The Score Magazine - Archive January 2015 issue! | Page 15

Over a period of 40-50 years, musicians
who painstakingly built a career will have
left their work behind through recordings
and such. There is a sense of responsibility
when you record. Your works are used as
reference points in the future and so, you
don’t want to be a bad reference.
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into it. Fusion must be effectively fusing two styles of music
towards a meaningful journey. I’ve appreciated a lot of fusion
bands and been a part of a lot of them as well. It is most definitely
the wave of the future. Classical music has always and will always
have its place. But, there are many in the world that want an
alternative to classical music, and fusion fills that void.
You are a teacher as well. Tell us about your approach to
teaching and the values you believe in/try to instill as an
educator of the arts.
All my teachers were more practical than religious. They wouldn’t
equate religion to music. KVN always taught music as a science.
There was a precise approach to everything. I would say I have
that same approach. I ask after reaching a certain stage what the
student wants to learn. I would think that they must strive to be
fundamentally strong. They must be able to play anything and any
note. They must be able to sing and learn compositions right. For
me it’s like piecing together pieces of a puzzle. As a student, one
has to go through training in all areas of music.
What are your views then on taking time to get on stage?
There are teachers who stretch the fundamental training too much.
I’m interested in teaching how things are done and not how they
used to be done. I will tell a student to become a maestro rather
than trying out ideas on stage. Practice 10 hours at home and
present in such a way that others wouldn’t have heard that way of
rendering before. Whatever you perform, you have to be successful
otherwise don’t go on stage. I’ve lived that way and so I strongly
believe one shouldn’t perform if one can’t. Again I’ll reference to
Hindustani music here. Musicians are never considered musicians
until they’re about 30-40. But when they come out, they are just
these bright stars that do nothing but shine.
What are some qualities that appeal to you when listening
to music? What appeals to you?
Virtuosity: the ability to perform something spectacular. That
is something that is truly difficult to achieve and that always
impresses me. Other things are ofcourse a wholesome presentation,
voice control, tonality. Last but not least, pleasant demeanor on
stage that doesn’t consist of extreme facial expressions (smiles).
What in your opinion is something tha