The Score Magazine - Archive January 2015 issue! | Page 23

How does it feel being a Roland endorsee?
It is indeed a matter of pride for me to represent a prestigious
brand like Roland. As a musician I have grown up watching the
pros around me use Roland instrument and amps at concerts. My
appointment as an endorsee with Roland is definitely a milestone in
my musical journey.
How do you think Roland is making its contribution in
supporting music education in India?
Roland stands for quality in whatever they do. The company has
invested in the research and development of music education system
that are in tune with the technology available today. Computer games
based learning and assessment for learning drums, piano and soon
to follow other instrument is a breakthrough in the music education
business. Roland Music Schools are already making waves in the
music education industry.
What convinced you to become a Roland endorsee?
I am no stranger to the standards that associate with the name! I have
been a fan of their sound engines since the early 90s and have been
fortunate to use some of their instruments all through my career.
XP series was perhaps the most popular Roland that took the Indian
market by storm and till date you can find these being used in the
studios. When I got a call asking me to consider this endorsement, I
didn’t need to give it a second thought!!
As a music educator, what do you think is the state of
the musical disciplines in this country?
Music education in India has a long way to go before it enjoys it’s
due importance. In the west, the benefits and importance of the
arts education, especially music, is established and is as
important a part of schooling as any other academic
subject for decades. In India educationists are still
considering including music in the school curriculum
at a serious level. Having said that, quality of music
education has come a long way in last decade and
serious students do have a number of quality
institutes to choose from. Last 5 years have also
seen a considerable rise in the acceptance
of Jazz with thousands of audience now
warming up to many jazz bands performing
around the country.
Could you tell us a little bit about
your own process of learning and
teaching music?
I started performing before I learnt even
the basic rudiments of music. My musical
gifts were sufficient to give me a serious
start into music performance and soon I
was guided by senior musicians around me
to pursue a formal education in music. After
performing for 7 long years, learning music
completely by ear, the formal education made
me realise how little I knew about music. I
immediately got hooked to the practice bug
spending 8 to 10 hours a day in my practice
room. There was (and still is) so much to learn that entire lifetime is
not sufficient. I started teaching in 1999 substituting for my teacher
at Delhi School of Music, what followed was private tuitions.
Having spent such serious time at practice I knew what it takes to
achieve a serious standard of performance at any instrument, which
led me to consider setting up my own institute of music. Fortunately
today I hold many key positions in the field of music education (not
an industry yet!) including the Academic Consultant with Trinity
College London that allows me to help music teachers around the
country to teach better music.
What do you anticipate from your new alliance with
Roland?
My alliance with Roland has endless possibilities limited only by the
vision of the company for India. I have been performing a lot with
Bandish and have helped Roland reach my audience in the process.
I do hope to play a more serious role in the product development
process with Roland in India and aim to explore more possibilities
with Roland in years to come.
How significantly does your work with Bandish affect
your solo work or your teaching? Do you find that
students are attracted to both your passions?
I strongly believe that good teachers need to be good performers as
well or else not only will they fail to demonstrate the concepts to
their