I love Navi Mumbai, and I am proud to be a part of this city. The city has always inspired me to aim higher.
Shankar Mahadevan
To sustain and become a musician of a certain calibre, you need to know and understand music completely. You need to have a good taste in music and should know your good music from mediocre ones.
I do watch singing reality shows.
Music is the highest form of communication.
Travel is always connected to music, as with travel, we explore the world, and by listening music, we explore ourselves.
I always told my children that if they want to be pilot, go ahead and do it, or if they wanted to get into agriculture, I told them that I will support them. But when they chose music, you feel as if those birds have come back home to the nest.
When you do a pop album, the canvas is completely yours. There is no story situation forced on to your songs - you have the freedom to develop it right from the concept.
I don't think you can have a calculated approach towards learning music.
I quit my software engineer job, decided that I would be a singer, and got married. Those days, there were no platforms like the 'Indian Idol.' It was like, you decide to become a singer, and then what do you do? It must have been tough for my wife getting married to a man without a job.
I am associated with Namami Goda Foundation, and I believe rivers are the pulse of our country.
When you have music in your life, you can never be lonely.
I am proud of my kids.
I don't mind travelling to and fro from Navi Mumbai for work because the calm and serene atmosphere I enjoy here is unparalleled.
Music connects all of us universally!
I have completed 21 years of composing music in Indian films.
You have to be, become, the musician who can't be replaced.
Over time, people will notice what you are doing. Then you'll be in demand, and when you are in demand, you'll make money.
I have always been fascinated by Krishna, the Indian deity.
'Breathless' was an important milestone in my life.
I feel music-making is more like a psychological game; each film has its own colour that needs to be identified and addressed.
I'm a proud mainstream musician, but having said that, I do firmly believe there's more to musical talent in India than just Bollywood.
Don't run after shows and money.
I want to sing of humanity, friendship, what's happening to the Earth and the like.
It's hectic at times, but this is what any artiste wants: a hectic life with lot of travelling, performances, lots of love from fans, the opportunity to compose songs back-to-back, and a chance to share the stage with maestros like Zakir Hussain.
Who are critics? Do they know about music? Have they proved themselves in the field? I remember, when we came up with the music of 'Dil Chahta Hai,' some of the critics said that the songs sounded like jingles.
Why English music is being taught in some schools? The government should make arrangements to promote Indian classical music among students.
I think times have changed, and there's no dearth of talent in the music industry.
Being from a middle-class Indian family, I learned Carnatic music.
I feel that one thing that a businessman can learn is do not follow a path that has already been successful. You will never be a path-breaker then.
While the concert is instant communication with the audience, composing is a creative process where a song comes up out of nowhere and then transmits happiness to many, translates into money, fame, or whatever.
I would like to do some non-film stuff.
Learning music must be made easy and fun.
You can't put a show in a boring format to young kids. They need to relate to it.
I feel there is a song for every occasion, and India is a land full of music.
I have tried to show the influence of folk music in Bollywood, in Tamil movies, in Telugu cinema.
'My Country, My Music' is about bringing music in languages like Tamil, Telegu, Kannada, Malyalam, and Marathi together. It's about bringing musical genres together, different scenarios in which music is displayed in our country in one show.
Music is my friend, my constant companion.
Besides training, you need to be focused and not shy away from hard work.
Music is so abstract; it is a combination of words and melody.
It is when you adapt that you truly grow. When you grow, you don't let your art become the breeding ground for inadequacies.
Lots of musicians from non-filmi backgrounds and from independent bands are making it to mainstream cinema. Even the music directors are experimenting with different genres.
Before the heart attack, I used to do a lot of work - what's needed and what's not needed. I used to sing songs that leave an impact and those that didn't. I could never say 'No.' Now, I have learnt to say it, though, and believe me, it has not been easy to do so.
My sons are my friends, too, and they have introduced me to new technology and new sounds from around the world. I have learnt a lot from them.
You can't run away from the fact that you cannot ignore hard work.
Work on not becoming good but excellent.
Music in our schools is considered to be an extra-curricular activity in which you teach your students a few patriotic songs and bhajans that children are not interested in.
If you are teaching a kid about seasons, you can put it in a song. He will definitely take interest. I wish to put every physics formula into a song, and it will become very easy for the student to learn.
Bollywood takes up a lot of time.
Fundamentally, if there is any secret, it is about the need to find that peace and calm in our personal space with music, as most of 'learning music' is about listening to music and practicing over and over again.
Music is all about creativity.
