Hyderabad, May 16: With the surge of upcoming bands one would expect the metropolis to be flooded with rock concerts and other such events, but it comes a great surprise to learn that Hyderabad, a city filled with music junkies, lacks the requisite facilities.
“Hyderabad has a long way to go in terms of accepting the idea of having young bands,” feels Hema Chandra, a music teacher and founder of music school Keys.
She adds, “There seems to be a shortage of venues where youngsters can exhibit their talent.”
Sanjeev, a member of the Rockworks foundation which utilises music to address social issues, feels, “It is close to impossible in Hyderabad to find a decent venue to host a rock show,” and adds, “It is tough to organize a non-commercial event in and attract sponsors!”
Apart from the lack of stages, musicians also lack adequate places to practice. Shweta an IT professional and member of Band By Chance, says “It is extremely hard to find a suitable place to practice.”
As a result, her band is reduced to renting music schools which already have the equipment.
She laments “It is very expensive as they charge you by the hour and is a highly impractical option.” Musicians feel that apart from these obstacles, the most fundamental fault is in our education system.
Veteran musician and member of one of India’s most popular bands Parikrama, Subir Malik strongly feels that schools today stifle creativity with their ferocious focus on academics.
“My own daughter, who is in the sixth grade, has a school bag heavier than my keyboard. When I was in school things weren’t so bad!”
Despite these apparent faults in our system, today’s youth is very optimistic. Music director, Keith D’Rozario feels Hyderabad has a great audience and is full of opportunity and promise. Agrees Suhit, vocalist of fledgeling band Paper Mache, who feels, “We didn’t face a problem in finding a stage to perform.
Apart from Lamakaan, several pubs are also giving us the opportunity to perform.”
When asked about whether it is hard for a young musician to “make it”, he replies, “It depends on how passionate you are.
Your passion determines how far you will go.” Interestingly, these youngsters do not feel that schools today are killing creativity. D’Rozario says, “Every school is giving importance to the arts.” One task youngsters do find challenging is juggling music and studies.
But a balance is always struck. Despite these trials and tribulations, “The scene has improved,”opines Subir Malik. He feels more opportunities have opened up and adds, “It is definitely better compared to the scene twenty years ago!” Despite these hurdles these musicians have faced, all of them agree that they have received great support from their parents.
While there certainly are a few who have succumbed to parental pressures to pursue academic success, most parents have paved the path to their musical success.
Setting aside their difficulties, the younger generation is appreciative of what is given.
Like true youngsters, they take everything in their stride, immersed in the pursuit of their musical passion. Hyderabad is sure to see and hear a lot more from them in the future.
—–Agencies