Notes from the seafront

Watched by the sea, in a room free of clutter and furniture, Rahul Sharma coaxes harmony out of his santoor

The sea is an abiding presence at santoor player Rahul Sharma8217;s music room in his new flat in Bandra. While the apartment opens out on all sides to one of Mumbai8217;s most famous and busiest seafronts, the Bandstand, the view from the French windows in this fully carpeted room is quieter. 8220;In the evening, I sit here listening to what I have composed in the day. The view of the setting sun outside and the music in the background turns it into a truly inspiring place,8221; he says.

The deacute;cor is minimalist. Photographs of Sathya Sai Baba, father Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma and two miniature Ganpatis are the only adornments on the walls. Two large JVL speakers take up the maximum floor space. In a corner near the windows are his santoor and his laptop; the latter is equipped with a sound mixer and enough gadgets to 8220;record albums8221;. Close by lies a books cabinet with an 8216;Om8217; insignia on top and an eclectic mix of books from Osho8217;s The Last Morning Star, Broken Music the autobiography of Sting to Train Journeys of the World. The room can hold six people with instruments. 8220;You are always fighting for space in Mumbai8217;s flats. I have done away with furniture as they restrict movement and space. It works with my kind of music as I sit on the floor when I play,8221; says Sharma.

The colour on the walls is a muted off-white, customised by the designer to Rahul8217;s taste. 8220;Unlike my bedroom that has bright shades of yellow and orange, I opted for dull colours here because they don8217;t distract. They help me concentrate better. I have also used spotlights with dimmers to lessen the harshness of the light,8221; he says.

One can8217;t miss the predominance of wood on the floor and the walls of the house. Even the windows have a wooden paneling. 8220;Wood on the walls resonates best with the sound from string instruments,8221; he explains. 8220;But the glass is soundproof so there8217;s no fear of it traveling out or disturbing the neighbourhood when played aloud.8221; Not that the neighbours would complain at the soft notes coming out of Sharma8217;s home during the four or five hours of his riyaz or the time he spends composing music from 9.30-10 in the morning to late afternoon every day.

Sharma is all set to embark on a six-city tour with Ustad Zakir Hussain in USA in mid-November. He is also working on an album on the concept of a dejected lover8217;s journey into death and a sequel to Confluence with Richard Clayderman on piano. 8220;The bizarre always inspires me,8221; says the music maker, whose last album Maya was an ode to illusion.

The big news is that the eligible bachelor will tie the knot early January, which 8220;might lead to slight changes in the way the flat looks, depending on the tastes and ideas of the lady of the house,8221; he says. 8220;But my music room will remain the way it is.