I started watching and learning from youtube videos. I remember watching this video of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kaabra, Ustad Zakir Hussain of Raag Bihag, which got me inspired. Brought joy, interest, and enthusiasm.
1. Tell us more about your background and journey.
Belonging to a non-musical family, I am the first one to make a career in music. I started learning when I was in 9th class. I took admission in Gita Bhavan in Patna under Pt. Smarajit Mukherjee.
When I took admission I went with a goal to learn guitar but watching others play slide guitar got me interested and Guruji also mentioned I can play more instruments so I learned there for 2 years. My journey was slow and in phases. Then I moved to Bombay but kept learning and practicing under Guruji's guidance.
2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?
I started watching and learning from youtube videos. I remember watching this video of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kaabra, Ustad Zakir Hussain of Raag Bihag, which got me inspired. Brought joy, interest, and enthusiasm.
I started practicing from that video and surprisingly I could play. Took admission under the Music quota in B.Tech but after a year I dropped out and pursued BA in Journalism. It gave me more time to practice my music and follow my heart to present my music to people.
3. Who is your favorite artist and why?
In std. 8th I started listening to Md. Rafi Sahab and got me interested in music. Bought several old song series, CDs and started spending hours and hours listening to them.
Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra Ji - Father of Indian Slide Guitar is my inspiration. I admire his contribution to our industry and I have learned a lot from his recordings. Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji also inspires me a lot.
4. Can you throw some light on opportunities one gets as an instrumentalist?
An instrumentalist gets opportunities only when they socialize when they portray their instrument well. When someone approaches you, the first thing they want to see is your work. Nowadays when social media plays such an important role in every field, putting posts and promoting them really helps.
People from the music fraternity know you. An instrumentalist gets more opportunity than a singer as the singing community is overcrowded and there are thousands and lakhs waiting in the line but an instrumentalist can mold themselves with the melody.
5. Is format training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?
I would say training and talent are two different things yet they are intertwined with each other and complement each other. According to my talent lies in grasping things quickly and improvising over what you are taught. Talent is to present the same raag which has been played several of thousands of times and still leaves a mark of uniqueness.
Likewise, training is the other side of the coin, one must take good training to understand the nuances of any kind of music be it Indian or western. Training and talent go hand in hand. They are complimentary of each other and one can never substitute the other one.
6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future and aspiring artists?
Be authentic. Never stop learning, always remember, 'An investment in knowledge pays the best interest'. Staying focused and true to yourself makes a really big difference. To be unique and known in this or any field, you have to compromise to reach your goals and don't be afraid to do so.
Interviewed By - Khushi Garg
%20(1).jpg)
){kind=link}
0 Comments