Nobody except a highly spiritual musician like A R Rahman can start his new venture on this note.
Only a man like him can dedicate his dream venture to one of the most famous Sufi saints in Chishty order, and the founder of Sufism in India: Khawaja Moinuddin Chishty.
Yes, Rahman has named the first music conservatory in India as K M Music Conservatory. The school was official launched on March 12 in the midst of highly acclaimed musicians from all over the world.
"The two letters are spiritually close to me, and brought me good luck," he confessed.
Music has given Rahman everything and he says the Music Conservatory is his way of giving something back to music. "The more you give, the more you get."
"There are 1.4 billion people in India and thousands of musicians but there is no symphony orchestra with our very own musicians while even smaller countries have their own orchestra. So, the reason to start the KM Conservatory is simple. Most of the young aspiring musicians want to learn more of electronic stuff. Acoustic instruments are of no interest to them. We want to start a course where students learn acoustic instruments as well as electronic instruments. It is important to raise awareness about different kinds of music," he continues.
It was this desire to have an orchestra in India that mainly prompted him to pump a lot of his money into a dream project like this.
"We are chipping in all that we have. We have not counted yet. It's the project that is more important."
Padmabhushan Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan, one of India's leading Hindustani classical musicians, and his son Mustafa Khan, will be teaching Hindustani classical music to the students at the Conservatory.
Congratulating Rahman on his effort, Khan said, "I congratulate Rahman for starting a music school of international standards in India. We are always with him."
Padmabhushan Dr L Subramaniam who is in the advisory board said, "This music school is one of the best things that can happen in India. It is a great venture. When we grew up, we didn't have this kind of an opportunity. Here, musicians from different parts of the world will come and take classes for the students. The approach to music is holistic."
Dr Randy Giles, who will advise on the academic curriculum said, "This is a very new idea in India. Indian musicians will benefit a lot from the school. The future of the school is one in which music is seen as a discipline just as any other, with the potential to be a professional career."
The others in the advisory panel, who were present with Rahman at the launch included the Founder of Global Rhythms ensemble Prof Srinivas Krishnan, pianist composer Pushkar, voice trainer and composer Wendy Par, and violinist Ladislav.
Rahman says he welcomes all those musicians who want to teach at the Conservatory.
The KM Conservatory, in collaboration with Audio Media Education, an Apple authorised training centre, will concentrate on both Indian and western instrumental and vocal music technology.
Initially courses will be offered in music technology, voice, strings and keyboards. These are divided into Preparatory, Foundation and Diploma courses. The Preparatory course is open to any student from any age group with interest in music while the Foundation and Diploma courses are more advanced. In fact, the Diploma course is a two year program.
There are also plans to make the KM Conservatory into a Deemed University with a Bachelor's Degree course in music.
In addition to providing scholarships to students from the A R Rahman Foundation, Rahman's role is that of a Founder-Principal overseeing the curriculum. In two year's time, he hopes to have a huge sprawling campus away from the hustle and bustle of city where only music notes are heard.
Rahman's advice to all aspiring musicians, "Be passionate about music, true to yourself and give 101 per cent to music."
Courtesy: Rediff.com
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