that we’ve also enjoyed playing at IIT Patna, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee.

How have Sifar’s songs and lyrics changed from the Sifar in 2008 to the Sifar in 2014?

The music has changed a lot, for sure. Because back in 2008, I didn’t know how to play anything or sing or produce music. At that time our recordings were very basic, we’d put down some basic guitar chords, with a drum and then there would be a vocal on and that was it. So, from the music aspect, I think we’ve come really far from that point. Now, we’re better musicians than what we were in 2008. We’re able to play, arrange our music in a more interesting way.

If you listen to our first album, even if we’d become much better than when we’d started, they’re still pretty raw in terms of the music arrangement. Now we do a little more, we produce more samples and some electronic parts as well.

In terms of lyrics, when we started we were more of introverts.

And as people change, you can see that reflection in our songs.

In 2008 all I’d write about is about my personal experiences, frustrations, angst, and maybe heartbreak to some degree. But now in 2014 I’m comfortable in writing about different kind of stuff which might not be so personal. We’re becoming a little more open. In a recent song that we released which is called Dil Ki Sada. That song is about embracing change and being positive in life. I wouldn’t have written something like this back then.

You signed with Universal Music India and released “2” which reached the top of India Rocks charts on iTunes within 24 hours! And now you’re working on a new album, how different is this third album going to be, in comparison with “1” and “2?”

To be very honest, I don’t have an answer to that question. We haven’t actually recorded songs for the third album yet. We’re working on it right now, on the composition part of it. But we haven’t started putting them together.

And somebody asked me, before we could record the second album, ‘How is the second album going to be from the first album?’

And I was like, the second album is going to be even rawer, we will do completely live recordings and no editing and this and that. And we went ahead and did something exactly opposite. The second album turned out to be a lot more electronic and more produced. So, I don’t really know what’s going to happen to the songs until we’ve actually put them down.

Which upcoming bands do you love, at the moment?

I think Sifar is still an upcoming band. But apart from Sifar, I’d say Dilpreet Bhatia who is a pretty talented guy. He does world music fused with rock ideas and I think his writings and compositions are very solid. I don’t know if he’s established or not, I think he should be a mainstream guy, he should be popular.

I really like his music.

There’s this band called Green Note, they’re releasing their single soon, it’s going to be their first song. And I know about this because I mastered their track and I really like the song and I think it’s going to be a successful one.

Lastly, what are your plans for the near future?

As far as Sifar is concerned, we want to keep on making music and keep releasing music. So, for the next one year we’re planning to release a few singles, we’ll try to release at least 3-5 singles in the next year. And after a year we’re planning to put down another set of 8-10 songs for an album. So right now that is the plan for the future.

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The Rhythm of

Kranti Sheetal, the girl from the Red Light Area in Mumbai has, with her determination and perseverance made herself a world that she wanted to live in. Her dream is to teach girls like herself drumming and help them in learning music.

With help from Kranti NGO, Sheetal is now going to the US to learn drumming. The Score Magazine spoke to Sheetal about her journey till now.

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BEFORE

Nidhi Iyer When I used to study in the hostel, my dad used to come to pick me up. Though, I don’t really remember what he used to do to me.

When I used to come back home during holidays, I ended up staying with my mother. This was during 2nd or 3rd grade. This was when all my studies were discontinued. I used to do domestic work, and used to take care of my little brother. My mother used to return from work at 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM. Slowly, my mother started going crazy, she started abusing alcohol and hurting herself, even the kind of company that she got into was pretty dangerous. When she brought customers over, I used to yell and make a scene to drive them away. My mom and I used to fight a lot. This one time when I was about 12 years old, my mom kicked me out. Then I started living in this lady’s house who was my mother’s friend. I used to work day and night, and if I failed to do something, I was forbidden a meal. I was a teenager then, my body was growing, this was the age when I was supposed to get good nutrition, exercise etc, but I was living in someone else’s house doing their household work. No studies, nothing.

My mom and I never had a good relation to begin with. So I could never tell her what sort of abuse I went through. Even when my step-father abused me, I didn’t really understand it at that point of time. I felt like whatever he did was probably a way of showing affection towards me, I didn’t understand what was acceptable and not, I didn’t know any better. My mom spoke to me about a lot of things that happened to her and in her work and tried to make he her friend though I could never really consider her one. I could never really trust her or depend upon her.

THE KRANTI DAYS

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I always liked the friendship we shared though. Even though, everyone said that she was going to send me to become a bar dance I didn’t believe them. She always assured me that she’d never want me to do what she did or that she’d ever send her to become a bar dancer. My mom just wished that it’d be a blessing even if I got married to a poor man and lived in a slum, she’d be more than happy.

Time passed, and I lived in the lady’s house for about 3 years, in 2009, my step-father felt that it was necessary that I received education and joined me to an NGO. This is where I learnt to read and write Hindi and English. Nobody used to understand me, I had studied only till 2nd grade. And directly from that they had admitted me in the 7th grade. All the teachers in the NGO understood me well and were really good to me. Everyone who stayed in this NGO were from a similar background from I was.

Their mothers practised the same profession. Nobody spoke about it. They were shy about it and didn’t accept it openly. I made a really good friend, we were really close and we spoke a lot. Everyone’s parents in the hostel used to enquire about their children at least once a week and came to visit them once in a while. But nobody came to visit me or asked about me. Time passed and my friends had also left. Meanwhile the NGO had traced my mother.

When they found my mother after I left for the NGO in 2009, my mom had met this man in mantralaya who was extremely nice. He was the man who made my mother stop abusing alcohol and stop harming herself. Their together even today.

I don’t know what I’m going to do in the future, but I do have this one dream apart from just playing the drums, I want to help all the girls in the red light area follow their music dreams. I want to teach drums to those who want to learn, all by myself.

I’ve given a lot of speeches in many places. I’ve taken part even in One Billion Rising. I’ve spoken about a lot of topics, violence against sex workers, education etc. I’ve taken workshops/speeches as well. All this has entirely changed my life around. One day Robin hands me over this ticket and she asks me to go to Delhi and meet with a bunch of NGOs and social workers who want to talk to you. These social workers work mainly with marginalized people but not sex workers. I was really shocked and scared. I COULD do it but I needed someone to push me. Robin is always there to push us and our boundaries and motivates us to do things.

When I got out of the NGO, I started living with my mother. The relationship I shared with her was not enjoyable at all. All she spoke about was me getting married once I was 20. I used to fight with her. I couldn’t understand her and the relationship we shared was strange for me. Time went by, my two friends, they brought me to Kranti, I didn’t want to live with her. I wanted to study and build myself a future. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to do something with my life. It’s been 2 and a half years since I joined Kranti and my life has transformed.

Before I joined Kranti, I didn’t even know how to cross the road.

Today, I’m going to the US. This is a huge deal for me. Robin wants to make us independent. She gives us responsibility so that we could gain confidence and be independent. At Kranti, it is compulsory to do some sort of an activity for 3 months. Then she asked me what I wanted to do. I’d never met anyone in my life who had asked me what I wanted to do, what my dreams were. I was really happy.

So I asked her, “Can I play the drums?”

She said, “Yes, why not?”

When I was young, I used to love the Ganpati Visarjan beats, and I used to love dancing to them, and loved the beat. I used wonder why only boys could do that and why not girls? I used to want to do it, heart of hearts. Even now, I’m not extremely good at playing the drums, but playing the instrument makes me extremely happy. I went for drum classes not only for 3 months but for 8 months.

We do a lot of plays through Kranti based on our life stories. I never used to respect my mother or understand her for the job she did, however after coming to Kranti, I started respecting the work she did. We respect and value the work everyone does. But nobody respects a sex work, there is no dignity in this labour. They are not treated with any respect by the law enforcement and misbehaved with by so many clients. Without Kranti, I never would have been able to rationalize or comprehend what so many women like my mother went through.

We strongly protest against the clauses under section 377. We are all the same people, and I still don’t understand why we are unable to treat each other with equality and respect.

I’m really happy that I’m going to the US and extremely thankful to the people who have supported me.

I finally got my visa but raising funds for me tuition still remained an imposing issue. I’m still in the need for about 12 lakhs of rupees.

I’m going to live in a PG in the US, and there’s going to be a lot of expenditure when it comes to shifting there. A lot of people are supporting me and I want to thank the people who are supporting me and helping me from the bottom of my heart.

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One on One with

Gaayatri Kaundinya She’s a musician, composer, and now she’s off to do her pre-med at University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Gaayatri Kaundinya has always pushed the limits in terms of her potential. Score Magazine sat down with the budding artist to discuss music, film scoring, and much more.

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Ananya Ashok So, How did your musical journey begin? What drew you to Music in the first place?

Growing up, my Grandfather used to live with us and had a great interest in Hindustani music. From the time I was born, he would play recordings of the old masters of Hindustani classical music. I grew up listening to the Bhaktimala series and loved Dhrupad, in particular the Gundecha Brothers. I loved listening to Pandit Jasraj, Bhimsen Joshi, etc. When I was about one, my parents got a special promotional deal where they could choose a few CDs from a mail order – and they happened by chance to order Ustad Ali Akbar Khan’s album Journey. I fell in love with his music, and when I was two, I told my parents I wanted to learn music from him. I was lucky – when I was 4, my parents moved to California from Colorado.

And conveniently, Baba had a school in San Rafael. My grandfather took me to him, and asked if he would teach me.

He said that he didn’t usually teach kids as young as me – but he led me to his stage, and asked me to sing Sa. I did. He said, “Keep her here.” And that was the beginning.

You were very fond of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan as a teacher and person.

What are your fondest memories of him?

So many. He would always treat everyone with so much love – and I was no exception. One of the things I will never forget about him was how he never forgot my birthday. When I was a kid, I always invited him to my birthday parties and wanted him to come – he would always tell me he would try to come with the utmost sincerity. And then he would usually give me a birthday present. He always had more faith in me than I had in myself and for that, I will always be grateful.

What are three things that you have taken from his teachings?

Hmm, where to start? Well let’s see, the three most important things would be: - “If you’re careful you can sing” - Baba always believed focused practice was more effective than anything else you could do for yourself as an artist. He would stress putting focus into one’s work to get results. When I was a kid, he would tell me to start from 5 minutes of focused practice every day. Then increase the length of time every day by another 5 minutes. He would say that pretty soon, I’d be practicing for hours without even thinking about it. Whenever I hit a musical roadblock, I try to fall back on this golden nugget of advice and it helps me stay mentally present in my music even if my schedule gets busy.

-“Music is our life.” - Baba once wrote this to me as a personal note a few months before he passed away. Probably one of the most memorable quotes of my life. What he meant was twofold. As a detailed expression of emotion, life, and that

which effects us as a human race, music is in essence, a form of life itself. Not only did he mean that music was something he pursued his whole life as would I, but also that music in this sense is really every choice we make, every day we live, and every emotion we feel as human beings. The study of music then, is the study of life itself. Which is why it has the power to move audiences regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or age.

And the study of a music that brings peace is then the study of how to make one’s life peaceful – which classical Indian music is meant to do.

- “Next batch please!” - His dedication to his students and to teaching was so strong that he taught us literally till his last breath. He taught me my final vocal lesson the night before he passed. Upon seeing my face, he thought he was at his music college in San Rafael. After vocal class, that was his favorite line to use when he was about to teach his instrumental class.

These were also some of his last words to us. He taught me to fight for the life I believe in for myself. He taught me that as long as I want something enough, and I give everything to achieving what I want, my life will be meaningful.

You’ve studied Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles and you’ve had loads of great opportunities to break into the music scene.

What are some of the highlights among those opportunities?

Well I definitely met a lot of great musicians at UCLA from various styles of music around the world. I worked closely with Bulgarian musicians Tsvetanka Varimezova and Ivan Varimezov and sang in the UCLA Superdevoiche Balkan choir. I got to perform in Mexico City and participate in teaching people about Bulgarian music. I got the chance to learn with some of the great Jazz musicians of today. In addition, I met many great composers through my classes including James Newton Howard, Randy Newman, and others. My interest at UCLA was in film music – so I worked quite a few internships in the film world. Each was extremely rewarding and lent a new insight into my musicianship as a whole.

You’ve worked with A.R. Rahman sir in “Million Dollar Arm” and “The Hundred Foot Journey”.

What was that experience like?

It is always an amazing experience to be working in the studio.

I definitely gained a new respect for film music after playing a part in doing it. AR sir is so kind, and such a down to earth person who has been so encouraging of my music – I can be nothing but grateful in every way. I’ve been blessed to have such amazing musicians encourage me to pursue my interests and they’ve inspired me more of all to give back to all of those around me to encourage aspiring musicians and artists to pursue their art at the highest level.

What are some projects of yours that we can look forward to in the near future?

As of now, I am starting pre-med, and doing more studio work – so as that comes along, I’ll keep you updated! As of now, planning an India trip this December with a couple of performances, and I’m spending some time teaching my students in LA for the time being!

Now, you’ve finished college and you plan to study pre-med?! Okay, first off that’s insane!

Secondly, how do you do it?!

Haha well, I’m not quite sure how that’s going to happen yet… we’ll have to see! I hope I’m not biting off more than I can chew!

But then again, I do have a weakness for Pani Puri… so I think as long as I like what I’m doing enough, I’ll be able to eat it all.

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Powered by

Johnson

Benjamin Music makes me happy, and I’m lucky to be making money in this field as well. I keep saying I am not a very big artist. I like entertaining whoever comes to listen to me.

Hailing from HAL, Johnson Benjamin is no stranger to the stage, he is been playing his Keyboard live for over 19 years! His foray into Kannada film music has not gone unnoticed, and his debut as a music director is awaited with much anticipation!

"

Memorable performances I performed at the Kargil program 15 years ago for Dr. Rajkumar in Kanteerava studio; that remains one of my most memorable performances till date.

Jazz artists/ standards you like / are inspired from: Unforgettable, Nat king, Autumn leaves.

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Vishal shah What are your current projects?

Give us a little about your performing experience.

I am working on a couple of Kannada movies where in I do the chord progressions and sequence their song. Till now, I have worked under music directors as their main artist. Next month, I am going to start my own project as music director.

I’ve played jazz and Mozart with my guru Mr. Williams, and performed with orchestras in Bangalore like Sound of music and Mohan Jimpets. I have also independently performed with artists like Manjula Gururaj, Rajkumar Vishnuvardhan. In addition, I have done ticketed shows in Belgaum, Dharwad with these artists.

How is your performance life? Do you perform live often?

I go out for live shows which are mainly keyboard oriented. I like playing long keyboard solos, some of which last for half an hour. Sometimes, I play 6 keyboards at the same time during a performance. I don’t have a band/orchestra playing with me. I arrange my own band; some good musicians whom I have played with over the years accompany me.

Tell us about your background, how you started playing?

I was born and brought up in Bangalore. My father was a violinist and he also played the harmonium. But he didn't allow me to learn music, nor did my grandmother.

“Go study”, was what they used to say. My Brother used to play too and I used to watch. After they went, I used to pick it up and start doing something with it. “Don't make noise”, they would say. I used to stay in HAL quarters, and used to take it on top of the house and did not used to like going to school. My good friend Vicky took me to a music school and made me join there. You’d require a keyboard to register; I lied and said I had, when all I had was a harmonium. There, I studied under Dr. Ashley Williams who used to give me notes to practice. But I couldn’t use double hand on harmonium and used to get the next door neighbour to push bellows for me in exchange for chocolate.

Seeing my talent, my guru allowed me to practice on the pianos at the facility.

Some of the best performing spaces in Bangalore.

Ravindra Kalakshetra, Chowdaiah Memorial Hall, Town hall are some of my favorites.

Did you ever experiment with movies too?

Not initially, no. I did not step into movies; I was more interested in devotional music. Performed with artists like Balasubramaniam, Rajesh Krishnana and Hemanth.

Slowly, I started doing my own music in terms of arranging and composing. I have my own studio now where I compose my own tunes and work on my keyboard solos.

Genres that you play Mozart sonatas, jazz. I compose on the spot as well. Composing for Indian movies depends on the mood of the movie. Mozart helps me for speed playing whereas Jazz is for chords progression and melody.

Why Mozart particularly?

Because I love his music. Also, it’s very tough on the fingers and helps in creating the flow in your fingers, warming them up

How did you choose the keyboard as your instrument? Was it a natural calling?

Because I started with harmonium, I used to play on those old white Casio keyboards. And I love keyboards. There are still so many thing to learn; you need to be fully dedicated to learning one instrument completely, that’s what I believe.

Do you think that a formal education is strictly required for anyone pursuing music?

If you do according to lessons, I can tell you it’s worth doing.

They help you strengthen your fingers with ample practice. Also, your creativity takes a boost with the theory.

You are pursuing music full time. How does your normal day look like?

From morning 8.30 to 1.30pm, I am in the studio. After lunch, I continue till evening unless I have to perform somewhere. I am selective in where I perform; prefer going only to places where the crowd is good

How fulfilling is this industry for you?

I am very happy in this field. Music makes me happy, and I’m lucky to be making money in this field as well. I keep saying I am not a very big artist. I like entertaining whoever comes to listen to me. That is the ultimate satisfaction of this job.

Experience with Casio In the churches that I used to go to, I used to use Casio keyboards there. I have liked the tones and arpeggios on Casio since that time itself. I prefer Casio for solo performance, as I have been very comfortable all these years.

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A Poor and Rich Musician’s Guide

for

Purchasing Quality Music Tools Through the ages, artists of all stocks have utilized the cliche but ubiquitous tools of practice and patience to gain mastery over their respective crafts. We musicians are obviously no exception, and though practice and patience remain our best friends on the never-ending quest of improvement, the exponentially growing presence of technology has forged an easier access for optimizing practice time, as well as producing and managing professional quality recordings of our work. Among the plethora of musical technological advances that have been made available to us exist gadgets ranging from necessary to the downright frivolous. It can be overwhelming to sift through, so here's a guide to helping you decide the right fit for you.

HEADPHONES When deciding on a pair of headphones, you are often left to compromise a proper balance of sound and settle for either an excess of treble or bass tones. And ideal set finds harmony between the two, while retaining an optimal sound quality and long-term physical comfort. If funds are not an obstacle, Bose makes several quality sets worth looking in to. An industry favorite, the QuietComfort series is renowned for its ability to cancel noise from the world outside your headphones, resulting to superior sound quality within. For their newest model, the QC 25, you'll shell out a minimum of Rs 18,000/- but with the Active Noise-Cancelling (ANC) feature activated, you'll get an excellent balance of tones, perfect for picking up the subtleties of each track you listen to, an especial must during the recording process. It is worth noting that the headphones have an estimated 35-hour battery life, after which they will continue functioning albeit without the ANC feature.

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If like me, you can't quite summon 18k+ to drop on a pair of headphones, you'll have to be willing to do some compromising.

Sennheiser is another trusted brand featuring headphones specifically designed for a variety of activities including as gaming, listening to music, or recording in the studio. Though their current models are generally Rs 3600+ (Rs 6000+ for studio headphones) you can find older models for much more reasonable prices on sites such as eBay, Amazon, etc. Their HD201 set is a solid and sensible pick; Offered by Amazon for Rs 1400/-, the HD201 achieves a decent balance of sound, with the trebles avoiding the "muddiness" many cheap sets often fall victim to (great news for all you vocalists!). As can be expected with the lower price, the sound level is lacking, which might be a problem depending on how loud you like to listen to your music.

sathvika ashok

TUNER Firstly, be it a Korg you purchased along with your first instrument or a phone app hastily purchased in a moment of need, tuners are a basic necessity for all musicians, from vocalists to pianists to violinists and beyond. Though any tuner will get the job done, Strobe tuners are unarguably the most accurate. As you are tuning, they'll receive the frequency of the note being played. The lights on the tuner will flash in accordance to the hertz being put out, alerting you the moment you overshoot the note you are trying to tune to. Strobe tuners run on the pricier side, but are thus far the most trusted tuners by professionals.

Though company Sonic Research's model, the Turbo Tuner ST-200 will set you back around Rs 9000/-, the ST-200 is revered for its speed and accuracy, and is even promised by Sonic Research to put you within .02 cents above or below your desired pitch.

Though such an accurate tuner is certainly desirable (and probably difficult to switch from, once you've had a taste!) it can be considered luxurious for those who don't tune or perform instruments for a living. With a good ear for tune on your side, chromatic pitch pipes such as the Kratt MK1 Master Key will get the job done well enough. For a more wallet-friendly Rs 1400/-, the MK1 is portable and doesn't require batteries or charging. For those with a smartphone, you have the additional option of purchasing a tuning app, such as Cleartune. With excellent usability and decent accuracy, the Cleartune app is a veritable steal at just Rs 120/-.

Additionally, the ear cups don't provide as much sound isolation as the QC 25 does, but still offer comfort, which is key when you're going to use them for a few hours at a time.

Like I've stressed, balance is a major selling point when deciding on a pair of headphones, and so I feel Audio Technica's ATH-WS55 headphones deserve an honorable mention; At a mid-range price of Rs 6000/-, these headphones provide a clear sound that does ample justice to the bass notes while still providing a crisp treble. If you'd like to treat yourself to something a little higher quality than the HD201's but don't want to cough up the 18k for the QC 25, the ATH-WS55 is a good bang for your buck that will leave your ears satisfied and your wallet (relatively) unscathed.

SOFTWARE Finally, from the casual musical hobbyist to the serious career musician, everyone could benefit from some type of recording software. A tangible, fully equipped studio is a luminous, pricey dream of any full-time let alone part-time musician to be sure, but those lacking in funds to support such a dream need not fall too far; The rapid upward mobility of home studios have created a demand for compact and portable recording hardware and accompanying software, and though many companies have risen to the challenge, Pro-Tools has thus far proven to be indomitable. At the gut-churning price Rs 42,000/- the Pro Tools 11 is actually a steal for what you get.

Upon purchasing, you receive a download for the Pro Tools 11 and 10 installers, as well as user guides for all the software. Compatible with both OS X and Windows, the software comes with an impressive variety of instruments and effects. As Pro Tools 11 was finally upgraded to become a 64 bit application, it is infinitely easier than ever to record large sessions in single sittings.

If the Pro Tools 11 seems a little too dreamy for you (trust me, I feel your pain) there's still an ample number of options out there. Frankly speaking, for the freelance musicians, GarageBand is a more than adequate software. Available for use only on Apple products, it can be purchased as an app for Rs 300/- on all iPad and iPhone products and is free with all Mac products. Though admittedly more limited than the more high-end software, GarageBand comes with several musical instruments, the ability to record audio, several pre-recorded loops, and even beginner lessons for the guitar and piano. If you're team Windows (or Mac, for that matter), you can download Audacity for free.

With it, you can record multiple tracks on to of one another, up to 256 tracks.

Though many of the products listed are highly used and respected within the music industry (not to mention recommended by yours truly!) it's important to take a moment to prioritize your needs as a musician. I recommend making a list of items you feel would help your growth as a musician, with no price restrictions, and acquire them as you can afford to from there. The satisfaction of having an arsenal of tools you have been lusting for will only further fuel your passions, and really reign in a sense of satisfaction.

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FESTIVA Stoles

Whether you plan on hitting up the weeklong festivals such as the World Sufi Spirit Festival, or rocking at one-day blowouts such as NH7 and Mood Indigo; or dance under the stars at Jodhpur Riff, dressing for the occasion is part of the fun! We found the best accessories and clothes to accompany you to the shows and where you can find them.

Kalamkari Stole, aniika.com, RS 500/Stoles are great. They should kind of be a part of your wardrobe, even if you’re not a ‘Stole’ kind of person. The reason for this is they are just incredibly handy.

It’s cold outside and you want to enjoy the music, get out that artsy stole and wrap it around and you can look great while listening to great music. In general it makes a great fashion piece for any festival of any genre. You can pair it with a trendy shirt and jeans and it’ll still look great.

Seriously get yourself a cool stole in a very distinctly Indian print like Kalamkari, Madhubani (if you come across one), or some other cool Indian Art style.

Traditional Attire Kurthi with Kutch and Mirror work, handsoftheworld.com Traditional festivals tend to get you into that culturally festive mood. There is nothing nicer than having some good old traditional Indian attire to enhance that mood. Building on the stole idea, try wearing kurtas/kurtis and pants/ skirts in fun prints like Bandhini with Mirror work, Kalamkari, Chicken work, and other such Indian textiles that embrace tradition. These outfits typically make model-worthy Instagram pictures when done right. You can get your inspiration in places like Fabindia, or in any local market near you.

Mojaris Mojaris with traditional Rajasthan work, stophere.in, Rs 650/Why? Come on. They’re so cool looking. That aside, good quality Rajastani style shoes are incredibly handy and are really high up there in terms of comfort. Again, like stoles, they can vamp up your style regardless of whether you go with a t-shirt and jeans or stick to traditional wear.

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Sunglasses GirlProps flip-up sunglasses; and transparent wayfarer sunglasses with color-changing iridescent mirrored lenses; $600 each, at girlprops.com If your festival is during the day, you’re going to want to invest in some good quality sunglasses to keep those powerful sunrays away from your gaze. Investing in some good quality sunglasses in general is a good idea. For a music festival it’s even more essential, especially when you’re bopping to that crazy good beat and the one thing that’s scrunching your face is that ridiculously bright light in the sky.

AL CHIC Jhumkas Silver Anusuya Jhumka Earrings, Rs 6490/-, Fabindia Whether you decide to go to the Jodhpur Riff or Bangalore Open Air, nice pair of earrings is sure to enhance any occasion. So get yourself some loud and bright Jhumkas that really make a statement. Again, these babies are another item that make artsy instagram hits.

Dry Shampoo Batiste Dry Shampoo Dark and Deep Brown 6.73 Ounce, RS1291/-, www.amazon.in

Reusable Beverage Tote Tote+Able faux-bois-wood reusable beverage tote, Rs1300/-, at flight001.com It’s a chore to buy water bottles and carry them around. If you’re environmentally friendly (which you should be anyways), it sucks to search for a trash can to throw your bottles away. Don’t bother. Get yourself a beverage tote. They’re easy to carry, compact, and available in sleek designs.

Music Festivals are packed with action and entertainment and quite naturally so. However, things can at times get… messy? Instead of spending part of your day washing your hair. Invest in some good dry shampoo to make your job easier. Just spray, tussle, and go. Pretty simple. No?

Sunscreen Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 50+, 30ml, Rs175/-, amazon.in Going back to the UV Rays point, equip your skin for the music festival your going to, especially for Open Air or Ziro.

You’ll benefit immensely when you invest in some good sunscreen. Good Music, no sunburn. Win-win.

A Flask For… (You know what)

Backpack

Mustard Drinkman tape cassette flask, Rs 850/-, at karmaloop.com

Finally, Where do you put all your stuff? Get a good solid backpack that’s going to hold your essentials. Trendy Indian fabric-inspired ones are available at any local market or online stores like amazon or topshop.

Alchohol folks, must be carried in style to music festivals. Get yourself one for your sake and your friend’s as well.

You’ll be glad you did.

Topshop zigzag ikat backpack, $3800, at topshop.com

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Sean

Roldan

Breaking Ice in the independent scene while simultaneously pursuing a career in Carnatic music is no easy task, the audience expectation is vastly different and so is the playing style needed. But Sean somehow has managed to do this all and much more!

You’ve been successful as a Carnatic musician, independent musician and now you’re also composing. How do you differentiate between the three considering the different categories? And what are the advantages and limitations?

Coming from a place that is filled with art I think we should take pride in it and we should be more human about treating artists. The moral of the story is that, western classical is a very decent community that does a lot of good things.

There is a different angle to this actually. I was born as a traditional classical musician, I learnt very quickly because both my parents are musicians. And fortunately, if I had to meet someone famous it was easy for me. So, when you observe some things practically, they are much useful. Actually, the problem with academics is that it’s always a Holy Grail in a way. You will never call yourself an expert because they never really teach you anything. The only takeaway is that you get to be more civilized, and that’s only why school education is necessary. It doesn’t really change you or anything. It just gets you ready for some big race that you’re in, pointlessly. So, I wanted to break that. My Carnatic leaning came at a very early age and I didn’t want to stop that, I wanted that. I’ve always wanted to get a vantage point from the other side of things that I don’t understand. So, however crappy I was I’d try my best get to the other side and see the world and that’s what I try to do with my music.

When I got excited about something, I’d practice, and when the process became more rigorous and when the comfort sets in, saying ‘this is what you want to do,’ at that time I’ll do something else.

That’s how I started going into many genres. Fundamentally everything is the same, people are the same, love is the same, but the way they express is different. It’s like learning many languages.

When you learn English, Hindi, Malayalam and Telugu, you understand the concept of languages better rather than just knowing one language. That’s the way I make music, I want to try and understand every kind of music and I have no discrimination about music. So, I differentiate all these three things by the virtue of the uses they have in the world. Like, film music has more reach.

You put more good things in a medium, it reaches more people. You out more bad things, it’ll have a bad impact on the society. It’s very direct, actually. We were in the times where women were portrayed in a very bad way, with item numbers and shizz! I did one item number and I still call it shizz! Which is a very bad way to describe it. But then, we’ve come a long way from that, a young revolution has come. Many filmmakers are really good artists, painters. Like, Prabhu B Doss is one of the upcoming filmmakers, he has a very good name in the industry and he hasn’t even made one film. But there’s such a good word going about his work and he’s an awesome photographer.

He photographed something in Ladakh and they used it in a Wes Anderson’s film and he’s not advertising it. There are people like that. So, art should be a personal thing for an artist and cannot be a professional thing. Film music is very personal to me, I’m very serious about it. Also, there is a point where you need to let loose and just take it easy. So, of all these things Carnatic music had a very clear peripheral, so practicing independently will give the opposite vantage point that you need. So, I think everyone should do the opposite to understand this better.

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You have been associated with unique acts in the independent music scene, like breaking a lot of traditional boundaries and maintaining the ethnicity. So, where does this inspiration come from?

www.stringtemple.com

For me the inspiration came from, I want to say The Beatles but no, from Bob Dylan. He had a very crappy voice, the first time I heard Bob Dylan, I was like ‘What is this?’ See I’m a musician who likes form; I don’t like anything that’s done randomly. Works, when you say works, works are things that can be defined by the virtue of how tight the form is. The form of the structure or the mechanics of the structure can be explained from the work. That’s what you call a work. For example, DaVinci did work, Mozart's works, you don’t call them songs you call them work.

These days I don’t see form playing around a lot, but I think it’s coming back.

Musically educated people are coming back, so it’s coming back. But it can get better.

So, I was inspired when I heard Bob Dylan. He claimed nothing. Some people called his music gibberish, they called it poetry, but he could not be defined. He didn’t do something that could not be defined. The real thing was that he could not be defined. That is the only way he could get his art out.

What is your opinion on the western classical scenario in India?

Western classical music needs more funding. Indian traditions need much more funding. I think the government should fund art, like in the other countries. I think it’s a frantic situation in India, I see people who are younger than me taking bold decisions. They really don’t care about anything; they just want to make something amazing.

That’s a brilliant thing, because India used to be a storehouse of art all over the world. Coming from a place that is filled with art I think we should take pride in it and we should be more human about treating artists. The moral of the story is that, western classical is a very decent community that does a lot of good things.

Pix: Dwarakanathan Ravi The

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Do you think that the listeners in India need to be exposed to different forms of music?

First of all, I’d love to go to every house, knock on the door and ask people to come out. Literally, that’s the way of doing it. We performed at Besant Nagar beach because as we were so tired of venues, sound-check and all that because only a certain group of people will come. We really need to bring people out in some way. There are certain forces that bring people together, like religious forces, educational forces, they bring together thinkers.

There are people with varied strengths; we need all the strength to create a force that’s going to bring people together. People need to refresh their consciousness and understand what’s important. As youngsters we should stop and really think about what we’re doing with our lives. I mean, life can be anything, if you’re really passionate about sitting idle at one place, you should do it. Because that’s who you are, no one can question it.

If you do that beyond all obstacles, I think you’re a winner. We have to give more power to what we’re doing, by doing it more.

Support will come from a group of people who’re thinking alike who want to do some good things. It may also differ, what I think is now correct may change in 20 years. So, that time I have to step aside and change myself.

Could you tell us a little bit about your tour in Boston?

It was an amazing experience. We went there to record a sound track for Pradeep Kumar’s (Harmonize Projekt) upcoming movie Andhaghaaram. Pradeep, to me is like the most amazing musician I have ever seen. So, we recorded some sound tracks for Andhaghaaram. I think that sound track will break everything you know about background music. Even the film, I’ve seen parts of it and I think it’s a mind blowing film.

So, when we went there we had this prospect of promoting Tamil music outside of India.

We’ve always been the first people to promote Indian music outside for non-commercial purposes. We never thought that we’ll get such an amazing response. When they heard our music they were blown away.

There were shows that we played in Boston, there were a lot of Indian people that turned up. Fans who already knew us, I could see that they were explaining what our music is. People really got interested.

This man working in Berkeley came up to me and told me that they have never heard this kind of music in Boston in ten years. So that was really big.

What is your opinion about V S Narasimhan sir and Madras String Quartet?

The first time I’d heard them was when they’d released a Carnatic album called Resonance in which they’d fused some Carnatic melodies with some western arrangement.

I heard that album and was very thrilled. I was very scared to work with him because he was such a great person. And all of them, like Hemanth sir, Shekar sir, all of them have played for me. I think they’re doing some amazing work.

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I’m a fan of that kind of work. Madras String Quartet has a great reputation all around the world. I know in what kind of venues they play around the world, and they really don’t care about whether it’s going to be a hit or not. What I have to say is that, they’re giving everything they have to people. I really wish that their work gets all the kinds of support it needs and they’re doing really well. They’re such experienced people who have been living a musical life. I have not been with music for an amount of time that equals what Narasimhan sir has been.

They’ve only been playing music from morning to evening.

That’s all they know. At his age, he has gifts to offer, and he has seen everything and has all the reputation so he doesn’t need to make a hit or anything. I’m really humbled by the work they do. I can’t express in words for the respect I have for their work.

They’re really esteemed people, they’re so great.

So, whatever they give us is a gift. With all humility we have to take it, we have to bow in front of them.

Even after it’s time, Madras String Quartet’s work is only going to be appreciated in the future.

Your upcoming projects?

I cannot announce anything now, nothing’s official. But you’ll be hearing soon, some interesting projects are lined up.

To read the full interview of Sean Roldan please visit www.skore.in

Mandolin Requiem for a

September 19th, 2014 dawned dark, not only for the Carnatic music aficionados, but for that lone Mandolin that was sitting majestically on the lap of this playing genius and knew him for a little over 40 years so intimately, travelled with him, caressed by him, created many garlands of complex, yet mellifluous music.

Much has been said about the holder of that tiny instrument, Late. Shri. U.Srinivas, who was the prodigious son of Carnatic music that took the world of music by, storm almost for four decades. Those dexterous fingers literally dancing on that tiny folksy instrument of Italian origin created magic beyond anyone’s imagination and comprehension as to how effortlessly this genius had adapted the instrument for Carnartic music!

On hearing the news, just moments later after his passing away, I was thinking, while the musical fraternity and the millions of fans across the world would be shocked and devastated with disbelief and shed tears for this untimely demise, I am sure that little mandolin in a corner where nobody is even paying attention to it now, is silently sobbing sadly, missing its mate and master terribly.

That grief-struck instrument is not just a tool, but a soul; not just yet another artifact of wood, plastic and strings; but was a constant companion to its master that left without a warning. How could that be?

Pix: RidvanYumlu

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P. Subramaniam

In its own thinking, it would say:

“Never before I knew I was so musical, except for a feather touch, lighter vein music of folksy or gypsy type played for a tap of a foot or a clap of hands.

Never before I knew that there were myriad colors of notes that could be weaved in to infinite permutations and combinations of kaleidoscopic magic of color, grandeur, emotions of all kinds; and more than anything, that I could be connected to divinity.

T hank you Srinivas! The purpose of my birth has been fulfilled; along with your irreplaceable high seat of Carnatic Music, you have etched my name also”.

There have been many child prodigies almost in many forms of music, all over the world, but what sets the departed soul Late. Shri.Mandolin U. Srinivas apart from others, is that he took an instrument that is completely alien to the musical system of his upbringing, and brought it to the center stage of Carnatic world to the astonishment of all the contemporary seniors and fellow prodigies alike, that too, almost without any mentor to teach as to how to do the complicated graces, intricate ragas of this music.

For a player of any

instrument, the music is mind’s work and a four-way connection and collaboration between trained fingers, soul and a creative mind and of course discerning ears. Mandolin Srinivas was in impeccable control all the four and whatever he touched was more precious than gold, more life sustaining than nectar and more artistic than any other art ever created.

He developed his own techniques, at a very young age and crafted his own version of the instrument to suit his style of playing. Contemporary child prodigies, Chithra Veena Ravikiran, E.Gayathri and Flautist Shashank, grew up in stringent classical music environments, provided and guided by parents, in the instruments that have been associated with Carnatic music for centuries and have been played by many masters to observe and assimilate. Perhaps Srinivasa did too. In one of his own interviews, he has said, that he father wanted him to excel in studies not in music to start with. But seeing how drawn he is to music, particularly to Mandolin, he conceded and encouraged him later Srinivas was the genius among his own peer prodigies and like a shining star he came, conquered and went away as if the purpose for which he came has been fulfilled!

A Youtube video of a mesmerizing Bindumalini at a young age has been shared multiple times in the last few days and has introduced his music to even ignoramus lot that were not even aware of his existence. Most regular visitors to Chennai music season would always schedule a couple of his concerts to listen to and they will feel the void and a sense of incompleteness in the ensuing season.

His humility was as endearing as his music will always be. His glances through corner of his eyes, amidst serious playing to accompanying artists smiling at their acknowledgement of a passage he just so elegantly delivered are well known. Looking behind his father as a calf would look at its mother cow, and connecting to audience with a calmness filled eyes that convey a priceless smile and going back to his music have been part and parcel of his concerts. No unnecessary comments or attempt to display his enormous knowledge through any talk!

In Lalgudi memorial concert during the release of the book on Maestro Lalgudi, his speech about Lalgudi’s creative genius it self was sweet music soaked in humility without pretenses.

Every word of what he said about the maestro, are truly applicable to him as well, and like a perfectly understanding accompanying artist, it only befits to end this article without being a word jungle to keep his musical accomplishments and glory only in focus.

Srinivas, on behalf of many millions of musically only connected souls, and more importantly the bereaving Mandolin, let me offer this simple requiem that conveys our immense lament and assure your soul watching us from above, we will celebrate you music always; Your music will continue to enthrall millions more for many generation beyond the times of readers of, even this article of eulogy.

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Legendary Drummer Dave Weckl relies on QSC for perfect on-stage audio reinforcement!

Dave Weckl isn’t just a name in the world of drums and percussion – the man is a legend! For more than 25 years, Weckl has developed and maintained a reputation among fans, peers, and the international music community as one of the great living drummers, with numerous accolades and honours including Modern Drummer inducting him into their Hall of Fame and naming him "one of the 25 best drummers of all time." And for a man of such legendary status, it’s quite obvious that he guy takes his gear very seriously. So it comes as no surprise that the ace drummer relies on QSC Audio products to sort his on-stage sound reinforcement needs – after all, legendary artists only choose those products that do justice to their performance and reputation.

It’s great that an emerging group of acoustic drummers have taken the step to purchase their own microphones, mixer, and build their own sub-mix of their drum-kit – a technique that proves very useful for those in smaller venues where the inhouse P.A. or house engineer are untested, or there is simply no P.A. system at all – creating their own drum “mix” on stage.

But the thing is, most of them end up overlooking the need for accurate stage amplification that would allow them to hear every minor adjustment or tweak they make to the mix. The ideal acoustic drum amplification system should therefore accurately reproduce the drum kit’s full-range sound just like a great pair of studio monitors does (Unfortunately studio monitors make poor stage amplifiers!).

Here’s where Dave stands out and sets the standards really high when it comes to his on-stage audio reinforcement gear, with QSC’s House of K comprising his personal on-stage monitoring system. Says Dave “The toughest thing in sound reinforcement for drummers is being able to find a system that has the power and that can handle the sound pressure of the kit and the low ends, while ensuring the fidelity remains true. I found all of that in QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers.”

QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers offer studio-quality reinforcement for acoustic drums, and with 1000 watts of pure Class D power, they are able to play at volumes that can drive the rhythm and support all the other musicians on stage. Dave recalls his first encounter with QSC’s K Family of loudspeakers as he shares “When I first heard the QSC KW152’s

at the company’s HQ in Costa Mesa, I remember thinking to myself ‘Wow, these sound amazingly fresh and real – these are really cool’. And the really cool part thing that amazed me was that the quality of sound reproduction was almost identical in the KW122’s.”

In addition to pristine audio reproduction and high quality performance, other benefits of the K Family loudspeakers include; Full-range, accurate reproduction at performance volume.

Flatter off-axis response is achieved using DMT Technologythis results in more intelligible sound for the other players on the stage, and wider stereo imaging when using a stereo pair.

Floor wedge or pole-mount options on the 10” & 12” models.

Dual 12” and single 18” sub woofer models available for extra LF in large or loud room settings.

Two channel mixer onboard (including a Mic Input) allows for instrument amp and stage monitor use simultaneously.

Through-connections and a mixed output are provided for easy connection to mixing console inputs. Control the volume of your stage “mix” using an Expression Foot Pedal.

Talking about his prized QSC system and how it’s never failed to impress him, Dave Weckl, the master himself, shares “The KW122’s fit my needs perfectly, in terms of portability and performance – the system is tight, punchy, sonically pleasing, and compliments my acoustic drums phenomenally. And the beauty about the system I use is that there’s not a lot of manipulation that you’d need to do on the mixing end for it to reproduce perfectly where you’re at. I am running the 12's in parallel and the sub on a separate output. This allows complete flexibility depending on the music and how much punch I need vs bottom.

Out of any rig I've ever used, I found I had to EQ the system very minimally here... the speakers just sound great.”

The entire range of the K Family of loudspeakers are readily available within the Indian market through Pro Visual Audio Pvt. Ltd (the official distribution partners of QSC Audio products in India) and its various channels across the country, backed by superlative prompt after-sales service and support.

ANNOUNCES

CUBE-10GX GUITAR AMPLIFIER Compact Amp with Customizable Tones via Free App for iOS and Android Roland is proud to announce the CUBE-10GX, the latest addition to the popular lineup of CUBE-GX guitar amplifiers. Compact, affordable, and equipped with built-in effects, the CUBE-10GX is perfect for beginning players or any guitarist looking for a small amp for practice, jamming, and recording. The CUBE-10GX also offers a unique sound customization feature, allowing users to swap out different COSM amp types with the free CUBE KIT app running on their smart phone or tablet.

The CUBE-10GX is equipped with 10 watts of power and a custom-designed 8-inch speaker. Roland’s superior CUBE construction standard provides sound quality and durability that far exceeds other amps in its class, with rigid cabinetry, heavy-duty corner protectors, and more.

CUBE KIT app is available for free download from App Store and Google Play

The CUBE KIT app gives users the ability to customize the CUBE-10GX’s sound in seconds by loading up to three different amp types, which can then be selected from the amp’s panel. CUBE KIT offers 10 different COSM amps to cover any style, from jazz to classic rock to high-gain metal. There are also amp types designed for bass and acoustic-electric guitar. Out of the box, the CUBE-10GX comes ready to play with three amp types from the app: Clean, Crunch, and Lead.

The CUBE-10GX also features Bass, Middle, and Treble controls and three high-quality effects. Chorus, delay, or reverb can be dialed up easily with a single intuitive knob, and the reverb section offers plate and retro spring variations for a wide range of sound.

Via the rear-panel Aux In jack, users can connect a music player or smart phone and jam with their favorite songs.

Plugging into the Rec Out/Phones jack mutes the onboard speaker and provides a direct output with COSM speaker modeling. This is ideal for quiet practice with headphones, and also for using the CUBE-10GX’s high-quality COSM tones for direct recording applications.

For more information, visit www.roland.co.in