MUSIC LEARNING / EDUCATION
What advice would you give to young musicians who are just starting their musical journey , and how can they balance their education with their passion for music ?
Due to the dominance of Bollywood and other film industries in India , composers and singers are very rarely making music from the heart based on their own philosophies and beliefs . Every reality show out there is continuing the same trend and as long as it remains like that , it will be
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8 highonscore . com difficult for Indian Musicians to get international recognition across cultural barriers through independent music . Children must be taught to make music from the heart and budding young musicians should be taught the importance and value of our rich musical heritage which is extremely unique and diverse . Only when Indian musicians start gaining recognition , more will follow and the standard of music education will automatically improve . We have to realise that music education is also education that requires extreme discipline and professionalism and does not have to be an extracurricular activity .
What has been your biggest learning from the time you released your debut album “ Communicate Art ” and the recent one “ Divine Tides ”? What has been the biggest shift in your music making process ?
The biggest shift is that ever since I won my first Grammy ® Award for my album ‘ Winds of Samsara ’, I have dedicated my life to elevating environmental consciousness . All of the music that I make is about protecting our environment , peaceful coexistence , and raising awareness about various social issues around the world such as the refugee crisis , land degradation , war , conservation , etc . I have been deeply connected with Mother Nature ever since I was very young and music and the environment are the two pillars that define my life .
How do you ensure that you continue to grow and evolve as a musician , and what do you do to challenge yourself creatively and stay inspired ?
I am a huge fan of collaborations and strongly believe in working with people who I personally feel are more talented than me as that drives me to push myself . I have had the opportunity of a lifetime to work with some of my musical heroes such as Stewart Copeland , Peter Gabriel , Senegalese legend Baaba Maal , Ladysmith Black Mambazo , Philip Lawrence ( Bruno Mars ) etc . I also work very closely with several global not-forprofit organisations and serve as an ambassador for United Nations Refugees , UNICEF , UNCCD , UNESCO-MGIEP , Earth Day Network etc . I strongly believe in using my creativity to make this world better for everything and everything through my music .