Formal training in music vital: Shilpa Rao

Bollywood playback singer says having knowledge of what you’re venturing into is important.

NEW DELHI: Singer Shilpa Rao advises musically-inclined youth must resort to formal training to gain a foothold in the music industry. The 29-year-old, who hails from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, took professional training under Indian classical musician Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan and later went on to sing soulful compositions like Tosey Naina Lagey, Saiyaan Re, Ek Lau and Manmarziya.

“I think the youth of today need to learn music first. That is something very important. Learning music and having knowledge of what you are doing is very important,” Rao told IANS.

She believes the current lot of youngsters has an advantage with the myriad platforms available to them to showcase their talent. “One great advantage in this day and age is that there are so many avenues open for musicians nowadays — there is Internet, radio, television and live performances. I think there are so many avenues that any person who wants to be a musician today can go out there [and showcase their talent]. Becoming a musician is not much of a difficult decision to make,” she said.

Rao, who also has a band called Nine, recently turned mentor for a pop band called Rang. This initiative was part of a campaign called Ray-Ban Never Hide Sounds, an annual property of eyewear brand Ray-Ban. The campaign aims to find young music talent across the country.

Mentoring the six-piece group gave Rao the chance to learn a few things herself. “Anything new you do always gives you butterflies, but with every new experience you keep learning,” she said.

“With every new project you keep exploring yourself and growing. Even with this new band I have learned so much.”

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2013.

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