Music

Reality shows boost young musical talent

AAROHI KESHAV

Apurva Upadhyay and (bottom) Kamal Dev. Pictures by Ashok Sinha Patna, March 10: Nine-year-old Apurva Upadhyay dreams of making it big one day as a singer. “Singing is my passion,” said the Class V student, who idolises Lata Mangeshkar and Alka Yagnik. But to become a successful singer, she needs proper training. “Earlier, I used to sing Hindi film songs and bhajans that my mother and grandmother taught me. But two years ago, my parents decided that I need formal training. Since then I have been learning classical and folk from my guru Divya Mishra,” she said. The young singer, who does riyaz for at least two hours every day, has already performed at a show organised by a local channel. But she is no exception. A number of national and local channels are hosting reality music shows to nurture young talents and provide them with a platform. Patna residents Deepali and Mohan Rathore, who successfully competed in reality shows on national television, have become household names in the state capital. Rathore used to sing bhajans and kirtans in temples. But after winning the talent hunt, he is now a celebrity. Local television channels are also following the example of their national counterparts and hosting programmes to promote local talents. Kamal Dev, 24, took to singing after being encouraged by his friends, who told him he could be a good singer as his voice was melodious. “My friends and relatives used to praise my singing. They advised me to take it seriously. I though why not?” said Kamal. He added: “To hone my talent, I took training from a private institute in Patliputra for four years. I have learnt about notes and pitch and have become a better singer. Techniques that I learnt during my training help me sing correctly.” Kamal has been performing on TV and has done a number of stage shows over the past two years. On being asked about how serious he was about singing, he said: “I want to take it up as a career. But I also want to complete my education first. If I do not make it big as a singer, then I can at least get some other job.” Harihar Pathak, a music teacher who has been training aspiring singers of Patna, said: “In the past decade, the number of music lovers has increased. A lot of them want to learn singing and pursue a career in music. I have been training singers of all age groups. Some of my students are only five, others are 70.” He added: “It becomes very disappointing when a good singer has to quit because of family or societal pressure. But it gives immense satisfaction when my students take up singing as their career and teach others. Many of my students have now become music teachers.” Another music teacher, Om Jha, said aspiring singers should keep a few things in mind. “To pursue a career in singing, aspiring youths should learn and understand the basics of music before anything else. It is essential to have a solid foundation before choosing a career. There are five basic components in singing — pitch, rhythm, breathing, voice and diction,” said Jha. He added: “A good voice should not be taken for granted. After all, the first thing that your audience will notice is the quality of your voice. Most singers are judged on the quality of their voice. A young singer can strengthen their vocal apparatus through exercises. These can boost the quality of your voice and help create wonderful music. Diction refers to how you pronounce the words in your song. If you have a good diction, your listeners can easily grasp the lyrics and understand the meaning of the song. You should also be able to connect with your audience through the song.”