You launched the K.M.Conservatory on your 42nd birthday. What exactly is the concept behind this?
Conservatories are widely known in the West and the concept comes from the orderliness and harmonic structure of Western classical music. When I worked abroad, it struck me that I could prepare and record music in three days flat - and yet it sounded so beautiful.
Over here we are not so well organised., and it is extremely difficult to find certain instruments like oboes and French horns because there are no players. Most of today’s musicians are into electronics and the learning of instruments is neglected and music is compromised because they cannot sustain a livelihood with them.
But in the conservatory, a young musician can learn the violin or even a rare instrument and sustain himself by doing, say, its edit on the computer. So he learns - but earns well too. This is a common practice abroad where people do something else for a livelihood and also play music. There are musicians, for example, who are also web designers, so that they can afford a decent lifestyle.
I have extended this concept even to Indian classical and folk music. Musicians can come here to learn different styles of music like kirtanas and thumri.
A world-class orchestra is also our goal. Since electronics sounds came in and their new sound was liked for its freshness, live classical music and instruments began to lose appreciation, which was ominous. So many Indian composers have to go abroad to find orchestras for recording. KM Music Conservatory aims to eliminate this shortcoming. For a modern classical musician, having knowledge of both music performance and music technology is invaluable. Therefore, as I said earlier, excellent music production capabilities will ensure many more career opportunities and financial security.
Where is this Conservatory located?
The KM Music Conservatory and Audio Media Education will be India’s first Apple-authorised training centre. Right now, it is located in a small premises next to my studio but by the end of this year we will shift to a proper campus just outside Chennai. We plan to have a faculty of professors and musicians from both India and abroad and start the first batch in 2008, when we will audition vocalists as well as flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and percussion players.
What will be the curriculum like?
We will have courses including Western Vocal and Instrumental, Indian Classical Vocal, Western and Indian Music Theory, Music Appreciation, Ear Training, Piano, Audio Engineering, an Apple-certified course in Logic Pro, and a Digidesign-certified course in Pro Tools. We will also have a professional KM Music Symphony Orchestra for those who complete the programmes, and the A.R.Rahman Foundation Scholarships for deserving students.
A Mumbai daily stated that you are curtailing assignments, especially in Hindi films, to give more attention to this new mission.
It was my dream to have such a conservatory for years but I held back each time as news floated about others planning similar things. Finally, since nothing was happening I decided to move ahead. And it’s not that I am cutting down on Hindi films. I have always been fairly choosy, I think, and I can’t do 10 films at a time here. But yes, I am trying to choose the cream even from among them.
This time you were in Mumbai a day before theScreen Awards. So why did you not stay back? As it happened, you annexed both the Best Music and Best Background Music trophies for Guru.
I know, I regret that I could not attend the Screen Awards show. The problem was that I was in a whirlwind at that particular point, so I was not even accessible as I hardly had time even to check emails and SMS-es! Besides the launch of the Conservatory, I flew down for the music launch of Jodhaa Akbar on the 9th, but I had to fly abroad as a studio had been booked for two days for some background music work on the film.
We just spoke about classical music. In Guru, Barso re proved the most popular song along with Tere bina. The ‘item’ song Mayya mayya came a third. Does that indicate a trend?
By itself, it is a very good sign, though Mayya mayya was also popular, besides being the first song that we recorded. It is a fact that ‘item’ songs or electronic music does not satisfy in the long run, unlike folk-based or raag-based songs. But Barso re was an afterthought. We had earlier recorded a song that was based on Gujarati folk that was to be shot with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on a bicycle - Main chali. But then she suffered an injury and we thought of a rain song instead and that’s how Barso re happened. Tere bina was a Sufi number and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khansaab has always been a great inspiration for me.
What kind of song comes easier for you?
Making any good song or tune is never easy! (Laughs)
Speaking of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, is it true that you wanted her to sing Man Mohana in Jodhaa Akbar?
Well, Ashutosh Gowariker was very keen on Aishwaryaji singing that song. But she had no time to rehearse.
But the song is very demanding musically. Could an actress doing a one-off rendition have done justice to it?
Well, there are hidden talents in people! Nicole Kidman successfully sang abroad.
Today, software for pitch-correction is available. On the other hand, you have always been known to use amateur singers and maintain their natural tones, even if they are not in immaculate sur. Why is that?
As a lover of world music, I have come to believe that it is not necessary to have perfection when someone has a passion for music. Too much polish can be boring sometimes! (Laughs) See this jacket that I am wearing. It’s a new jacket but there is a deliberate faded quality at the edges. That makes it more attractive!
You tend to do a lot of Hindi films with a period or historical backdrop - The Legend Of Bhagat Singh, Bose - The Forgotten Hero, Mangal Pandey - The Rising and even Lagaan and a part of Guru. How do you approach these films’ scores vis-à-vis a ‘normal’ contemporary assignment?
Such films make you think differently. For example, there is no catchy groove that you can use and a certain authenticity is needed. At the same time, there should be a contemporary appeal and quality, and I have to see how friendly my music can be while retaining the correct vibe. Today even kids are smart - they pick up the best and the most interesting of songs, old or new.
A common allegation is that you use instruments that were not present in those eras.
Well, I try to avoid something that has too modern a sound, like a guitar. I love acoustics anyway. But such aspects are not always possible or necessary. And no composer has been able to be a purist in this genre of cinema. The effect and quality of the orchestration and background music are more important.
Another long-standing accusation against you is that your music often is repetitious, and this has been a personal observation too.
(Smiles) Well, I guess that’s because everything I do comes from within me, so a certain style or stamp is unavoidable. But it also has a lot to do with the film too and my inspirational level.
Well, we see freshness in every film of yours with say, a Mani Ratnam or a Subhash Ghai or an Ashutosh Gowariker. But then you do films like Lakeer, Tehzeeb…
(Shrugs) Sometimes I have done certain films for specific reasons. But as I said I want to be even choosier than before.
Himesh Reshammiya hopes to sing for you sometime. You used Bappi Lahiri’s vocals in Guru. And now there is news that you will be singing for Kailasa - The Band in their first film project.
Well, that’s not going to happen, unfortunately. Kailash (Kher) did want me to sing, but I am not comfortable as yet with the idea of singing for someone else. I can’t really explain why, but I guess I am somehow not cut out for that.
Which are the films that you are doing now?
I am doing Aamir Khan’s Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and his remake of Ghajini and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Dilli 6.Subhashji’s Yuvraaj will always release this year. In Tamil films I am doing Shankar’s Robot and also Sultan - The Warrior.Then there is a Telugu film starring Pawan Kalyan. Some more projects are coming up.
Courtesy: ScreenIndia.com
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