A letter from “Studio Systems” reader Vijay Kumar Patnaik got me thinking about the enormous confusion experienced by most people wishing to enter the profession of music or any other art form in India. I meet numerous youngsters almost every day who want to make Music their career but have just no idea what to do as there is no clear cut path available, no job placements, no job interviews and no recognized colleges which could guarantee employment. Hopefully some of the tips offered in this article can help clear the fog and help in focusing these youngsters into achieving their goals. Also this article hopes to give the Music Business professional a better understanding of the background of musicians and a deeper understanding of Music itself. For Music is like a religion for all dedicated musicians.

The Awakening

The awakening of interest in Music emerges with most people during their teens, where it begins to progress from casual listening or dancing pleasure to a serious passion, where at times one will listen to the same songs a thousand times without getting fed up. My 11 year son Akshay listens to songs that he loves over and over again and nothing I do can make him change his mind. He knows these songs thoroughly, lyrics and music. Slight changes in expressions, notes and variations cannot escape his attention and he notices things in the music that no casual listener can ever hope to catch. It is this passion that differentiates the casual from the serious and this could develop into creating a long standing influence in his life. The existence of passion is the prime requisite qualification for those who wish to be a Musician as the Music profession involves a lot of hard work and has no place for the glamour struck. I can assure you though that the work is great fun for the true Music enthusiast. In fact one of the sure shot signs to know that this line is not for you is when you get tired of the work and look for diversions. I admit that the training can be tedious and repetitive but the results are obvious and rewarding. However it is once you know that your interest in Music is not cursory that the true struggle starts. It’s the time when you have decided that you want to make Music your career!

The Beginning

This period usually starts at the end of your teens and during college and when you begin to get involved with anything remotely connected with music. All religious festivals have numerous musical functions where the kids are involved in competitions and concerts. Churches and Ganpatti poojas have seen the start of many a world class musician! For college going kids it is the college festivals that are now become a great starting place. I was in a rock band during college days and did just about every college social in South Mumbai. It is during all these functions that you come in contact with professionals from the music field either as judges, chief guests, sound system professionals etc. The various clubs in town are also looking for cheap entertainment for their numerous functions and here is where the amateur musician gets a chance to practice his craft and polish his act. And of course the perennial New Year celebrations which sees a spurt in shows and where the demand for entertainers goes up threefold. Yours truly got his first break at one such New Year’s dance many moons back! All these opportunities have to be availed of as it is here that you get a chance to perform before people. After all it is the people who are the final judges and decide if you are good enough for them and determine your future. Throughout this period, every opportunity to listen to all kinds of music should be used, as every performance you see will add to your ability to create the magic of live performances. Also any opportunity to perform before people should not be missed, even if they are a handful, as no amount of practice time can substitute for performance time. In fact I would go as far as to say that one minute of performance time is equal to one hour of practice time. The instances of hours of practice going down the drain because you could not handle the pressure of live performance are too numerous to count. Of course this does not mean that you perform when you have not practiced enough. Reputation build over years of performance can go down the drain if you are under prepared. Also it is assumed that you are training for your particular music form with the best teacher in the field that you can afford. During this period you will be exposed to all the various complexities of your art and meet people who can help you in your search to get better. Take all the opportunities offered to you with no concern for economic gains, as this is period you will spend “investing” in yourself. Improve yourself to be the best possible and soon people will find you good enough to be paid. In fact the more you “invest” in yourself, the more your value will increase. And if you are really good, you can be sure that you could earn quite well! The combination of “as much as possible” listening, training and performing will serve as a solid foundation for your future as a music professional, especially when you get older and time becomes scarce as the responsibilities of adult life overtake you.

Professional

You have finally reached a point where you are getting paid for your musical efforts on the live front and you feel the need to move ahead. I have always stressed the importance of live performances before recording as only those that can pass the test of live performing can expect to be recorded. After all, recording means the freezing of your performance for eternity and you better be good enough for somebody to actually want to buy your performance and take it home. Recording also means that you are heard again and again and without any visual impact and distractions. It is here that your faults are totally exposed and you could fall flat on your face. This is the reason why it is always suggested that you do recordings of all your live performances. However great the audience reaction, you will sometimes be surprised with the “level” of your performance. Sometimes the audience may not be as discerning as you may want it to be and applaud a mediocre performance because they were influenced by some extraneous factors. However you will always have to be honest with yourself and judge yourself fairly so that you are never misled. Honest friends are very important at this stage and watch out for “chamchas” as they can cause havoc with your life.

Within a few years you will begin to know what your forte is. You may want to be a Musician or Arranger or Composer or even all them! All these are options are available to you so that you can specialize in the way music is created. Every category has something of the other in them and every musician is also a arranger and composer and vice versa. Only their focus is different and the level of competence varies.

Part 2 of this article continues with a description of the various roles that a musician can play within the Indian scenario.

Nandu Bhende : nandu@sudeepaudio.com
The author is one of the pioneers of Pop and Rock Music in India.