The interview which appears below, was originally published on Hindustan Times in January 2008. ©The rights to this material are reserved to the owner. If you have any concerns or comments, please send an email to info@rahmaniac.com.
It’s only natural for the most sought-after music director in the country to work on his birthday. A.R. Rahman, who turned 42 on January 6, however, didn’t hit the studios to compose music. Instead, he opened the doors of his Apple-authorized music conservatory in his hometown, Chennai. The reclusive music maestro has been closely working on his training center, KM Music Conservatory, which offers training programs in music and music technology.
“I have finally opened my music conservatory. In the coming months, we will have students and singers training in performances and production,” says Rahman.
The schoolhouse will audition budding musicians and students who can play various instruments, including the flute, French horn, trumpet, violin, and percussion. The handpicked candidates will then enroll in the course that promises to cover Western vocal and instrumental performance, Indian Classical vocal, Western and Indian music theory, music appreciation, and ear training.
As far as music technology goes, Rahman intends to train his students in audio engineering. Apple-certified courses in Logic Pro and Digidesign certificate courses in Pro Tools will also be a part of the module, says the music director.
So, what prompted Rahman to establish a music training school? “Having the knowledge of both music performances and music technology is invaluable. The skill to perform an instrument combined with production capabilities will ensure many more career opportunities,” he says.
Amidst his work for the conservatory, he was busy meeting friends who had turned up to wish the reclusive music director and, of course, answering phone calls from industry insiders. He says, “Ashutosh Gowariker and Shankar had called to wish me.”
Ask him about the gifts that he received on his birthday, and the shy music director says, “I have received quite a few bouquets and good wishes from other Mumbai-based directors and lyricists.”
Rahman is presently accumulating musicians for an orchestra in the country. The graduates from his music conservatory will get to audition for the KM Music Symphony Orchestra. “Indian composers usually travel abroad to record with orchestras. My vision is to provide an orchestra in India,” adds Rahman.
