With nearly two dozens of music academies in the Valley, learning to play an instrument is a growing trend among many youngsters these days. But there are some for whom music holds a much deeper meaning, and these young people wish to make a career in music despite being repeatedly told that there’s no future in it.
The Week’s Cilla Khatry met with a few aspiring musicians and she brings to you their stories.[break]
Barta Gandharba’s father played the Sarangi, and when he moved to Darjeeling from Bhojpur for work, her mother had no option but to take her around and make her play the instrument to support a family of nine. She was only seven years old then, and that’s how she started off.
Now 24, Barta is a pro but is still taking classes at Nepal Music Center in Battis Putali while simultaneously teaching at Arya Tara in Pharping, a school founded by Singing Nun Ani Choying Dolma.
She is also a second-year BA student at Lalit Kala Campus at Bhotahiti. At times, she’s even a substitute Sarangi teacher at Nepal Music Center.
Juggling many tasks in a day doesn’t leave her with much time for herself but Barta dedicates every spare moment to practice and tries to hone her talents.
Barta has already been to China, Norway and Sri Lanka and has performed with other musicians in these countries for the Talent 2007 festival. She also performed with Kutumba in 2008 and she calls this her first platform on a national level.
She now performs regularly at events held by Bakery Café and Alliance Francaise. Her recent gig was during Women’s Day where she performed for a large crowd gathered at Basundhara.
“It was because of the Kutumba concert that people started paying some attention to me and now I get opportunities to play more often,” says Barta with a smile, adding that she is also a part of a ladies’ band started by Dolma.
Music means everything to this young lady who pays attention to the details while playing. Nothing mediocre will do for her, and she will keep practicing the same song until she knows it like the back of her hands.
She constantly tries to improve her music by practicing for hours at a stretch, and she doesn’t mind the hard work because she feels she needs to be extremely dedicated to something she has chosen as a career.
“I’m so scared that I’ll goof up in front of an audience and that fear keeps me wanting to learn and practice more with every passing day,” she says.
Barta hopes to someday be able to connect with people through her music. She hopes people will be soothed by her music and will want to hear more, and with such dedication and passion, this young aspiring musician will surely fulfill her goals.
Passionate percussionist
As he bangs on the Djembe, Anmol Mohara gets comfortable and you can see him starting to get more and more relaxed with every beat. This 13-year-old is a delight to watch and listen to.
Mohara came to Kathmandu from Dharan three years back to learn music at Nepal Music Center of Battis Putali. He lives in a hostel away from his family and studies at Midland English Boarding School which is a few minutes’ walk from the music center.
Currently studying in grade eight, he is at school from nine in the morning till four in the afternoon, after which he comes back and practices for hours at a stretch.
“We have one hour of class twice a week at the music school, and on the other days we practice for nearly four to five hours daily,” says Mohara, adding that since he loves music he doesn’t mind the long hours of practice.
“I’m happy when I’m practicing and so four hours of practice on a daily basis doesn’t seem that long. It passes rather fast for my liking.”
Mohara recalls trying to play the conga, a tall and narrow single-headed drum every chance he got ever since he was four years old.
“The conga belonged to my uncle’s friend and I banged on it and slowly I learnt how to play it,” he says, adding that he has always been fond of percussion which is perhaps the reason why he’s now learning to play the drums and madal, too, besides conga and djembe.
“I’m not a bad drummer,” says Mohara with a shy smile, admitting that it’s his favorite instrument. Already at thirteen, he has performed with adults twice his age at various functions at Bakery Café and Alliance Francaise besides playing regularly at functions organized by Nepal Music Center.
He likes all kinds of music but is highly fond of Jazz, Rock and Blues. Adding that music has a calming effect on him, Mohara mentions that he aspires to become a renowned musician and that he can’t imagine a future in any other field.
He’s young and he has a lot to learn before establishing himself as a fantastic musician he hopes to become. But he’s had an early start and is already halfway there.
The fantastic vocalist
He closes his eyes and sings a few lines from a popular Nepali song and it hits you that this young man is extremely passionate about singing and music.
Ram Timalsina, 21, has been learning to sing for the past six months at Kaleidoscope Music Academy and already has his teachers speaking very highly of him.
The fact that he discontinued his education after appearing for his grade 11 board exams to pursue a career in music speaks volumes of his love for singing.
“Ever since I was in class five, I’ve been singing in almost every possible function and event,” says Timalsina who now spends every waking hour practicing. Besides the daily one-hour class at Kaleidoscope, he’s constantly singing and practicing songs that grabs his attention.
From classical to the latest pop songs, Timalsina can sing everything with equal confidence and he doesn’t shy from singing when people ask him to and is also quick in volunteering to sing a song whenever he can.
Singing with Om Bikram Bista, the Pop icon of the 80s, during a few occasions has been the highlight of this young man’s musical journey.
“Not everybody gets a chance to sing with a legend and I’ve been fortunate enough to do so,” says Timalsina with a smile playing on his lips. “I strive to become like him and want to be known for my songs someday.”
He hasn’t had a lot of experience or exposure but he’s happy as he believes he’s on the right track and has no regrets about discontinuing his studies. In 2011, Timalsina participated in Singing Star and that further motivated him to continue his vocal training.
He believes that he’s destined to sing and says that he’ll continue doing so despite the odds he may face. Whether or not he’ll get appreciated isn’t something he worries about as he sings for himself rather than an audience.
He mentions that he has a long way to go but the fact that he’s started his journey gives him all the satisfaction he needs at the moment. Someday, he hopes to have people humming his songs, and as for now, he’s happy fantasizing about that time.
Tabla/Madal aficionado
A grade 10 student at Venus English School in Bhimsengola, Kathmandu, Sudhir Acharya has been learning to play the tabla and madal at Nepal Music Center ever since he was seven years old.
Acharya mentions that though nobody in his family is into music or plays an instrument, he just picked it up as a kid and there’s been no looking back ever since. Now music is his solace and he loves playing the tabla and finds that it has a very calming effect on him.
“There’s something about playing an instrument that just instantly calms you down. No matter how tired I am, I can play the tabla and forget everything else,” says Acharya who can play the instruments for hours at a stretch.
Acharya has teamed up with Anmol Mohara and formed a band – Atom AK47. “Atom is small just like we are and AK47 is loud and impacting, just like our music, and that’s the reason we named our two-member band Atom AK47,” says Acharya with a big smile, as Mohara laughs.
There’s something about this 14-year-old kid that just instantly grabs your attention. When he starts playing the madal, there’s nothing you want to do more than tap your feet and sway with the beats.
Acharya mentions that he loves playing and listening to music equally and thus music rules his life. When he’s not playing, he’s listening to music by various rock bands, and that makes him want to play music more.
“There’s so much music out there and I want to contribute more to it,” he says, adding that every form of music inspires him. But he wishes to leave a mark in the music industry by playing the tabla.
Even with the dreaded SLC exams coming up in less than a year now, Acharya vouches to remain focused on his music and says that making time for music is not an option but absolutely necessary for him as it’s equally important as education, if not more.
A driven Jazz pianist
Until he was 18, Yuvash Vaidya had no intentions of learning to play an instrument. Though he was always interested in music and to a large extent also wished he could play something, he couldn’t decide what to learn. So he never pursued any specific course.
He finally decided on Jazz piano as it was something quite unique and very few people were doing it. Now, after three years of training, he’s a decent jazz pianist and has played with other bands at Moksh and House of Music.
“When I wanted to learn Jazz piano, I was skeptical about it as I thought 18 was too late to start. So I practiced a bit by myself before enrolling in a music school for formal training,” says Vaidya, adding that playing the piano isn’t something as regular as playing the guitar, and that fact in itself was enough to motivate him to learn to play the instrument.
He joined the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory two years back and that’s been his turning point. He now gets to perform with his teachers and other musicians at various functions and that motivates him to learn more and give it his all.
He wishes to go to the States and pursue courses that will polish his skills and then return to Nepal to make a career in music.
“In Nepal, people have this notion that there’s no career in music. I want to change that. But I can only do that when I’ve perfected my skills,” he says.
His inspiration is Keith Jarrett, the American Jazz pianist, and Vaidya turns to his music whenever he needs a little musical nourishment.
Vaidya has been taking Jazz piano lessons after his +2 exams and hasn’t enrolled in a college for a Bachelor’s degree and is focused on his music. As he was always a good student in his school, he never thought he would give up his education to pursue a hobby or a passion, and that too something that he chose to do on a whim. But now, he can’t think of doing anything else except playing Jazz piano and making a career out of it however difficult that might be.
“I’m determined to see to it that I establish myself as a brilliant Jazz pianist and I’m willing to do whatever it takes. I believe that with hard work, dedication and passion, you can accomplish anything.”
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