Indian classical music is the heart and soul of the Indian culture. The vividness of the forms of Indian Classical music is what adds to the cultural ethos of the country. It is an art form that requires years of hard-work, training and dedication. While getting trained is the most important aspect of building a strong foundation in Classical music, it is also important to listen to various classical singers and develop your own style of singing. Learning classical music as a passion ultimately turns into a career for many, but to prosper is difficult as takers of classical music is sparse. The millenials today are more inclined towards fusion music and there is a limited bunch that appreciates the intricacies of the classical ragas. For that matter, it’s taken ages for maestros to establish themselves considering even the Indian Government has been slow in giving the right platform and opportunities to classical artists to bring their talent on the table. With these changing trends and audience perceptions around classical music, it is important that the music is an amalgamation of both Indian classical and semi classical forms. One can try establishing himself or herself as a semi-classical singer because that is relatively easy and find feat in classical as well. There is a huge demand for artists that have a strong hold on both classical and semi classical forms as this allow you to experiment and create something extraordinary, as in fusion forms. Infact we can see a degeneration of Thumri’s, Tappa’s and Dadra’s, so trying to revive and hold on to this genre is also a very good option. Additionally, it is important that you develop the habit of composing songs on various ragas from a young age. Try and bring innovation in your compositions and record them to take feedback from people on the same. In the process educate people on the ragas used in the songs. Engaging with a larger audience is what adds to your learning and will provide you recognition for your work. Training in isolation is of no help for artists, it is more important to be amongst the audience that can give you an honest feedback of your work. As one grows, he or she can look out for opportunities and start giving public performances. One can start with small shows; get membership in music associations. One must not reject opportunities to showcase his or her music, no matter how small or big it is. The road to success in music comes with a lot of rough potholes, but you must go on.
The writer is eminent singer and compose