A Sound Wave

“To understand complicate rhythm patterns through interesting sounds,” says the ace percussionist who also teaches drums to students online and runs websites like singingdrums.com. “Online teaching is the next best thing to a Guru,” he says.

Elsewhere,teacher of electronic music,sound engineer and bassist Rudy David logs on to take lessons from world renowned German bassist and composer Kai Eckhardt. Move to the music shop Furtados in Bangaluru and Bethel Tsuzu leaves her audience and students stunned with her effortless performance on the piano,both at the store and in the Furtados Music Academy which she manages.

Trained by Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia,Annanda Prasanna Pattanaik aka Flute Butto is a flutist of international fame. Part of a US-based band Atmic Vision,Butto has to his credit 1,000 movies too.

Move to Alwyn Fernandes,voted among India’s top 10 guitarists. Fernandes rose through the ranks from being a church choir boy in Mangalore to a votary of social change,a movie music composer and Channel V Billboard Award winning pop band along with Sandeep Chowta.

Together,the five were the Bella Vista in Panchkula for a performance,The Furtados Experiment,courtesy the Furtados music shop at DT Mall. A unique concert,it was a medley of classical,fusion,bollywood revolving around the piano,adding different musical elements to it,making it more exciting and interesting.

With musicians from such diverse backgrounds,the collaboration comes as a first and according to Kumar,musical collaborations are the future. While Tsuzu keyed in Western classical sensibilities on the piano,Butto and Kumar wove the finer aspects of Indian classical music,with David and Fernandes bringing in a melange of rock,jazz,blues,metal.

Aces in their respective instruments and fields,the five have performed with a diverse range of musicians,from Lucky Ali to L Subramaniam,and hail from Bangaluru which they say is a melting pot of music. “Music as a profession has no targets or deadlines… it’s the best,” says Butto.

But,chips in Kumar,it’s not that easy to come together and make music. “One needs to have the sensitivity and sensibility to understand each other’s music and point of view,and then blend it in a way that’s music to the ears,” converse David,Kumar and Butto,laying emphasis on music as a journey.

“It’s the process of making music that’s fun,not the gig,” says David. From teaching online,finding new ways of pulling children into music to researching into the power and impact of music,they are doing it all.

For instance,David along with a couple of others is taking the Music Lab to schools. “We make music interactive and challenging for research. Music helps the child focus and improve in studies too,” says David. “Music in schools needs qualified music teachers.”

Fernandes and Kumar,however,sign off with the rise of music lovers and learners courtesy technology.