The Score Magazine June 2017 issue!

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 10 Issue 5 June 2017

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India's National Pan-Genre Music MagazinE

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STUDIO TOUR

NAKUL

HE GIVES US A COMPLETE SHOW DOWN ON HIS NEWLY CRAFTED STUDIO, WHAT WENT INTO SETTING IT UP, PRODUCTS USED AND A LOT MORE.

IN INDIA

LUCY ROSE ON THE COVER

SHE TALKS TO US ABOUT HER TOUR IN INDIA, UPCOMING PROJECTS, INSPIRATION, HER TAKE ON HOW TECHNOLOGY HELPS MUSIC AND MORE.

SRI VIKKU VINAYAKRAM

THE GHATAM MAESTRO SPOKE TO US ABOUT HIS JOURNEY SO FAR, HARDSHIPS FACED, A BRIEF HISTORY ON HIS LIFE AND HIS ADVICE TO UPCOMING PERCUSSIONISTS. ALSO INSIDE: MOZART LIVES NOW, POPULAR AD JINGLES AND MORE

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I NSIDE

SRI VIKKU VINAYAKRAM

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The ghatam maestro spoke to us about his journey so far, hardships faced, a brief history on his life and his advice to upcoming percussionists.

INTERVIEW WITH GAURAV BALANI 38

STUDIO TOUR

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A lot has been happening with Gaurav independently apart from his usual tours with heavy duty bands in the country. We tell you!

MOZART LIVES NOW 28 The big shots like Beethoven and Mozart and the zillions of genius make way for a musical learning that is above the notations and scores on a music sheet! Find out how.

POPULAR AD JINGLES

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Nakul gives us a complete show down on his newly crafted studio, what went into setting it up, products used and a lot more.

We give you a list of popular Ad jingles that we have grown up listening to.

IN INDIA: LUCY ROSE

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HARMAN LIVE ARENA 18 Find out what went down the Harman Live Arena this year and the artists that set the stage on fire.

POT-POURRI

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Renowned classical musician Ghatam Giridhar Udupa talks all about his journey with the humble pot.

Talks to us about her tour in India, upcoming projects, inspiration, her take on how technology helps music and more.

DIRECTOR'S NOTE Director, Strategy and Planning Ajay Prabhakar Director, Business Development Pragash VM Director, Marketing & Operations Sneha Ramesh Editorial Advisor Nikila Srinivasan Creative Director George Vedamanickam Creative Designer Manasi Doshi Content Contributors Aditi Sarawagi Shreya Bose Sriram Ravishankar Souvik Chakraborty Amogh Rao

Last month we saw Bieber Fever, the inexplicable mass disease that struck the shores of India. Bieber, probably relishing in his new-found hypnotic power of attracting undue adulation, decided to use that power to bring bizarre personal articles with him half way across the world. Examples of things Bieber brought include a ping pong table, a washing machine, and his refrigerator. The question that begs to be asked is: Did our Desi event organizers grovel in front of their western overlords to make their Dollar?

The numbers speak for themselves: 45000+ people gathered at the D Y Patil Stadium on the 12th of May braving the noon heat and humidity to catch a glimpse and hear the voice of their favorite pop-star. Only one part of that promise was fulfilled, however, while the real Bieber did show up, he could only manage to lip-sync his way through the concert. Poor Bieber looked visibly unmotivated, uninterested and unprepared. At Score, we have a theory: Bieber forgot to ask to bring a 250 V converter for his fridge and all his food went bad. Not being able to identify what is spoilt and what isn’t, he made a gastrointestinal mess of the concert.

Lessons to be learned? 1. Don’t bring uninterested international acts 2. Don’t give in to absurd demands of international acts 3. Give the Indian audience a bang for their buck 4. Support Indian artists: such international artists don’t need us and we certainly don’t need them.

PRAGASH VM

Director - Business Development

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contactus@highonscore.com +91 95000 12975 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.

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.

SNEHA RAMESH

SRI VIKKU VINAYAKRAM In this issue, we had the privilege to interview the ghatam vidwan of a high caliber, Sri Vikku Vinayakram who spoke to us about his musical journey, hardships faced, adapting to the current scene and his message to upcoming percussionists.

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Cover and Photos: Dwarakanathan Ravi

Can you talk about the future of Ghatam and Ghatam artists?

Ghatam used to be an instrument that struggled in the earlier days. It had to go through hardships to come to where it is now, in the main spot. Earlier, very few people had Ghatam and it wasn’t a main instrument. In that situation only I took this instrument. My dad wanted me to come to a position with the Ghatam like how Ravi Shankar Ji had with the Sitar. I fulfilled his wish.

I used to work at All India Radio. Many years of my career were with M.S Subbulakshmi. She is the person who opened the opportunity for Ghatam abroad. We played at the UN concert in 1966. I can never forget her! From the beginning, Ghatam was mainly supported by female artists. The kutcheri wouldn’t happen without Ghatam for artists like M.S Subbulakshmi, M. L Vasanthakumari, D.K Pattamal. In fact, only ladies made the instrument.

It used to be a side instrument. I got a big chance to play Ghatam with Shakti, that plays western Jazz music, during my stint at All India Radio. Ghatam replaced Mridhangam at that point. I left my radio job and was with them for few years.

My son, Selva Ganesh plays for Remember Shakti now.

I played for Planet Drum, an album by Mickey Hart, which also won a Grammy Award. I was the first person from South India to have won a Grammy. Seven countries drummers played together and that’s what won me this award.

Slowly, Ghatam came to the main spot over the years. I then realized that this should be showcased as a main instrument and be played as a fully fledged kutcheri. That’s how I started playing four together.

Right now, Ghatam is one of the most important instruments and there are a lot of solo artist performances. One of my female students Sukkanya Ramgopal, plays kirthana with Ghatam along with accompaniments.

The future of Ghatam looks very bright according to me!

How do you combine spirituality and music?

God is in music, according to me. Before a concert I always pray. I believe it’s like an exam and results come from the audience. In those couple of hours, we don’t think about anything else apart from the music itself. We dwell in the music and get submerged in it. Music helps bring rain, cure diseases and more.

I used to be very home sick during my travels abroad. I would simply play music and feel better.

Concert formats have changed a lot since the time you first started. How have you adapted to the change?

During earlier times, the concerts used to be for four hours.

It would start at about 4:30pm and go on till 8:30pm. The audience used to listen carefully. In fact, there never used to be mics.

There was no tape recorder or CD or mic, everything was done live. Ghatam never had a mic.

Now we can keep mics inside the Ghatam itself to be able to take videos. We can play concerts at home itself and don’t even need to go out to watch a concert.

Right now, there is so much development. Audiences these days are more focused on the food (Laughs) and this is more like an entertainment. Sincerity lacks in this generation and time unlike older times.

Vikku Vinayakram ji is the recipient of prestigious awards.

Some of the awards received by him include: Padma Bhushan in 2014 Padma Shri in 2002 Sangeet Natak Akademi award for Carnatic music in 1988.

There is so much opportunity now and young talents are given a chance to showcase their talent.

Earlier, very few students used to learn music in the form of a Gurukul if they did not show interest in studies. In the current scene, more people are interested to come forward and learn music. There are so many colleges for music and also learning through Skype, etc.

I am still not comfortable with internet for music. When someone asks me to teach via Skype, I say I’d rather come and teach in person. (Laughs)

You have collaborated with many artists from the North and also International. Tell us about your experience.

I started out playing for MS Subbulakshmi ji, then later Shakti Group and left there abruptly due to family issues.

Later, I started working with North Indian artists like Amjad Ali Khan, Shiv Kumar Sharma, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Zakir Hussain, Pandit Jasraj and many more since I played for the Western Jazz Music.

I would like to quote an instance here. I traveled with Hariprasad Chaurasia for a concert in Germany. We landed in Frankfurt and had to go to a place 3-4 hours away. At the airport, I wasn’t sure how to use the bag trolley and hence it went rolling down a slope and my Ghatam broke completely.

I was really upset and was clueless how I’d play the evening concert. Hari Ji asked me not to worry and to just speak Konnakol during the concert. I was still very upset without my Ghatam. The concert was in the late evening and we reached the place at 5pm. Hari ji was nice enough to tell me that they will go ahead with the concert for one and a half hours and I can just sit on the stage with the Konnakol. But with the grace of lord, I got super glue and some threads and somehow fixed it and played the concert. I just want to highlight Hari Ji’s beautiful gesture which we don’t usually experience down south unfortunately. Similarly, Zakir Hussain Ji has done a lot for me too.

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In the International scene, I have played with Planet Drum by Mickey Hart and we got Grammy Award for the same. I got the award to my place here in India as I was not able to go. It was a melody group with artists from seven different countries.

We did a tour for the same through different costs of America.

I would like to quote an incident here. When we reached the airport, I was caught and asked what the Ghatam was. I tried to explain in different ways but they did not understand. So I decided to play a small tune and they were extremely happy and thrilled to see how much sound a mere pot can make.

Usually, during all my concerts I wear a traditional south Indian attire called Panchakajam. I was a bit scared considering I’m in a far away land and hence I prayed to the lord and left it to him. The head of the band made it clear to everyone that each person can wear the traditional and popular outfit from their country and also told others that nobody must wear their shoes and come next to me as a token of respect to what I was wearing. The concert was fun and a grand success.

Apart from Music, what are your interests?

For me, music is everything! Within music itself, I come up with different concepts. Now I’m working on something new like playing slokams. By doing this, if I have the thalam ready, I can single handedly doing a entire concert with just a couple of accompaniments.

My grandson, Swaminathan will say the slokam and I will play it.

Your advice to the future percussionists Music is a very blessed talent which not everyone would get easily.

There were such great musicians like Mandolin Srinivasan, MS Subbulakshmi and others, who though are no longer present, their music is remembered and listened to. It will never be wiped out! For instance, lord Mahalakshmi will come and go away whereas lord Saraswathi won’t come easily but once she has come, will never leave you. So if you have the talent, you must make the best use of it and never let it go! You need to have an aim and work hard towards giving it your best. Only failures make you go up!

What are your future projects?

Currently, I am working on the Bhajan Namasankeerthanam in Ghattam. I am also working on a project with Salem Ravi where he tells the story of Kanchipuram mahaan’s Mahimai and I will play the slokam. Having played everything else, including fusion and western, I want to now play something spiritual.

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A BRIEF HISTORY ON THE LEGENDARY PERCUSSIONIST Vikku ji’s exceedingly long and successful chosen field spanning about sixty-one years proves that he is a one-of-akind artist.

In the year 1955, his father Sri Harihara Sharma introduced Vikku ji to Ghatam as there were too many mrigangists around at that time and scope to make a decent living was not easy considering the family’s financial status. This transformation for Vikku ji from mridangam to ghatam was not only for him but also for the instrument itself.

He was made to get up at 4AM every morning and was given water in which the previous day’s rice was soaked after which he was made to go to the prayer room after which the father used to close the door from outside. Vikku ji would have to practice one particular set of beats till the lamp died down for want of oil. This had taken about four hours too many a time. Sharma imparted on his son the beat calculation. Since the basics were laid by his father, he was able to imbibe the nuances of playing the ghatam easily. Moreover, he was used to only hearing beats since his childhood.

In March 1955, he played his first concert at Dhakshinamoorthy temple, Chennai for which the honorarium was Rs. 1. Due to persistent poverty, the family was forced to look into Cinema as well. At that time, Gantasala, Chalapathirao and Raheswararao were some of the music directors who were ruling. Vikku ji was in demand as ghatam was indispensable instrument as it’s sound heightened the total outcome of the song. He also performed with the music troupe of MK Thiyagharaja Bagavathar.

During those times, it was believed that the metallic sound of the ghatam was more suited for female voices than male voices. Sulamangalam sisters, P. Leela, U.R Jeevarathnam, T. V Ratnam, to name a few, offered Vikku ji chances in their carnatic and light music concerts. He later became a permanent artist in the concerts of M.L Vasanathakumari, Radha Jayalakshmi, K.B Sundrambal and later D.K Pattamal.

Since his dad believed that his career would go up the notch if he played for male singers, through his close friend Sattur Subramaniam Iyer and also violin maestro Sri T.N Krishnan, got him maximum chances.

Vikku ji was also in the troupe involving Lalgudi and Umayalpuram organized by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. They toured Eastern Bloc Countries like Russia, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Poland. In fact, they also organized a program called ‘Layavinyasam’ to popularize ghatam in rural areas of India.

In the year 1966, he performed his first American UN concert tour which was attended by the representatives of all the countries and was arranged by Sri C.V Narasimhan. He accompanied the nightingale of India M.S Subbulakshmi and Sri T.K Muthy on the mridangam. He has also taught Ghatam at Berkley Center of World Music.

Later, his career was enhanced where he performed with renowned artists like L Shankar(Violin), Zakir Hussain(Tabla), Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivakumar Sharma, Briju Maharaj, Sultan Khan and Pandit Durgalal and they took the world by storm.

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Bose Professional at Palm Expo 2017 Bose Professional had an impressive display at PALM Expo this year and showcased their entire Pro Audio range at the show.

While they launched the latest ControlSpace Ex Conferencing solutions at the show, the Bose team also showcased their new DeltaQ ShowMatch array loudspeakers at the Demo Qube.

The ControlSpace EX system includes the new ControlSpace EX-1280C conferencing signal processor and three new Dante™based ControlSpace under-table endpoints (EX-4ML, EX-8ML and EX-UH). Focused on creating one audio conferencing DSP that includes everything an integrator might need – Dante, USB, VoIP, PSTN and analog audio – all in a single 1RU box.

This addresses the growing need to reduce wiring, locate equipment remotely, and address retrofit applications. Bose under-table endpoints are microphone-agnostic and use PoE and Dante to provide a ‘one cable from the table’ microphone and BYOD ATC solution.

The ShowMatch Demo included a 30 minutes session with the first 15 minutes dedicated to technology explanation of the complete features, making of the product and DeltaQ technology which these next generation array loudspeakers are based on.

The array set up consisted of 5 full range modules on each side and 8 numbers of single 18” subwoofers were arranged in a cardioid manner.

The last 15 minutes were kept for audio demonstration for the audience which was very well received. The people were made to listen to female and Male vocals separately to demonstrate the vocal clarity of this new array system. Some fast numbers and high SPL tracks were played in the end to demonstrate the powerful performance of the 18” Bose subwoofers.

There are two key elements of differentiation for ShowMatch DeltaQ: sound quality and flexibility. With respect to sound quality, the area where it differentiates is the vocal clarity that the product provides. Historically, many loudspeakers have a crossover in the vocal region, which degrades vocal clarity.

What ShowMatch accomplished is keeping that crossover point outside the vocal region, which significantly improves vocal clarity. Another big differentiator in sound quality is the ability to custom shape the array so that it provides seamless coverage throughout the audience listening area. Finally, the output that we get out of ShowMatch is another unique sound quality element. We have two proprietary transducers and compression drivers that are not off-the-shelf transducers, but were designed

by Bose engineers. The ShowMatch transducers provide amazing outputs, perhaps not seen from other products in its class.

The one single component most responsible for ShowMatch’s vocal clarity is the DeltaQ technology, which enables adjustment of the array directivity to best meet the needs of the application.

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Sennheiser Top 50 is back in search for India’s best bands!

20 lac worth of prizes that will keep you wanting more!

Sennheiser announced its third edition of Sennheiser Top 50-a battle of Indian bands to compete and make their way to the coveted list of Top 50 best bands in India. Making it bigger and better, Sennheiser Top 50 season 3 will hold on ground battle amongst 4 zones, North- Delhi, South- Bangalore, East- Shilong and West- Pune. Sennheiser is further raising the stakes this year with the most credible jury in the music fraternity, 2-year endorsement

by Sennheiser which will give them access to gear by being the face of the brand for the next year and prizes worth 20 lakhs! The jury this year constitutes of the stalwarts of the music industry – Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Raghu Dixit and Papon. The registration period for the most coveted trophy has begun and goes on till 1st July 2017.

The winning band will also take home a Trophy which will be witnessed via a grand finale in Mumbai where top 4 bands (winners of the zonal finales) will battle it out to be number 1.

Registrations will be on till 1st July post which the top 100 shortlist will be announced on 12th July basis selection by both internal as well as external jury from the entries submitted. The next phase will involve voting within zones to choose top 3 bands from each zone, who will then battle out at regional finales to get into top 4 as well as revealing ranks from 5 to 50 basis 70% jury decision and 30% public voting. The winners of each zone will be announced followed by a grand finale in Mumbai where the top 4 bands will battle out in front of the jury to become number 1.

Bands can register on http://sennheiser-top50.com/ PAPON

RAGHU DIXIT

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SHANKAR EHSAAN LOY

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PRAGASH VM

Mr. Prashant Govindan, Sr. Director India and Sri Lanka from Harman Professional spoke to us about how he sees the future of Harman, his thoughts of Palm Expo, Harman Live Arena, and much more in an exciting interview!

How do you see the company changing in the next two years?

Harman is in for very exciting times and especially Harman Professional as we now have a huge culmination of technologies.

Earlier, we were only a sound company and then we went and got into lighting.

Everybody told us that all we needed to complete the circle was to buy a video company. It turned out that the video company bought us (laughs). So, one way or the other the equation was fulfilled. Samsung having bought over Harman, we now have a full offering in the professional segment. We can go from a microphone to a loudspeaker and everything in between in terms of signal processing, amplification, peripheral technologies, control, lighting and display.

Give us one word that describes Harman the best Actually two words: Expect Brilliance!

Tell us about the products launches at Palm Expo 2017 We have got products hitting the high and low scale this year. On the high scale, we

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have the VTX A12 which is top of the line touring grade line arrays, studio grade quality and meant to fulfill all international tech riders. It has got neutral sounding tone and fits into all markets. We are showcasing this product at the Harman Live Arena this year and we have a whole range of artists from Rock, Pop, Reggae, Fusion, Folk, and lots more. We want to convey to our audience that you can play any genre of music on these and it would sound just as great.

On the other end of the spectrum, we have the Eon One Pro, which is ultra portable, runs off a six hour battery, has a 4 channel mixer built into it, Bluetooth control, streaming. It is like a JBL flip on steroids (laughs). We have covered both ends of the spectrum and also a whole range of products in between.

Your views on Palm Expo and how does it add value to Harman?

Personally, I have been a part of Palm Expo for the past 10 years now! When Diversified Communications ran it back in the day out of the Nehru Centre and I remember there were very few booths and a whole bunch of confused visitors. Now, the booth count has grown and it rivals some of the international shows. It has definitely come a long way! After ABEC took over the Palm Show, I think they have added some good inputs to it and made sure it reaches the right audience and have brought in the right kind of customer base. They have supported us a lot and helped us put in together the Harman Live Arena. This is highly curated content with very specialist platform showcasing the best of technology. They have been kind to lend us space to do that and we have made it happen!

People come for the trade show and some live music experience!

I personally think, this is the culmination of experiential marketing. One is where you show the products and second is showcasing them in the right space. That’s how marketing succeeds!

What do you attribute Harman’s success to?

Harman’s success is definitely because of the People associated with it, which in my opinion is the first P in the 4 P’s of Marketing. I joined this company 5 years ago; incidentally, this happens to be my 5th year. I have never lasted in any company for more than three years.

I must say that Harman has kept me very occupied. I always surrounded myself with people who were better than me. One aspect is the talent portion in the company.

The other is the community we build around it which includes colleagues, customers, partners and channels who help build the Harman Ecosystem. Harman is not just a company, it is an idea and we require everyone in the ecosystem to make it successful.

What is the biggest challenge for Harman?

Our biggest challenge, in my opinion, would be Complacency! We cannot sit back and say we are the best and if we do that, it would be the beginning of our downfall.

best and keep improving and growing and become lean in terms of costs.

Harman Live Arena has been growing. What’s your vision for it?

This project started seven years ago at Palm Expo. We wanted to just showcase our products with the right environment and best possible talents. That thought has come full circle right now across all genres. We have started another property called Harman DJ Arena for budding DJs.

The thought of Live Arena remains central. We want to take this platform to different geographies and in different formats. For instance, Harman Live Studio in an intimate setting with fewer musicians like with an RnB artist, singer-songwriter etc. We will take that to different venues and curate that content too. The central concept would remain the same.

We did something interesting last year where took the Harman Live Arena to the Big 69 metal festival.

We branded it as the Harman Live Arena at the Big 69 Festival! It was a huge success. WE want to do it with Bollywood, Sufi, Folk etc too!

Are there any big associations this year?

We are in talks with Jonita Gandhi to get her on board as an endorsee. Kabir Café was recently added to our endorsee list. We are talking to Ska Vengers as well.

Tell us about your association with Endorsee.

Ours is not a formalized endorsee program. It is more of a friendship agreement and that is the way the artists like it. We don’t force them to do anything. We help them in terms of equipment, gear, space and financial assistance if needed.

For instance, we helped Kabir Café with studio space using our contacts and also provided them with some equipment to record.

We do a lot of support activities outside of our contract too! Our idea is to help artists grow, when they do, they will take our brand with them and thus bringing out more artists out there.

People love to get associated with us! It is tough for us to refuse some associations but hopefully we will tie up with them soon!

What do you think about The Score Magazine?

You guys came into the space when everything thought it was jaded! You have transformed music reporting. One thing I absolutely love about the magazine is that, you can read the magazine end to end in one sitting without getting bored! I am happy that you stood up to the true spirit of journalism and reported well with good research. You also featured artists who definitely deserved to be featured on covers.

In short, you have done a great job and hence we love to be associated with your magazine!

The other thing would be Technology and changing mindsets. The best way to deal with it would be to do our

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Apollo Twin MkII,

Next-Generation Audio Conversion Based on breakthrough integration between Apollo’s digitally controlled analog inputs and its onboard UAD processing, Unison lets Apollo Twin MkII owners track through a range of colourful preamp emulations from Neve®, API®, Fender® and more with amazing accuracy.

Apollo Twin MkII also offers improved monitor functionality versus the original Apollo Twin — with Mute, DIM, Mono, and ALT speaker switching. It also includes monitor remote controls and a built-in talkback mic for easy communication with talent, or for recording slate cues. These features, combined with Apollo Twin MkII’s scalability, make it the new standard for professional desktop recording. Apollo Twin MkII comes with Universal Audio’s "Realtime Analog Classics" UAD plug-in bundle, featuring legacy editions of the LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, 1176LN Limiting Amplifier, and Pultec EQP-1A Program Equalizer, as well as the 610-BTube Preamp & EQ plug-in, and Softube Amp Room Essentials.

• Unison™ technology offers stunning models of classic tube and transformer-based preamps, guitar amps, and stompboxes

Key Features:

• Up to 8 channels of additional digital input via Optical TOSLINK connection

• Desktop 2x6 Thunderbolt audio interface for Mac and Windows with next-generation 24-bit/192 kHz audio conversion • Available UAD-2 QUAD, DUO, or SOLO Core Processing for tracking through vintage compressors, EQs, tape machines, mic preamps, and guitar amp plug-ins with near-zero latency*

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• Built-in talkback mic for communication with studio talent and recording slate cues • Improved monitor functionality including monitor remote functions and Mono, Mute, DIM, and ALT monitor controls • 2 premium Unison mic/line preamps; 2 line outputs; frontpanel Hi-Z instrument input and headphone output • 2 digitally controlled analog monitor outputs for full resolution at all listening levels

• Includes Realtime Analog Classics UAD plug-in bundle, featuring Legacy versions of the LA-2A Classic Audio Leveler, 1176LN Limiting Amplifier, and Pultec EQP-1A Program Equalizer, plus Softube Amp Room Essentials, Raw, Distortion, 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ, and more • Runs UAD Powered Plug-Ins via VST, Audio Units, RTAS, & AAX 64 in all major DAWs

©2017 Universal Audio, Inc. All rights reserved. Product features, specifications, pricing, and availability are subject to change without notice. The “Universal Audio” name, UA “diamond” logo, “Apollo,” “Apollo Twin,” “UAD,” “Powered Plug-Ins,” and “UAD-2 Powered Plug-Ins” are trademarks of Universal Audio Inc. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

Born to make records.

Next-generation Apollo A/D conversion

Available UAD-2 QUAD Core processing for realtime UAD plug-ins

Dual Unison™ mic preamps with genuine emulations from Neve,® Manley,® API® & UA

Thunderbolt scalability up to 64 channels

Built-in Talkback mic

Meet the new Apollo Twin.

A sleek, powerful record-making machine with a studio full of genuine analog sounds.

uaudio.com/twin2

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Steps for setting up a Recording Studio at home.

These are 10 basic steps for beginners to set up a home or bedroom studio. Contact us if you need more details. We will get you all the help you need to set your home studio.

1. Selecting your Computer (Mac or PC) The first thing to buy when trying to set up your recording Studio is a good Computer. This might be your major expense, whether it is a Mac or a PC. In my personal opinion, I highly recommend a Macbook Pro for its compact in size, portability, and functionality.

2. Choosing your Audio interface: It is always better to first decide what you are going to do and how many inputs you require to record. If it is just Vocals and guitars, an ideal two channel interface with a Mic and a DI input is more than enough to start with.If you want to go for tracking an entire band or drums, get an eight channel Mic Pre interface for your computer.

3. Treatment of your room: Before you start recording, try to place your mattress and pillows in the corner of the rooms to cut the room reflections. If you can afford to do an acoustic treatment, then please do opt for that before you start recording.

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4. Choice of Mic: If you want to record great vocals, the most affordable ones are RODE NT1, Shure SM 58, Shure SM7B, SE Electronics SE-x1. These will get you a great result when you are recording at your bedroom studio. Tip: Try not to place the Mic in the corner of the room to avoid.

5. What Cables do you need?

Cables are very important and it plays an important role in getting great signals. Get good XLR mic cables, TS for Electric Guitar or Electric bass instruments, a pair of TRS cables for line input for Keyboards live recording session.

6. Good Studio Monitors Great sound is achieved through hearing your final mixes from your studio monitors. You can get a good and an affordable pair of Studio monitors like Yamaha HS5 / KRK Rokit or Genelec if you can!

7. Headphones for Home Studio: In a home studio setup, your recording (Tracking) and Control (Machine) are both assembled in the same room. During recording, you need Mute your monitors and start your session in order to prevent feedback from the monitors. Get a Closed Pack headphones like the Sennheiser HD 280Pro or Sony MDR7506.

8. Microphone Stands: Get a good Mic stand which can hold it firmly to capture great sound. Try to get full boom Mic stands for Vocals.

9. Pop Filter This is one of the most important tools in your studio. When you sing in your mic, it captures everything you record including your air blows like ‘P’ and ‘B’ which we call Plosives. This can be very annoying. Get a pop filter with a single screen or Double screen to prevent this from happening.

10. Learn to Hear Good Sound: This is one of the most core areas in getting the required sound. You should train your ears to understand the fundamental frequencies and the frequency range of your recorded material. You need to have a proper understanding of your Monitors, headphones and how they translate to you. You don't need an expensive set up to do all this.

Author: L. Baba Prasad. He is the Owner and Chief Sound/Mix & Mastering Engineer at Digi Sound Studio. He also teaches Sound Engineering & Music Production courses. For more details visit: www.digisoundstudio.com / www. digisoundacademy.com

SOUVIK CHAKRABORT Y

Healing on a Good Note!

The first music that a human listens to is the heartbeat and body rhythms of the mother from inside the womb.

On the contrary, cacophonies of our days give way to more stress, than our collective workloads in all. We have gone through the rustles and bustles of too many odd tunes that hurt the eardrums. Imagine the aura of judiciously using this affect to the boon of mankind. In fact, music can be used as a great medicine for the mind, soul and body.

International medical councils and research laboratories have found out a ton of information on the benevolence of music.

Music helps greatly in ailing and boosting up autonomic nervous systems of the human body. A good track could largely increase your blood flow and make your cell regeneration faster and lift your soul to almost a state of the elixir of life. The well being of the physical and mental health is ensured by the release of the dopamines and other pleasure hormones which gives a way to relieve one of his psychological stress and anxieties too.

A research was conducted in Austria which incorporated a control group of patients and the other group was given a visual and music therapy only and that resulted in a remarkable relief in back pain and lower body discomforts in a series of patients. This is largely because when somebody listens to music, the relaxed breathing system

facilitates a transpiring experience that leads to a flushed out system from toxins and viruses.

The human brain picks up memory and music on almost two simultaneously placed sectors of the brain. This grossly means that the brain interprets the music better rather than the words. Thus, the people with amnesia can largely be treated with music therapy alone.

Patients in a research were found to be doing better with taped music rather than the control group who had only been exposed to normal conditions without music.

Music releases endorphins like many other triggers in our brains that create a chemical warfare between the yin and the yang within our system. A professor in Virginia found out that the cyclists who had listened to music while cycling on road have covered 11 per cent more than the ones which did not get to listen to any music.

The human brain thrives on repetitive wave forms and thus the addiction to music has come such a long way in the history of civilization of mankind.

Humans have learnt to lull young babies going to sleep or stare away wild animals around a bonfire all through music. The fetishistic clinging to the right kind of music has left many nationalistic leaders to use anthems and ritualistic patriotic tunes to instill the passion for fighting for the country in the hearts of the countrymen.

The long term relationship of music with the striatal dopaminergic system has led to many theorems of facts and fictions. But, the truth is that our mind needs an embalming melody and that rhythm could be classical, rock, pop or whatever the mind is hungry for. Studies have found that a group consisting of different age groups has been reacting same, with an increased level of efficiency after a session of classical house music. The same could be true for a household listening to a different genre too.

The neurosciences of music is so fascinating that music can practically alter our rates for memory, attention, movement and our autonomous nervous system in general. So, that means one can practically sedate and live up to the brimming life with just by the virtues of his musical taste.

But, if music was such a big surprise for the medical sciences; why was it not cultivated to the level and scale that it should have been. Is music a placebo, then? But, then how could so many researches lie all at the same time. How could you de stress at an EDM concert after a long week at work? There is something happening some where deep inside our core. And, that spiritual experience is the purity that our life searches in all things float in the thin air, perhaps, it may be just coincidence that we call it "music".

Thus, Nietzsche had rightly pointed out long back - "Without music, life would be a mistake�

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Keyboard

– The Beginners Guide Learning to play the Keyboard is one of the most relaxing activities which enhance one’s musical knowledge and performance. Given the huge number of brands and models available in the market, it is imperative to have a clear understanding of each aspect and choose the right one which would suit your style of playing.

To make things simpler, let us split the process into 5 steps: 1. Common features in any keyboard 2. Knowing your purpose 3. Types of Keyboard 4. The Go-To type for beginners 5. The big decision

Common features to keep in mind when buying a Keyboard:

• Dual / Multi Voice feature: A more technical term for the above feature would be “Multitimbrality” which is the ability of a keyboard to play two or more different sounds at once. The “different” is highlighted to emphasize that multitimbrality and polyphony are two different features and are not to be confused with each other.

• Touch Sensitivity: • Number of Keys: There are numerous keyboards with a varying number of keys ranging from as low as 13 to as high as 88 just like an acoustic piano. Choosing the correct number of keys depends on many factors like space restrictions, cost and the genre(s) of music that you will be playing. If you are a beginner and learning music from scratch, the recommendation would be to go for a 61 Key Instrument or higher.

• Polyphony :

Also called “velocity sensitivity”, this feature enables the ability of a keyboard to sense the force with which a key is pressed and produce a sound or a signal accordingly. Most of the beginners level keyboard comes along with this feature while some of them even have the option to select from various “levels” of sensitivity. Is this feature useful? A definite yes.

Having this feature helps you convey the mood of a particular melody in a better way which in turn enhances your overall performance. Is this feature necessary? The answer to this question completely depends on the purpose for which you want to buy the Instrument, which is discussed in the next section.

Polyphony is the number of sounds that a Keyboard can generate at a time. Watch out for this feature as this decides the extent of instrumental arrangement that a keyboard is capable of. One should understand that polyphonic capacity doesn’t necessarily mean the ability to “play ‘n’ number of notes” at a time.

To understand this, let us take a simple example of the “sustain” effect. The sustain effect simply prolongs the sound of a note that is played, for a particular amount of time that can be customized (say 5 seconds for instance). Consider you are playing the strings section of a keyboard with the sustain effect switched on. When you play a 5 three fingered chords continuously within 3 seconds, the first chord that you played still has 2 seconds left to decay (We considered the sustain effect to last for 5 seconds), which means the keyboard is already generating 15 “sounds” by the 3rd second and you are hearing a thick built up sound. The number 15 is only going to increase. Once the polyphonic limit is reached, the sounds get randomly chopped off and you wouldn’t be able to hear all the notes that you play which in turn leads to a thinner sound.

Therefore, polyphony is a very important aspect of a keyboard.Anywhere between 32-64 is a good number for a beginner.

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• Weighted / Semi-Weighted / Non-Weighted Keys: Weighted keys are recommended for learners pursuing Piano or those who are already Pianists and planning to learn the keyboard. The keys require you to press them with a bit more force than the nonweighted keys, but they come back up faster on their own. Hammer action adds value to the weighted keys providing the true feel of a piano.

Weighted keys imply more weight to the full keyboard making it comparatively costlier and less portable.

For the beginner, weighted keys are not compulsory and do not adversely affect one’s performance.

However opting for one will give you an advantage when you later move to learning a Piano.

• Controllers : The flexibility or ease of access to a keyboard depends on the types and number of controllers present in it. Some of the common controllers are “pitch bend” wheel, “modulation” wheel, Sliders/ Faders. Some of the Yamaha Portable Keyboards and Workstations like the I-455 a PSR-S970 com along with two multi-functionality knobs that can be used to control parameters like Resonance, Cutoff, Reverb, Attack, etc., which are a welcome value addition.

• Registers : Another feature for the live performers to watch out for is the number of registers available. A register is where your performance related data such as Instrument settings, style, harmonies, split voices get stored so that you can retrieve them with one click rather than setting it up all over again. It is necessary for a beginner to go for a keyboard with at least 2 registers while 4 will be the recommended number.

• Connectivity / MIDI Compatiblity&Storage : If you want to access virtual instruments on your computer through your keyboard, a proper connectivity feature is quintessential. Some of the common connectivity methods are MIDI, USB, S/PDIF, Interface, etc.

The next aspect of connectivity deals with the I/O (Input – Output) section of the keyboard. If you want your musical ideas to immediately translate to the next level and get a rough sample of the full song done with the singers within a matter of hours, then you may have to check the audio ins/outs of your keyboard. This helps save time and cost of buying a dedicated interface.

MIDI Compatibility is a default feature in almost all the keyboards that arrive now and is something that has become a necessity with the ever rising number of virtual instruments and similar technical advancements.

• Sequencing : This is one of the most common features in any type of keyboard. The Sequencer lets a player record his/ her own performance as MIDI Data and play it back as programmed by the user. The number of channels or tracks that a sequencer can accommodate varies from keyboard to keyboard. It is usually between 3-5 on beginner level keyboards. If you think you are more of a creator than a performer, then this feature is something that you may want to look into.

While there are many more innovative features that have arrived in many of the present day keyboards, the aforementioned common features have been the basis of development and are important to get an understanding of core aspects of any keyboard.

The other steps shall be discussed in the subsequent editions.

Author: S.S. Sriram.

He is the Founder, Chief Instructor for Keyboard, and Sound Engineer at Sahanas - Live the Dream.

Sahanas is an enterprise that primarily aims at providing high-quality Music training and Media Services both online and offline. S.S. Sriram also conducts customized Music Production courses under the same banner. For more details visit www.sahanas.com

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Nakul gives a complete tour of his recently built studio and the equipment used and how he organizes and plans out his work Studios are basically split into three types- Recording, Mixing and Mastering and are built to serve these very purposes.

However, with the rise of electronic music and bedroom producers, the three are often combined into one multipurpose unit run by one artist who is not only the producer but the recording engineer, the mixing engineer and often even the mastering engineer. I too am an Electronic Music Producer and DJ and have purpose built my studio around the production and mixing of the more underground side of house and techno music.

Studios can be further broken down into ITB (In the Box), OTB (Out of the Box) and Hybrid (ITB+OTB) which get this nomenclature based on their workflow and signal path. My studio is a Hybrid, which means I use both ITB (Computer/ DAW based) and outboard gear processing/production. I wish I could have it all OTB but that would have meant my parents throwing me out of my house, probably with a bowl in my hand to beg for some money.

Talking about the complete equipment and software list, let’s get on with the outboard gear first. I currently use a Universal Audio Apollo 8 Quad Interface patched up via ADAT to a PreSonus DP88 which helps me expand the I/O’s of the Apollo and enables me to connect all my synths, drum machines, processing units and future outboard gear to the Apollo 8 which otherwise has only 8 line in’s. I do not use the DP88 for it’s pre-amps. Instead I just use it as an expander for my audio interface. I then have an EQP-WA Tube Equaliser and a WA76 solid-state compressor/limiter which are the Warm Audio clones of the legendary Pultec EQ’s and the UREI 1176 respectively. These go on every single track that I make, provided the channel I am using it on is mono (usually kick, snare, bass, lead vocals, parallel crushing etc.). Since they

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are single channel units, they can only process in stereo if used in pairs but I do not have pairs of each at the moment so I do only mono processing on them. Moving further, I have an Audient ASP800 which I use only for it’s HMX and Iron saturation effects usually on kicks and snares and sometimes on synths. The final glue point for my mix downs is my most prized possession – The NEVE 5059 Summing Mixer. After finalizing a surgical mix-down in my DAW using UAD and Waves plug-ins, I can pass up to 16 channels/stems into the 5059 and back into the DAW to the print the final mix, which then goes for mastering. I do not master any of my productions.

In terms of equipment that actually produces the sounds that I use for my productions, I have an NI Maschine, Roland TR606, Roland TR8 and Arturia DrumBrute as my drum machines.

My small collection of analog and digital synths includes a Moog Mother 32, Dopefer Dark Energy 2, Arturia MicroBrute, Roland TB3, Roland JP-08, Roland RS-09, Novation BassStation 2 and the Novation X-Station. I also have a few pedals like the RAT Distortion, TC Helicon Hall of Fame, MXR Carbon Copy etc. which I use to add effects and flavor as per the mood. A bit obvious but I also use a DBX Patchbay to connect all this gear to each other and also to the DAW. Moving on to acoustics, I use a pair of Genelec 1032A Monitors for producing and mixing and a pair of Yamaha HS80’s for listening to records via my turntables. The Genelec’s are connected directly to the monitor outs of the Apollo 8 and the Yamaha’s to the out’s of my DJ mixer. The room is acoustically treated but not isolated as I do not record any live instruments or vocals. The acoustic treatment consists of a mix of glass wool absorption panels, bass traps and wooden diffuser panels. This was the only thing in the Studio which

was handed out to an expert to design and implement. If you come back to me after 5 years, I’ll hopefully have a lot more to write about gear but I guess this is all I have for now.

How I organize, plan, and prioritize my work.

This can be best described in a few essential steps that I follow:

1. Clean and Organised Workplace: Before I sit on my desk

I make sure there is no dust and cluttered bullshit lying around. You need to have a connection between yourself and your canvas, which is your DAW or gear. Unnecessary clutter around you interferes with this connection.

2. The Vibe: I always try to create a vibe that helps me stick to my desk for hours and hours. I’ve make sure to have some greenery, mood lighting, paintings, air fresheners or anything that sets the mood. Water, beverages and munchies are a must to be stocked up. You can’t be leaving your desk every half an hour to get water, get some air or food.

3. Pen, Paper, Timer: It’s essential to make notes of things to do for a particular production or a mix down. It’s even more important to define a timeline for completion of each task.

Hence – pen, paper, timer.

4. Templates: After a fair bit of experimentation, one can easily figure out his or her flow of work and the processing involved. You get used to your gear or plugins. You know what works on a kick and what works on a vocal. 90% of the times you will end up using the same plugins or processing on most of your individual channels. Therefore, if you already have a template with all these things already taken care of, it saves you time and your productions sound better from the start. I use a ‘production template’ and a ‘mix template’.

My production template has pre-assigned channels with inputs and return tracks from all my outboard gear. My mix template is divided into multiple stems like kick, bass, snare, overheads, room, drums bus, bass, pianos etc. and already has all the necessary processing on it which I just have to tweak a little as per the track. Of course it also has readymade inputs and outputs to the 5059 for summing.

5. Referencing: No matter how good your room is, referencing is a must for me. I always reference from the point I start production to the point I finish a mix down. It’s very easy to get lost in a kick and bass loop for hours thinking it’s sounding good but when it’s heard with a similar sounding hit record, it sounds like garbage. Hence, I reference from the very start until and unless I’m making something very similar to records I have already produced.

Turntables

PatchBay Apollo ASP800 DP88

NEVE5059

Full Studio

Pedals

Genelec Monitors

Cockpit

MOOG+Doepfer

Drum Machines The

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SOUVIK CHAKRABORT Y

Legends have inspired emulations and thesis on how to make better choices and decisions to make the best uses of the chances in hand. But what we lack essentially in our approach, is : our 'perspective'.

The fundamental problem in believing a legend to be a prodigal talent or an enigmatic ascetic takes us far from the man himself. We don't see the blood stains and the scratches and the twisted tales behind the man himself. A musician need not be a vagabond and disruptive person Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart enthralled generations with his ingenuity and raw talent. But what else can an ordinary musician learn from the ecstatic extraordinaire. It is pretty simple and familiar how a little more could mean so much to one's faculty.

Die many times before you survive the mockery- Though a depressing thought. Remember, no matter however original your scores are they are just unfolded chits of paper from some trash can. Mozart never stopped re inventing lest he becomes a show piece. He had tried his luck at getting flogged and ripped apart with criticism to the point of ghostwriting, but he has not ever given up on hanging up his boots thinking the world cannot afford another harmony.

More interesting is the fact, that as a musician you can be a great liar. You could sell off music calling them your midnight summer dream visions. And, Mozart was in a real catch to play the sleight of hand, but instead he took up sand, and water to burn them into bricks of his foundation; which scholars would dissect on an altar for ages to come.

Can't get enough- miseries had a listless enamour on the life of the master himself. And you thought your piano sucked out passion out of you? Mozart had seen it all from child loss, tumultuous relationships, death and sickness. But Mozart

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did not get snatched for so cheap from the world of music. His music could almost uphold an analogy of a mother nourishing a foetus with her placenta.

Practise like there is no tomorrow- It does not matter if you are starting at the bottom or silver spooned at an younger age. Mozart started at an age when we got tired too soon completing our school lessons. If you love your strings let it strum like your fingers are the wind. The more one practices, the more profound he sounds as a musician, for the music seeps down the soil of the surface tensions of low bred feelings and emotions. The more you play the more you unpeel the layers of a piece and eventually there is more heard than sung, you know your music has served its purpose of being the soul connection between the tune and the tuner.

Don't rest until your creative enzymes have not digested the creation to the core. A genius mind builds his castle when the world cannot see it being made. Mozart woke up early in the morning and delivered the best, what's your clarion call for the unshackling the rust on your juices. Wake up like it's birthday and go to sleep believing your ear cells might disbelieve that there is a thing called music in this world.

Genius minds had already been pillars of wonder for us. We have revered and looked up in amaze on the statues of the past, but never for once have we scratched the rock to get the dust under our nails. The big shots like Beethoven and Mozart and the zillions of genius make way for a musical learning that is above the notations and scores on a music sheet!

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BEYERDYNAMIC

HISTORY OF THE STUDIO LEGENDS Founded in 1924, as "Elektrotechnische Fabrik Eugen Beyer" in Berlin, the company has radically influenced and promoted audio recording and sound reproduction. Products like the first dynamic headphones DT 48 (1937), the first studio-grade dynamic microphone M 19 (1939) or the tour guide system for museums and factory tours which was presented by beyerdynamic for the first time in 1974 were milestones in this field.

But they are just three examples of the many innovations that have made beyerdynamic a leading audio specialist over the years.

Countless musicians, sound engineers, conference participants, interpreters and hi-fi fans have come into contact with beyerdynamic products over the years – either consciously or not, at work or in their leisure time. For the company, they all belong to "Generation Audio", a family of sound enthusiasts and passionate users.

For experienced sound professionals, the beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro is an old friend used in countless studios throughout the world.

The roots of the legendary beyerdynamic DT 770/880/990 line go back to 1981. Their outstanding sound and durable design laid the foundation for these headphones’ unprecedented studio and stage career.

Made in Germany As with all beyerdynamic professional studio headphones, the studio legends are also handcrafted in Germany. Backed by high-quality materials and meticulous workmanship, this high-end product is a long-term investment.

The PRO classics beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO, DT 880 PRO and DT 990 PRO headphone series has it’s roots in the early 1980s. Since then, millions of audio professionals from all parts of the world have become loyal users of beyerdynamic products.

The series has been designed to cater for listening in a wide

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variety of environments, thanks to different headphone construction: DT 770 PRO – Closed back (studio, stage) DT 880 PRO – Semi-open back (reference monitoring, mastering, mixing) DT 990 PRO – Fully open back (critical listening) Sound you can rely on The sound of the studio legends is without doubt a benchmark for professional users. It’s secret lies not only in our cutting-edge drivers, which are hand-made in Germany, but also in a very sophisticated bass-reflex system. The membrane can “breathe” in an otherwise closed housing and is therefore extremely quickand precise in its response, accurately replaying frequencies anywhere between 5 to 35,000 Hz. This makes the DT 770 PRO an ideal tool for critical listening and monitoring purposes.

Superior build quality As opposed to many “lifestyle headphones”, beyerdynamic headphones are to last. Only the best materials are used, such as neodymium magnets, a steel headband, anodized aluminum forks, composite housings and soft skin earpads. All of these parts are hand-made in Germany - with incredible attention to detail and quality.

Every part is replaceable These headphones are designed to perform even under extreme conditions. Its superior build quality has ensured that the DT 770 PRO is the No.1 choice for professional users around the world. However, in the rarest of occasions should something break, nearly every part can be replaced individually thanks to intelligent design and implementation. This is what we’ve promised our customers for more than 30 years, and this is what we deliver.

MUSIC & MEDICINE Music Therapy: Music is a universal language. It is a familiar fact that music influences an individual both on a physical and mental level undoubtedly. Modern science and medicine are now rediscovering the healing powers of music and its therapeutic values. Music Therapy is a scientific method of effective cure for disease through the power of music. It restores, maintains and improves emotional, physiological and psychological well-being.

The articulation, pitch, tone and specific arrangement of 'Swaras' (notes) in a particular raga stimulates, alleviates and cures various ailments inducing electromagnetic changes in the body.

Music to the rescue!

Did you know that each classical raga has the capability to cure innumerable diseases? Well, it actually goes way back to the biblical times where even the old testament mentions music therapy where King David is said to have cured an illness by playing on the harp.

Not just that. In 1729, Richard Browne, a physician wrote the famous text,“Medicina Musica” which describes the use of music as medicine.

Dr. Burnell, mentioned a manuscript named Raga “Chikistsa” in the collections of the Saraswati Mahal Library in Tanjore which deals with the various ragas that can be used for curing various ailments.

How does it work?

Repeatedly, listening to a particular raga, chosen for a particular disease, produces a network of vibration. This vibration concentrates on the muscles, nerves, and chakras of the affected area. Muscles are contracted when one impulse is given and relaxed during the interval between two impulses.

Hence, when a tissue contracts, musical notes make the blood flow out of the area and in the interval there is relaxation and a state of reduced pressure is produced in these areas. Thus, the blood from the adjacent area will flow there.

This process is repeated again and again, simultaneously, the blood flow and the energy flow in that part is enhanced. Due to this, a faster healing process commences.

Energy from the “Universal Energy Field” to the “Human Energy Field” are transmitted by the strokes of different tones of the raga, affects the “Central Nervous System” because of the roots of the Auditory nerves that are widely distributed and have more connections than any other nerves in the body.

Music beats and our hearts have a deep staunch relationship.

So, what kind of an effect does music generally have on us? Any music or rhythm that is as the same number as the heartbeat, i.e. 72, has a very soothing effect whereas lesser than that creates a positive suspense in the mind and body and acts as a

relaxation period before it starts anticipating for a much faster beat which is more like a rejuvenation.

Bidding farewell to Depression, Anxiety and Sleep Disorders– Kapi Ragam: Kapi is a 'janyaraga' with a winding scale. It is derived from the 'Kharaharapriya Raga' which is the 22nd 'melakarta raga' in the 72 'melakarta raga' system. Its equivalent raga in Hindustani is Pilu.

Arohana : S R2M1P N3 S Avarohana : S N2D2 N2P M1G2 R2 S Kapi is 'aaudava-Vakrasampoorna' raga with an ascending 5 swaras and a descending scale with 7 swaras but not in a descending order. Not just that. Since it has swaras that do not belong to the parent scale, it makes this a 'Bhashanga Ragam'. This raga is known for its ability to cure depression and anxiety.

The 'swara' structure is such that each tone that is produced from each 'swara' has a great impact, taking into consideration the concept that was discussed earlier. Especially due to the presence of different 'Nishada swaras', the mood of the raga and the vibration it creates accelerates and activates the tissues in the brain and sets a soothing mood.

The right timing for practicing such music therapy sessions is essential. Each raga has a performance time and luckily Kapi does not have any such restrictions and can be performed at any time of the day/ season.

According to a study that was conducted in 2012, while listening to Kapi Raga, Sleep disorder patients and those suffering from depression have increased alertness and decreased feelings of anguish. The findings of this study suggest that Kapi Raga can be used as a rehabilitative tool for curing these ailments.

In the subsequent editions, we’ll look into other ragas and its medicinal values.

Author- Raghavi Upendiran. She is the Chief Instructor for Carnatic Vocals at Sahanas - Live the Dream. Raghavi started her music training at a very young age from renowned musicians like P.S. Thyagarajar, Smt. Gayathri Mahesh and Smt. Padma Sandilyan,Pandit Shri Kuldeep Sagar and Pandit Sri Ramamoorthy Rao. She was recognized for her music therapy skills by MSSW and received an award for the same in 2012. For more details visit www.sahanas.com.

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ADITI SARAWAGI

Popular Advertisement Jingles Music is a universal medium which is used in different spheres like movies, videos, documentaries and even advertisements. Marketing aficionados did not stay back and composed jingles to use as an advertising tool as far back as the 1920’s. A jingle is a short musical piece or song which is used in advertisements as a marketing tool. It promotes the product mentioning its features and specialties by using advertising slogans. Jingles are used on radio and in television commercials as well. This may be termed as a kind of sound branding.

Music and sound has always been used in advertising right since when there was no television. Radio jingles have been extremely common and popular too. The first jingle can be dated as far back as 1926. Since then jingles have been an important part of advertising and marketing. Jingles are mainly used to popularize the word association with a commercial which in turn helps in remembering the brand or product. Music is said to increase recall value and jingles help people in remembering the advertisement. Sometimes jingles really catch on and get very popular so much so that a glimpse of the product reminds people of the jingle and it is heavily associated with the respective brand for years to come. Jingles have their own niche and are found in online discussions and on social media as well as a separate musical piece at times. This popularity and high recall value associated with the product leads to further product promotion at no extra cost to the company.

Research has shown that commercials using jingles are a more effective form of advertising than those commercials

the jingle is remembered far more fondly and people still remember them years after their first release.

From time immemorial households have used ‘Washing Powder Nirma’ and as old as the ad, the jingle has stuck on with the girl wearing the frock becoming an icon much like ‘sabki pasand Nirma’! ECE bulbs were another household staple with ‘Bhool na jaana, ECE bulb laaana’. Another staple being ‘Zandu Balm, peera haari balm’ of course. If balm wasn’t enough ‘Sirf Ek Sardion aur sardard se aaram’ was guaranteed. The house was always painted with the brightest as it was ingrained in the minds that ‘Jab ghar ki raunak badhaani ho, deewaron ko jab sajaana ho, Nerolac, Nerolac’ was the preferred choice. ‘School time, Action ka school time’ is an ad jingle kids from the 90’s always remembered while buckling up their shoes en route school.

without one. Creating a brand is an overall composite factor which aims to ensuring the image is firmly secure in the consumer’s mind. Branding not only involves packaging or visual advertising. Sound branding works adjacent to visual advertising aiding the overall brand value and appearance of a brand. Remembering a jingle is easier than remembering a logo as is placing it and associating it with a brand. Adding the brand, product or company name to a jingle will lead to people remembering the jingle forever with the brand name of course. A catchy jingle has huge power in creating brand value and help in customer retention as well.

Right from the times when advertisements flooded mainstream media be it radio or television, jingles have played an important role in Indian media as well. A good jingle leaves a lasting impression on the listeners and there are several ad jingles which have been around for decades. Some jingles which came out years ago are still fondly remembered and come to mind immediately when the particular product or brand is mentioned. Sometimes

How often have we advised our friends- ‘Vicks ki goli lo, khich khich door karo’? Each one of us is guilty of singing this jingle. This just goes to show how a catchy tune can help keep in mind the product as well as the song. Movie outings were incomplete as was any prime-time television show without the ever popular ‘Vicco Turmeric nahi cosmetic, Vicco Turmeric Ayurvedic cream’! Each household had to have a tube of this cream and each child from the 80’s and 90’s will remember humming along with this jingle for sure!

Pepsi became the drink of Gen X with not one but many popular jingles like ‘Yehi Hai Right Choice Baby’, ‘Oye Bubbly’ and ‘Pepsi, yeh pyaas hai badi’. Milk also became the choice of the nation with ‘Piyo Glass full doodh, doodh, doodh’ from the house of Amul and till date you can be sure of some 90’s kind humming this somewhere and not to forget ‘Amul, the Taste of India’ ads.

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Casio launches new Keyboard Learning App along with new learning keyboards

Casio India has been working tirelessly in order to bring to you great products which can help expand the music learning market by introducing innovative new features in their line of learning keyboards. Casio's newest electronic musical instruments offer a comprehensive feature set geared to enrich the learning experience and explore new musical genres. The new Portable CTK-3500, CTK2500, CTK-1500 keyboards are outfitted with Casio's Voice Fingering Guide, Step-up Lesson System, and Lesson Lite which enable beginners to learn built-in songs, phase-byphase, at their own individual pace. With the LCD display, consumers can learn both music notation and correct hand positioning, while Casio's innovative Scoring System evaluates performance so users can track their progress.

With the Key Lighting keyboards, users can practice with the help of the lighted 61-Key piano keyboard making learning both fun and entertaining.

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Casio India in accordance with its tradition of designing instruments aimed around creativity & contribution, has added simple & interactive learning features to the keyboard to make learning more fun because the student can now download any song he/she wishes to learn and easier than ever before as learning becomes more interactive when one is connected to a smart device. Casio has developed these with the vision of enabling people who have no experience playing an electronic keyboard to have fun while also helping experienced keyboard players expand their repertoires.

The new CTK-2500, CTK-3500 also features a direct connection to the new Chordana Play app, allowing users to learn to play their favorite songs via downloadable MIDI files. This unique connection operates over a standard 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo cable between an iOS or android device and the keyboard.

In addition, all of these new keyboards feature Casio's exciting new Dance Music Mode, which divides the piano keyboard into different instrument sections like drums, bass, and more. By playing different combinations of keys, users can easily create and instantly remix interesting and exciting dance music. Dance Music Mode offers 50 built-in styles, as well as familiar effects like stutter and filter.

Chordana Play App Chordana Play is a free music app developed with the vision of enabling people who have no experience playing an electronic keyboard to have fun, while also helping seasoned keyboard players expand their repertoires. The app can automatically play 50 songs, from pop to classical and more. As the song plays, the app displays the correct keyboard position for both hands in real time in the piano

roll window. Users can also play by touching the virtual keyboard, and they go even deeper with the lesson and scoring functions. Additionally, users can import song data (MIDI format) into Chordana Play, link to other electronic keyboards in Casio's portfolio (CTK-2500 & CTK3500 only) and connect to both Apple and Android tablets and smartphone using a standard audio cable.

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Pot-pourri Renowned classical musician Ghatam Giridhar Udupa talks all about his journey with the humble pot.

Synonymous with the ghatam, worldrenowned percussionist Giridhar Udupa is one the most loved names in the music industry. After being in the industry for over three decades, collaborating with eminent artists across the globe, having toured close to fifty countries, and receiving numerous awards and recognitions, Udupa today stands as a true global icon, a pioneer of Carnatic classical music, and one of the most prominent names in the industry.

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Pihoto Courtesy : Prithvi Krishna

His journey started at the age of 4, under his father Vid. Ullur Nagendra Udupa and later under Vid. Sukanya Ramgopal and Vid. V Suresh. He has since then continued to practice and teach the Vikku baani of ghatam playing alongside adapting nuances from all schools of music. Primarily a Carnatic musician, Udupa has extensively widened the boundaries of his repertoire owing the diversity of his collaborations. Besides his long list of being an accompanist to most of the big names in the Classical circuit, Udupa is also part of his own Carnatic-fusion band “Layatharanga”, Flamenco band “Indialucia”, Carnatic-Jazz cross over band “Saagara”, and Celtic band “Bamboo and Clay”.

What accentuates his versatility as a percussionist is his ability to not only accompany orthodox classical concerts but also be able to fluently adapt himself to contemporary and world genres of music. Unlike any usual ghatam artist, Udupa has accompanied various Hindustani artists on the ghatam besides accompanying a host of prominent Carnatic artists. His repertoire as an artist is diverse and intriguing!

Speaking of ghatam and how he stumbled upon it, “ghatam means ‘pot’ in Sanskrit. Having found enough evidence and references to a “distinct sound emanating from the pot” in various ancient texts, the ghatam is an ancient instrument just like its brothers the mridangam, khanjira, morsing, etc. I started my journey as a percussionist playing the mridangam and later took to the ghatam,” he said. What is essentially a confluence of the five elements of nature - earth (prithvi), water

SRIRAM RAVISHANKAR (jalam), air (vayu), fire (agni) and space (akasha), the ghatam is considered to be one of the most humble, eco-friendly, portable, and unique instrument in the family of south Indian percussions. Known as Noot in Kashmir and Mudki in Rajasthan, the ghatam was mainly a folk instrument in the olden days. In south India, it became a highly sophisticated instrument which was raised to concerts status. Apart from being played at traditional concert platforms, the ghatam has off lately also gained a lot of prominence status in Rock music, Jazz, Jugalbandhis, Fusion, Ensembles and a host of other such unique programmes.

On how it is made, “ghatam is different from ordinary mud pots, with its mouth being narrow. Its size differs according to the pitch or shruthi. The ones of lower pitch will be of bigger size and the ones of higher pitch will be smaller. It has three portions - the mouth, a slanting portion from the mouth, and the round shaped bottom. A special type of baked clay is used for the preparation of this instrument. With that, copper, iron, or brasses fillings are mixed along with some other powders which are known to traditional makers only. Altogether, the pot is made and allowed to dry so as to strengthen itself.

Each pot is checked for any kind of air bubble so that the pot isn’t prone to easy damage once dried. Symbolic of the five elements of nature, the basic material is mud which represents the holy earth. Mud is mixed with water, and then baked in fire adding the third element. The air inside the belly of the ghatam encompasses space or akasha that reverberates creating the musical sound,” Udupa explained. “There are various ways of playing it, in North India, the instrument is placed on a small round block with the mouth facing upwards

Pihoto Courtesy : Anjoe Jacob

and played on the sides by right hand and on the mouth by left hand. Rings and bangles are also used to create various sounds. But in South India, it is placed on the lap, its mouth facing the stomach, played with a gush of air with the help of belly. We play it with fingers, wrists and even nails. It is the only instrument whose position is changed while playing.

Sometimes to delight the audience, the instrument is thrown up and caught which is suitable in rhythm, mainly during laya vinyasas (Solos),” he concluded.

Udupa’s artistic journey culminated in the curation of his brain child “Udupa Foundation”, an initiative to promote music, performing arts, and culture amongst different sections of audiences. Having a stellar advisory board consisting artists like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Vid. Sukanya Ramgopal, Vid. RK Padmanabhan, Vid. TM Krishna, Vid. Bombay Jayashree to name a few, the foundation is firmly bound to take the world of Indian classical art forms to as many audiences as possible. Deriving inspiration from his father Vid. Ullur Nagendra Udupa who believed in imparting knowledge to all those who are keen to learn it irrespective of their financial or cultural backgrounds, the foundation aims to drive a movement that will bring together art, artistes, and art connoisseurs on a unique journey of art and music. The foundation seeks to advance a concept of world art through creative collaborations to bring the best of various musical traditions that are present within all of us. To make this interface as inclusive as possible, Udupa Foundation aims to reach out through a range of platforms and activities such as teaching, supporting, promoting, disseminating and healing through art forms.

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Interview with

GAURAV BALANI Apart from his heavy-duty touring with some of the biggest acts of the country (Parikrama, Shubha Mudgal, Aditi Singh Sharma), Gaurav Balani has started to make waves with his solo projects.

Titled INALAB (featuring Gaurav's independent creations) and the Couch Potato Series (a fan art series dedicated to the soundtracks of TV series based on Gaurav's interpretations), the two projects are diverse and engaging. He actively started working on them in 2016 and the New Year saw the release of two tracks from each of his projects, which have received thousands of hits. He is all set to release a track from each of his projects, this month.

Tell us about INALAB I've been composing for as long as I can remember but I only released my compositions starting last year. INALAB is my solo setup where I collaborate with and feature various artists that I've been wanting to work with... It's like having a massive band because the songs feature some amazing artists from the India and abroad. This setup is my biggest focus right now and I'm excited to go live with the music this summer. INALAB has had two releases so far: Bonzo feat Julie Hill (Miami based vocalist; link Bonzo), Illuminate feat Ujwal Nagar (of Advaita; link: Illuminate)

What do you enjoy doing more and why? Touring and playing or making your own music?

Both actually, but touring little more... I couldn't be happier then when I'm on the road. The energy that I feel in front of a live audience is incomparable. During the summers, when touring takes a hit and although no touring feels okay for a bit, because your body needs the rest, after a week or so, I feel the need to be on the road again. The off season, however gives me the time to finish a lot in the studio. And in fact, during a lot of my studio takes I try and imagine a live audience as that helps me deliver my best.

Elaborate on the Couch Potato Series Couch Potato is a fan art series that I created in collaboration with One Digital Entertainment and Crude'n'Cuddly. I love writing background scores so we decided to regularly release small animated videos based on our favourite TV series.

Once the score is complete, we collaborate with an artist to interpret the visuals in their own way. It's essentially a way of showing appreciation to the people who've created such amazing content and familiarizing the audience with some unconventional music that I'll be using for my live shows.

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Narcos and Stranger Things have been inspirations for previous releases.

You play with some of the leading acts in the country like Parikrama. Tell us about your most favorite live experience?

It is quite an honour to be able to perform with such illustrious acts and since they all play different genres (Rock, Fusion and Bollywood) my experiences are rich and varied.

Being on stage with the mighty Parikrama is definitely on the top of the list because the band's energy is infectious and unlike anything that I had ever experienced before!

Although, the most fun I would have say is when I'm performing with Aditi Singh Sharma because we've almost grown up together, so besides just having a good time on stage, the travel is a lot more relaxed and the band ends up staying back a couple of days in our favourite places.

Your upcoming projects Currently I'm working on finishing a song with Shubha Mudgal ji. We've been working hard on this track and it’s been quite a task to finish the track with all the travel, but I'm extremely grateful to her for letting me feature her on an INALAB single.

Another song that took us a while to finalise, features some of the most talented artists from the Delhi scene, Suyash Gabriel (Drums), Moulik Siddhart (Vocals) and Rahul Sainani (Guitars). Apeksha Dandekar and I co-wrote a song about the various atrocities women face in their daily lives.

Finally, since the last season of Game of Thrones is on its way, we decided to dedicate the next 'Couch Potato' video on the cult TV series. The song is called Mirage and it is by far the grandest string section (sonically) I've worked on. Both the tracks release this month.

Create your own world of music with Yamaha Synthesizer Apps Drum Pads You can play drum phrases suited to a range of different musical genres to accompany your synth Voice performances.

3 music genres (Electro,House & HipHop) Drum pads for each of the 16 drum pads.

Plug into MX with FM Essential App

Ball Controller

• FM Essential is synthesizer app which inherit Yamaha's legendary FM tone generator such as DX100, TX81Z and V50. Connected with Music synthesizer new MX series, • 271 high-quality Voices consists in from selection presets of Yamaha Legacy FM synthesizer V50, TX81Z and DX100, originally created 64 presets and combination Voices with MX BK/BU series.

• You can play 271 high-quality voices consisting of selected presets of Yamaha Legacy FM synthesizer DX100, TX81Z and V50, originally created 64 presets and combination Voices with MX BK/BU series.

• You can store & switch Voices of FM Essential and various parameters by MX controllers.

Touch and drag in ball controller to modulate the sound by simultaneously changing multiple parameters

Step sequencer & Edit Voices

Arpeggiator, chord pads and scale function •Play Arpeggiator and Chord pads in addition to keyboard with various scales -Arpeggiator patterns: 64 -Chord pads: 20 -Scales: 25

• Create Voices deeply In the edit screen.

• Edit various parameters such as Operator wave, volume , • FB level, each operator EG, LFO, PEG(pitch EG) • 15 types of effects and 3 bands EQ are available.

• Select sound chips used by Yamaha vintage synthesizers(DX100、TX81Z、V50) which are perfectly modelling

Cubasis LE 2 Cubasis LE is the compact version of Steinberg’s streamlined, multitouch sequencer for the iPad, providing the same look and feel of its bigger brother Cubasis. Specially designed for quick and easy operation, Cubasis LE makes recording, editing and mixing a breeze. Cubasis LE places touch-intuitive production tools in your hands, opening a new world of possibilities for your creativity.

Key Features • Up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks • 2 assignable physical inputs and stereo output • 32-bit floating point audio engine • Audio I/O resolution of 16-bit/44.1 kHz • iOS 32 and 64-bit support (depending on the device used) • Micro Sonic with 25 virtual instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic and Allen Morgan drum kits • Mixer with 5 effect processors • Virtual keyboard • Sample Editor and Key Editor • Export to Cubase

• MIDI over Bluetooth LE – Connect compatible MIDI gear without any cables • MIDI Auto Quantize – Sync MIDI tracks with the beat while recording • Core Audio and Core MIDI compatible hardware supported • Import audio from your iTunes music library • Audio mixdown and MIDI export • Upgrade to Cubasis full feature set via in-app purchase • Super-versatile RoomWorks SE* reverb effect with intuitive graphical display • Refreshed MIDI editor with ultra-intuitive and spot on handling to edit MIDI tracks and compose The

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GT-1

PREMIUM TONE FOR PLAYERS ON THE GO

Ultra-portable and easy to use, the GT-1 delivers pro-level tones everywhere you play. Driven by the powerful BOSS GT-series engine, it gives you access to a huge selection of world-class amps and effects for all types of music. A streamlined interface enables quick and intuitive sound creation, while an assignable control switch and expression pedal provide dynamic realtime effects adjustment. And by connecting to BOSS TONE CENTRAL, you can download free pro patches, editing software, and more. Equally suited for beginners, weekend warriors, and traveling players, the GT-1 packs premium sound in a compact and rugged package.

Exceptional Sound Thanks to its flagship-class GT sound engine, the GT-1 provides tone quality and sound-shaping ability that far exceeds typical compact multi-effects. A history of BOSS processing is at your fingers, from classics such as the OD-1 Overdrive to modern effects powered by innovative MDP technology. There’s a huge selection of COSM amp tones on tap too, including vintage legends and BOSS original amps optimized for ideal tone and response. Specialized effects like Acoustic Simulator, Guitar Simulator, and others provide numerous tonal options, and there’s even a looper to enhance your practice sessions and stage performances.

Portable tone partner The GT-1 was designed for musicians on the move. It’s surprisingly lightweight and compact, yet still delivers the rugged durability that BOSS is famous for. AC or battery power provides flexibility for any performing situation, and up to seven hours of battery life is available for street performing and other mobile gigs.

Easy Patch Selection and Sound Creation The Easy Select function allows you to choose patches by genre, distortion, or effect type, while Easy Edit lets you tweak drive, modulation, and echo tones to perfection with little effort. Dedicated panel buttons provide quick on/

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off switches for effect groups, and also unlock deep-dive parameters for microscopic fine-tuning.

BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio At BOSS Tone Central, you’ll find tons of free patch collections for playing all types of music with the GT-1.

Created by pro guitarists, these patches are dialed-in and ready to use, and make great starting points for advanced players who like to create their own custom sounds. The free BOSS Tone Studio software provides a full-featured editor/ librarian for the GT-1, as well as integrated access to all the patch collections at BOSS Tone Central.

Maximum Control in a Small Space The GT-1’s three footswitches are smartly designed to provide patch selection, tuner access, looper control, and more in a minimal footprint. The dedicated CTL1 switch is freely assignable to functions like tap tempo, effects on/off, and numerous others, while the expression pedal and toe switch are assignable to volume, wah, and various effects parameters. If you crave more control, there’s even a jack for connecting up to two external footswitches or an expression pedal. And in addition to providing access to BOSS Tone Central and BOSS Tone Studio, the GT-1’s USB jack lets you record and re-amp tones with your favorite DAW.

AMOGH RAO

Lucy Rose We had a chat with the singer-songwriter about her music, what she is inspired by, about her India trip and more.

Tell us about the kind of music you play.

I guess I play country, folk, singer-songwriter styles of music with a little twist of soul in there.

What inspires your music?

Everything that is around me. Even this conversation with you in a way, these questions. Everything that makes you think in general, books, films. I guess it’s hard to know what filters through and what doesn’t filter through when it comes to song writing.

How has your trip been in India? What has been your best moment?

The whole trip has been the best so far. I guess meeting the fans after the gig. Playing the gig is always amazing but meeting the people and interacting with those that open up to me and tell me why music is important to them or what they’re thinking about. That’s great.

What role do you think technology plays in today’s music?

I think technology plays a huge role in music. Good and bad I think. The great thing is you can make an album anywhere you want, in your bedroom even. Technology has got so much better that you don’t really need to have an expensive

studio. I recorded in the producer Tim’s living room, which is amazing. Although the bad thing is that you rely on it too much. Like why play the drums on the record when you can program it to sound perfectly right, and I feel like you tend to lose human emotion and feel that you get when musicians play together.

What’s your message to singer-songwriters and readers of the magazine?

The most important thing is the song, more than anything.

You don’t need to have a voice that is necessarily perfect.

Some of my favorite voices are like Neil Young and Nico, and maybe if they were on X Factor or any of these talent programs you know what would happen. It’s really about the song and connecting people through your writing so just keep practicing, be determined and don’t lose faith.

What do you think is your unique selling point?

My unique selling point is that I don’t have any. I don’t enter that world where I really need to sell my music or myself. I find it every hard to think of myself as a product or a brand that I must sell to make money, cause that’s not why I’m here or why I make music. I just want to make people happy with music.

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Space for the Soul : Music of the Mystics The common trope of a foreigner from a distant land coming to India in search of enlightenment might be annoying, but this country’s depth of spiritual experimentation is possibly second to no other in the world. While the words ‘Advaita Vendanta’, ‘Sat-Chit-Ananda’ and ‘Nirvana’ might be fairly well-known in common parlance (thanks to their mostly superficial inclusion into pop culture), these ideas emerge from ideological and emotional doctrines that have been instrumental in giving India its reputation for philosophical profundity. While it is tempting to praise India’s heritage of holiness because it drew top itself icons like The Beatles and Alice Coltrane, the music crafted by India’s myriad mystical traditions offer an understanding of divinity beyond the human simplicities of discrimination.

It would be great folly to not delve into the treasures offered by those who make music in their search for Bliss – the kind that, once experienced, cannot be touched by the goings-on of material existence. If you haven’t sampled this world of unconditional love and endless liberation, view the following as a slight gesture of guidance towards it.

Parvathy Baul : One of those

minstrels that you will see in the villages of Bengal who sings about letting go of the delusions of a world loaded with pointless definitions, Parvathy Baul’s voice snares your heart like a master hunter snares the restless doe. Hers is one of the few prominent presences in among the Bauls in which women are more frequency companions to the male singer rather than the practitioner herself). Lock yourself in a room, dim the light and find her on Youtube imploring “Paare loye jao” (Take me to the shore).

Meerabai : Instead of a

performing musician, Meerabai composed songs in her solitude for the purpose of unifying with the lord of her heart, Manmohana himself.

Her hymns to Lord Krishna convert the devotee-lord relationship into something akin to that of the yearning lover and cruel beloved. She composed bhajans and kirtans that, sung to this day, have become anthems for those that wish to escape the illusions of everyday conflict and find an everlasting resolution in surrendering to all that is truly Holy.

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Wadali Brothers : Two men

who carry the passion and talent of four generations of Sufi musicians, Puranchand Wadali and Pyarelal Wadali possess voices that would convince you that God does speak through human devices.

Just hear them intone the following words :

Tu mane ya na mane dildara asan te tenu rab maniya tu mane ya na mane dildara asan te tenu rab maniya {{das hor kera rab da dwara das hor kera rab da dwara asan te tenu rab maniya tu mane ya na mane dildara asan te tenu rab maniya -Tu Maane Ya Na Maane The Wadali Brothers draw their art out of a tradition that spans centuries, treating their music as an homage to all that is sacred in the world. They sing the words of various preachers, unconcerned by divisive categories such as religion. Striking in their abstinence from commercial ventures and elaborate performative setups, their presence is a reminder of the fact that despite what the charts might say, the sounds of the soil are still to be held to the heart.

SHREYA BOSE Lalon Fakir : The most

prominent among those ascribing to the Baul tradition, Lalon was a man whose philosophy chose not to battle with questions of rebirth and the afterlife, but rather with divisions of community, castle, class and gender. His songs, which inspired the likes of Rabindranath Tagore, mock the reasons for disunity that human society seems to hold so dear.

His beliefs are exemplified in words such as : “Everyone asks, "What religion does Lalon belong to in this world?"

Lalon answers, "What does religion look like?"

I've never laid eyes upon it.

Some use Malas (Hindu rosaries), others Tasbis (Muslim rosaries), and so people say they belong to different religion.

But do you bear the sign of your religion when you come (to this world) or when you leave (this world)?”

Ravidas : A poet-sant whose devotional songs are

included in the Guru Granth Sahib, Ravidas’ work deals with the theme of dismantling boundaries fabricated by humans in the pursuit of union with greater truths.

For instance,

Surdas : The beauty of Surdas’ melody can almost be sensed through a mere reading of his words. Much like Meerabai, he offered his heart and mind in tribute to Murlimanohar through the composition of verses. His compositions extol the godly aspects and doings of Krishna, and in the plebeian words of the Braj Bhasha, he explored the celestial love of RadhaKrishna. He advocated for complete surrender and pure love for God manifested through the form of Krishna. It believed that he penned thousands of songs in his magnum opus ‘The Sur Sagar’ (Ocean of Melody) of which only about 8000 are extant.

Ramananda : As central to the Bhakti tradition as Sant Kabir is to the heart of the Sufis, Ramananda is believed to have been born of a Brahmin family sometime in the 14th century. He became one of the pioneering figures of the Bhakti movement, and defied social norms by accepting disciples irrespective of caste, religion or gender (including Muslims). Traditional scholarship insists that his spiritual lineage passes through preachers of great merit such as Kabir, Ravidas and Bhagat Pipa (though this has been questioned later).

Ramananda’s philosophy, drawn from the teachings of south Indian Vedanta philosopher Ramanuja looks towards a synthesis of Advaita Vedanta and Vaishnava bhakti.

His message, however, has never compromised on its accessibility, as exemplified when he sings : “Wherever I go, I find only water and stones,

This experience is such, that it defies all description.

I have met the Lord, Who can cause me harm?

Hari in everything, everything in Hari –

But Brahman is in everything.”

-Ramananda in Raag Basant, Adi Granth Throughout his life, he championed a direct connection with God, untainted by false knowledge (like belief in external, material or physical differences) and self proclaimed middlemen (priests). He decried the utility of any penance if the inner self did not acknowledge itself as one with Hari.

For him who knows Hari and the sense of self, no other testimony is needed: the knower is absorbed.

Ravidas, Translated by Winand Callewaert and Peter Friedlander The object of his worship often seems to be an entity similar to that venerated in the tradition of Nirguna bhakti, depicting a certain organic nature to the ideas binding the mystic mythologies of India.

Consider the above list a drop in an ocean, but as goes the saying ‘little drops of water the mighty ocean make’. The historical and contemporary figures listed offer a glimpse into the richness of sentiment that motivated some of the greatest cults of compassion in human history. The noticeable similarity – of the oneness of all existence and the futility of worldly distractions, is striking and is reflected in almost every ascetic heritage in the sub-continent. Be assured, if you venture down this path, you might find yourself a whole lot happier with a whole lot less.

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ADITI SARAWAGI

Background Score in Indian Cinema Music plays an important role in cinema, theatre and even television. Not only are complete musical scores important, background scores also play a very important role in setting the temperament of a movie, sometimes they are as important as dialogues especially during emotional or comedy scenes.

Background scores can be used in a sophisticated subtle way or may be over the top and loud depending on the genre of the film. It is essential that background scores aide in narrating the story and to take it forward as well. Indian film music has evolved over time and the background scores in films these days have improved several notches into a league of its own. Background scores not only supports the ongoing narrative but also echoes the emotions being played out on screen. It is used to enhance the story line and make the overall movie going experience more dynamic. Background score is the emotional part of the sound design and helps in getting the feel and experience of the story. It affects the energy of a scene and highlights the mood it is presenting as well. It can convey emotions and take the story forward without the use of any dialogues or verbal exchange between the characters. It adds an additional layer of emotional depth to a scene and makes leeway to what is coming next on the storyboard.

Background music also serves a practical purpose by drowning out unwanted sounds around the location during filming and also makes the switching between scenes seem continuous and seamless. It is sometimes used to introduce important elements of the plot to the audience. Background score is at times also used to intentionally confuse or mislead the audience into reading something more or different

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into the scene than what is actually there-only to further dramatize a script. At times background music emphasizes a plot point more than dialogues can.

Background music is highly important in films today and is deemed as a necessary part of the plot. It is essential to the storytelling process as it creates an even more convincing atmosphere for the narrative to go forward. It makes the motion picture more interesting and allows for greater connect with the audience as music has the ability to evoke strong emotions. It also helps in reinforcing the story or message being enacted on screen and hence in achieving the desired effect upon the audience. It helps in enhancing the ambience of the film and pulls the audience further into the story. Since the time full length feature films are being made, background music has always played a prominent role in them.

A compelling soundtrack can keep the audience interested into the screenplay. It is an integral part of the movie watching experience.

The Indian film industry has a host of musicians in its conduit. The artistes have gone on to win international accolades and the music they write and create stirs emotions in the listeners sparking their brilliance and genius. Some of the best music directors with astounding background scores to their credit include Viju Shah for Gupt, Sandeep Chowta, Randeep Barot, Salim-Sulaiman, Amit Trivedi, Pritam, Monty Sharma, Anupam Roy, and of course A.R. Rahman. A.R. Rahman has won the most number of Filmfare Award for Best Background Score since its inception in 1998. He has won four of them for The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Swades, Guru and Jodhaa Akbar.