Tough Tunes

At a 50th birthday party I attended recently,the 20-something son performed for his mothers big day along with his heavy metal band of five other musicians.

Written by Leher Kala
April 19, 2011 06:20 AM IST

3 min read

At a 50th birthday party I attended recently,the 20-something son performed for his mothers big day along with his heavy metal band of five other musicians. They sang some old AC/ DC numbers totally dressed the part long hair,piercings and tattoos,torn jeans and tight T-shirts,the predictable guise of budding rock stars. The son has dropped out of college to pursue his passion for music. The proud parents looked on indulgently,clapping enthusiastically at every break,and the rest of the captive audience followed suit. Im no heavy metal connoisseur and the music to me sounded shrill,out of sync and,occasionally,like Diwali gone horribly wrong.

Maybe its just the beginning. Theyll get better and be Queen someday. Theres a Somerset Maugham short story about a boy who wanted to be a pianist and,despite years of practice and encouragement from family,he wasnt particularly good. When he was evaluated by another musician who told him he should try a different career,he shot himself dead. Grim,indeed. One of the toughest aspects of being a parent is to be able to judge your own kids and their choices with some level of objectivity. You want so badly for them to follow their dreams and find their own space. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesnt. Unlike previous generations of Indian parents,many of us are not bound by convention. We dont think our children should become engineers and doctors,were liberal enough to let them choose their professions,no matter how offbeat. But breaking into the music scene and making it,despite the ease with which you can distribute it on the internet now is legendarily hard. It needs a combination of talent,money,exposure and luck. Even Lady Gaga found it tough breaking into radio at the start of her career. If the talent is sketchy,you dont have a chance. But what do you do if thats what your child wants to do? Support it,I guess.

This story requires a subscription

Select a plan and use IE10 code to get 10% extra off

POPULAR

EXPRESS EDGE

Daily ePaper access

Premium stories & archives

UPSC Section + UPSC Essentials Magazine

Premium stories & archives

UPSC Section + UPSC Essentials Magazine

Starts at ₹133/month

Best for UPSC aspirants

This story requires a subscription

Please Select A Plan

POPULAR

EXPRESS EDGE

Daily ePaper access

Premium stories & archives

UPSC Section + UPSC Essentials Magazine

Premium stories & archives

UPSC Section + UPSC Essentials Magazine

Starts at ₹133/month

Best for UPSC aspirants

A parent I know struck a deal with his 20-year-old son who wanted to pursue a career in music. He had to get a degree in it,he has to practise regularly (the equivalent of studying if he were doing a regular BA course),and if hes going nowhere in two years,he has to go for an MBA and get a job. Fair enough. Talent is an essential prerequisite of course,in every career,but more so in music,films and sports. The Outliers theory,of 10,000 hours of practice to be exceptional at almost anything,doesnt apply to musicians,or a lot more of them would experience AR Rahmans success. The toughest part of any offbeat career besides the obvious one of a steady income,is the waiting. For things to happen. No regular gig means little or no human contact. The isolation can be frustrating even once you reconcile to the uncertainty. Yet,what choice do you have but to give your dreams a chance?