Vasundhara Das: Believe in yourself

 According to me, education has a lot more to do with learning from life than from the classroom. I have learned more outside the classroom

In conversation with Vasundhara Das...

On school life

School life has not contributed much to my musical life. In those times, when I was in school, the education system did not encourage arts. Academics were considered as the end of everything. People thought that music cannot be opted as a career. Most of the parents were prejudiced about music and had an attitude that it cannot be taken as a profession, but my parents were an exception. At the age of 5, I started learning Hindustani music. I got intensive music education because my parents were very keen on making me learn music.

On college life

College contributed a great deal to my musical career. I was clear about going to that particular college (Mount Carmel College, Bengaluru) because that college had a good music association. I knew that the college would nurture my musical career.

I still remember the day when my Mom took me to the Engineering counselling. I was standing in the queue. When it was just two turns for my interview, I seemed restless to my Mom. When she asked me the reason, I told her that I don’t want to be an engineer. What surprised me was my Mom’s reaction; she told me that I could have said it before and that there was no point in wasting our time. We left the spot. That is a distinct memory for me.

In the college, I was the member of a choral group. We had a Western Music Association. I got the exposure of performing at various inter-college competitions. I won in many of them, and that gave me a lot of confidence and helped prepare my future.  I was very clear about music; that was what I wanted to do as long as I was alive.

Memories

Too many. I really had a ball. I enjoyed college than school. My first stage performance ever in college was during my first-year PUC. About 4,000 girls in the auditorium are booing you, because you are a junior. I started singing the song I love You, by Whitney Houston. There was pin-drop silence, and, once I finished singing, there was a huge round of applause by the entire audience. That is a memorable moment for me.

Click : Lakshmi

Article first appeared in education Insider Magazine

Naresh Iyer: Down memory lane

 Celebrated Singer Naresh Iyer’s memoir on his student life

In conversation with Naresh Iyer...

Memories of school

School life played a huge role in my life. Sera Ma’am, my class teacher in Fifth Grade, was the one who identified the singer in me. I did my first stage performance during the same time. The most memorable moment in school life was my first stage performance at the school annual competition where I came first. The song I sang was Kaali Raam Ka Bajgaya Dhol from the movie Barsat Ki Ek Raat. The applause and appreciation received mattered a lot to the 12-year-old kid. Even after years, that moment stays etched in my heart. I have won many prizes and awards, including the National Award and the Filmfare Award, but nothing can replace the joy I experienced when I was 12 years old – when I was recognised as the best singer in my school.

Memories of college

During my college days, I participated in various inter-college festivals in Mumbai. I was eliminated in one of the college festivals during my first-year graduation. Though I was depressed at that time, it was that which helped me develop my God-given talent. Thereafter, I didn’t have to look back. I won in almost all the competitions in which I participated.

Apart from music, sports was another field of interest during my college days. I have participated in inter-college table tennis tournaments and various other tournaments and have won prizes.

One of the proudest moments in my graduation days was when I came topper in the foundation course in my second year.

While recalling the memories during the graduation days, one incident that rushes to my mind is the embarrassing moment which I have had during a musical show when I sang O Jane Jana totally out of pitch because my colleague had accidently played a wrong note.  Though at that time I really felt awkward, now it has become a reason for giggles and laughter.

As a student, I always made sure not to mix my academics with my extracurricular activities, and I scored more than distinction in all my examinations. I can proudly say that I was a good student. Life as a student was indeed a learning ground for me, which instilled in me courage, confidence and helped me live an optimistic life.

PC: Cinemapluz.in

Article first appeared in the Education Insider magazine

Shankar Tucker: In music, talent matters much

 Shankar Tucker is an American clarinettist and music composer. He rose to fame with the popularity of his online music series called The Shruti Box, which features his compositions. The Shruti Box was released online on platforms like YouTube and Soundcloud.

Shankar graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston, where he studied orchestral clarinet performance.

In conversation with Shankar  Tucker...

On Indian connection

I would say that Western music is often rigid, especially the classical traditions. Classical music is extremely rigid in the West. Indian classical music has built into it a kind of inherent improvisation. North Indian music and South Indian music absorb different influences like instruments such as violin, introduced here by the British during their rule. I have been completely taken by classical, traditional music. Western classical music is exactly the same as during the time of Beethoven.

On education

Education is learning and building your skills. For the world, when it comes to music, I am afraid institutional education, in a way, can take you to a point, but it can’t take you all the way in the same way medicine or other career paths can. In music, you feel like an entrepreneur. You have to consider yourself like a startup company or like a brand and you can’t depend on any sort of resume or piece of paper to help you with that. So it’s about skill – whether you learn from somebody else or teach yourself through hard work.

On student life

I graduated from New England Conservatory in Boston. As a student, I tried avoiding all sort of troubles. As I mentioned earlier, the tradition of Western music is very rigid.  When I was getting into Indian music, people, including my teachers, thought I was pretty weird. 

PC: shankartucker.com

The article first appeared in the 2013 December issue of Eduation Insider magazine