The Big M Careers unravels yet another unconventional line for quirky musicicans.  Kirti Tarang tells you how some have put those vocal chords to be used as good as an orchestra ! Say hi to A Capella..

We all know a guy, who sits in the centre of our college canteen with his guitar and plays his way to popularity. We just hate him; as we can’t play with anything but ourselves (no pun intended!).

Apparently, there are takers for this talent of ours. The sounds, which we vocally produce like they do in Tata’s Docomo ad is a full-fledged genre in music – A Capella.

A Ca… What?

Penn Masala, the world’s first and premier Hindi a cappella group, was formed by a group of students at the University of Pennsylvania. Formed in 1996 , they have been featured in the soundtrack of American Desi (remember the zingy 'Aap jaisa koi?') and have released six full-length albums.

A Capella music is a form of group singing where vocal harmonies are used in place of musical instruments. To put it simply, it means singing without instrumental accompaniment. It literally means ‘in the manner of the church’ in Italian pertaining to its origin in church music & chanting, without instruments.

Does Whistling count?

Yes it does. According to Neuman Pinto, band member Choncorde, “Any sounds vocally produced can come under A Capella. From the kick of a bass drum (which comes under an art called ‘beat boxing’) to reproducing a violin or trumpet part.”

How to begin?

Pinto points out, “If you are talented in this genre, you should waste no more time waiting for opportunities to arise…. go out and look for like minded people and start creating your own sound. Take an old classic and do it in A Capella. Create something new, practice hard. Practice it in the streets…. you will notice how interested people are in what you are singing.”

The Cheat Code

Rockapella is an American a cappella musical group formed in 1986 in New York City; in addition to original vocal music, the group also performs a cappella covers of pop songs.

Pinto candidly shares his cheat-code with The Big M readers, “When you form a group, make sure that each of your members is bringing something new to the table. Every character in your group has to ooze  personality. For instance, in a band setup, you wouldn’t want the guitarist to sound like the keyboard player, similarly, in A Capella you don’t want everyone to sound like a lead vocalist. When you are singing the part of an instrument….. be that instrument.”

Is there any Future?

Based in Israel, The Voca People group (consisting of five men and three women) is an international vocal theater performance combining vocal sounds and an acapella singing with the art of beat-box. It boasts of over 6 million youtube hits in a few days right after their first performance on national TV.

In the United States, A Capella music is really big. With the new TV series Glee that emerged in the last year it is getting even bigger.  So, for many people it didn’t surprise when Pennmasala; an A Capella band of University of Pennsylvania performed at the White House on Diwali. Though the band members are of Indian origin; in India it still needs time to reach that level. Yet, the future is bright too as a lot can be experimented in India with A Capella; we can merge it with local musical styles to create the appeal we want it to have with the masses.

Watch Out!

Unfortunately, it’s tough to sustain an A Capella group because of the time, effort and dedication involved. Unlike a band of any other genre, it’s difficult to easily replace a member, especially if you’re a small unit. ‘Chonchorde’ was one of India’s best before they split. “Everyone has their own aims and goals in life. That was what went wrong. Members of the group reached a point where their priorities changed. They had to fulfill their individual dreams.” Pinto elaborates.

Hey where are the BABES?

Except for the ‘Voca-People’, all the major A Capella bands are all male bands. For Pennmasala and Choncorde, it was a conscious decision. Pinto, a band member of Choncorde, reasons, “Girls complicate things. I am saying that the quality of music would not  have been affected but it would have changed the atmosphere and jokes for sure.”

Get inspired

Here, take a look at The Big M’s favorite A Capella Bands and their youtube links:

• Choncorde
• Pennmasala
• Voca people
• Rockapella

Article by Kirti Tarang

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The Big M partnered with Mumbai’s SPJIMR OJAS to present to our readers this one of a kind competition. Read on..

Brand Bajao

One of Mumbai’s premier B-schools, SPJIMR, may well have provided the much needed break through to India’s current Rock music scenario. Their annual management fest, SPJIMR OJAS, gave some of India’s best brains an opportunity to showcase their marketing & branding skills coupled with their immense love for Rock music in this unique competition called ‘Brand Bajao’.

The judges didn't spare anyone!

The task at hand was to create a brand image for a Rock band and market it to the target audience with the help of some out-of-the-box thinking. Of the several hundred applications, 6 teams, from various B-schools across the country made it to the finals which were held at the SPJIMR campus on 20^th February 2010. We quickly run you through the suggestions and solutions provided by the finalists, some of which if implemented, have the power to turn the Indian Rock scene on its head !

The Big M team at work

How did this work? Just like any other competition, it came with a strict set of rules. Every team was allotted a Rock band for which they would develop a marketing and branding strategy. Participants had to work closely with members of the band allotted to them to develop a plan specific to their requirements. For the final round, the teams had to come up with a 15 minute presentation which they would present before the jury. The eminent jury merged just the two right talents of music and management. Girish ‘Bobby’ Talwar, the founding member of the band “Zero” & the founding Director in OML agreed to be one of the judges. Prof. Renuka Kamath with more than 14 years of experience in the field of marketing, who has also worked with brands like Whirlpool, Kelvinator was more than happy to render her vast knowledge for the same.

THE BIG M was highly impressed with the energy of the participants & we dont want to skip even one of the ambitious ideas that emerged in that boardroom.. here’s a dekko

College: MICA (Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad)

Band allotted: SCRIBE

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Detailed analysis of the Band’s existing image
  • Analysis of gaps in the marketing strategies used for previously released album ‘Confect’
  • Psychographic analysis and segmentation of the Fan base

Branding Suggestions:

• • Increase performances at corporate pub gigs to target young professionals with higher disposable income
  • Aggressive internet promotion to reach larger audiences
  • Using online radio – like Split/Indiecision for online play and FM radio in cities for PR and publicity
  • Releasing merchandise and memorabilia for Scribe’s gigs

Team 2: Manoranjan Vigyapan Sansthan

College: IIFT, Delhi

Band allotted: UNDYING INC

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Identifying differentiating characteristic of the band
  • Analysis of target audience
  • Current band positioning

Branding Suggestions:

• • Proposal for a new Logo which is representative of the band’s music as well as its exclusivity factor
  • Let fans be a part of the marketing process
  • Circulate fliers in the form of anticipatory bail plea/hospital admission form, etc.
  • Run Rock-Shaws (fancy Rickshaws symbolizing the band) on college routes

Team 3: Old Monks

College: MDI, Gurgaon

Band allotted: SCRIBE

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Study of the current status of Scribe amongst its fans
  • Analysis of the duality factor seen in the band’s songs, album cover, poster, lyrical style, etc.
  • Band’s current brand image and positioning

Branding Suggestions:

• • Concert Marketing
  • Association with youth centric organizations like SWAT, Fight-Back, etc.
  • Increasing online presence through Myspace, etc.

Team 4: Dawn

College: SCMHRD (Symbiosis, Pune)

Band allotted: BHAYANAK MAUT

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Identified USPs of the band with regards to band composition, lyrics, etc.
  • Conducted Chi Square tests to verify influence of age and educational background on preference for Rock music
  • Detailed analysis of choices and behavioral pattern of target audience

Branding Suggestions:

• • Design music videos with an Indian feel
  • Plan special performances in Oct 31^st, i.e. Holloween
  • Guerilla blogging
  • Conduct polls where fans get to choose the tracks to be featured in the album

Team 5: The Horcruxes

College: MDI, Gurgaon

Band allotted: BHAYANAK MAUT

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Detailed study of the band’s major influences
  • Identifying differentiating factors for the band in terms of its fans, its approach and its attitude

Branding Suggestions:

• • Crossing borders by organizing gigs at places outside the country
  • Increase youth penetration by targeting IITs, IIMs, etc.
  • Rework and new logo which is more aggressive and terrifying
  • Conduct gigs for social causes like AIDS awareness, Terrorism, corruption, etc.

Team 6: Illuminati

College: Welingkar Institute of Management, Bangalore

Band allotted: UNDYING INC

Highlights of the Presentation:

• • Study of the band’s evolution over the years
  • Porter’s 5 forces analysis of the band’s current and future status
  • In-depth analysis of target audience

Branding Suggestions:

• • Hot air balloon concert
  • Ambient advertising
  • Bluetooth advertising
  • Conduct gigs for social causes like AIDS awareness, Terrorism, corruption, etc.

To the participants amazement, the judges conducted a surprise round where a common question was thrown to all teams & was supposed to be answered impromptu. That was the final deciding factor for the team that excelled in quick thinking. The first place was awarded to Manoranjan Vigyapan Sansthan for the wholeness of their research and truly distinctive strategies while team Illuminati were the 1^st runners up. We thought some ideas where superbly brilliant while wondered about the practicality of some theoretically strong ones. Nonetheless, this competition proved, that even though there’s a lot to be done for Rock music in India, a few right steps in the right direction by the right people will do wonders !

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Aamir Khan is not the only one who went home grinning after 3 Idiots. With all that Boman Irani bashing, finally, our parents have decided to support us in whatever WE choose as our field of endeavor. The Big M knows that you want to cash on that before they change their minds.

So, we decided to present a ‘hatke’ field as OUR CAREER OF THIS MONTH – Sound Engineering. To give you an accurate account, we decided to jam the studios. Ravi Pratap, a lecturer at SAE Technology College and an assistant sound engineer in Spectral Harmony Studios; along with Prithvindra Paul, a freelance in the field of audio post production, were our mentors.

Who is a Sound Engineer?

The sound engineer plays a major role in the music industry. The main job of the sound engineer is to shape the sounds and tweak them accordingly so that they sound nice, polished and enhanced. For example, if you want to brighten up the vocals or create space between the instruments you know exactly who to look out for. Sound Engineers come in many guises and none of these are mutually exclusive, a good sound engineer will have a balance of most of these skills.

A Midas X18 - The mixing board allows the sound engineer to mix the various sounds - guitar, bass, drums, vocals - so that they are in balance

A Sound Engineer is not a DJ or Music Composer

Our mentors couldn’t have emphasized more that people have a misconception that by becoming a sound engineer they can be music composer. A sound engineer deals with the technical aspects of the sound. Paul adds, ‘when we say technical, people think of DJ. A DJ mixes compiled music, whereas, a sound engineer makes music out of raw sound.’ Wow! That sounds creative. In geeky terms, a studio is the lab and a sound engineer is the scientist who experiments with various sounds to enhance the creativity of a composition.

Can I be a sound engineer?

If you have an ear for different types of sounds and fair idea of how they react with each other, plus an appetite for the nitty-gritty of music, then, according to our mentors, you can be. “Youngsters aspiring to make a career out of this field should have an ear for different genres of music. As they say, the more the better. Moreover it is not only important just to listen to music but also hear between the lines to understand the intensity …for example, the timbre of a certain instrument and how it is tweaked according to the nature of the song”, illustrates Pratap. Apart from having a sensitive ear, a sound engineer should be able to nurture interpersonal relationships and should be socially active. In the words of Paul, “if you want to be in the industry, you have to be the industry.”  A good engineer will be able to mix a variety of different styles well. A good sense of pitch, timing and rhythm as well as a knowledge of electronics and acoustics works in your favour.

So I have the talent, but how to go about it?

Live sound engineers make sure that the instruments and vocals at concerts blend together

Pratap suggests that it is always better to have a personal home setup which requires a good configuration PC, a pair of good speakers, a decent entry level sound card and a pair of speakers or headphones. If you have enrolled for a course in a particular institute they provide special placement assistance to the candidates. If you have not done a course you can directly approach the studios to start off. Many institutes have sprung up in recent years which provide specialized courses in this field, SAE being one of the leading institutes.

Show me the money

Paul informs that with a plethora of channels and broadcasting stations coming up in the industry, there is a huge potential and demand for such a job. Salary ranges from 15000-70000 according to the level of skill and the quality of work and experience.

Article by Kirti Tarang

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So, you love Shankar Ehsaan Loy. You worship Indian Ocean. When you saw Porcupine Tree performing at Mood Indigo, your fingers itched to grab the mike and tune the crowd to your sound. Guess what? You can do that. And we can tell u how.

1. Before others, make yourself believe.

Most of us think we are not talented enough. Even JLo thought so.  In an interview, she was reported saying, “It wasn’t like it was with Marc, who opened his mouth at age three and was blessed with a voice from God. That wasn’t me. I had to work at it, but I knew that once I had achieved it, people would respond to me in a certain way.”

There is definitely no substitute for genuine talent, but there is nothing that cannot be achieved with determination, hard work and passion.

Your passion for music is reason enough to rebaptise you from a “freak bathroom singer” to a respected and remembered artist. All you have to do is to identify your USP.

2. USP- Your Unique Selling Proposition.

If you want someone to invest money in you- you must have something unique, unheard to offer.

Remember Shankar Mahadevan’s album Breathless. We all went ga-ga over it as it claimed to have been sung in just one breath. Another example is Guns and Roses bringing in and popularizing the concept of “Live Fast Die Young”. And let’s not forget John Scatman who sold millions of recordings worldwide and was named “Best New Artist” in the Echo Awards in both Japan and Germany. A stutterer, John liked to say scatting was a process of “turning my biggest problem into my biggest asset”.

Come on! Think deeper and find out what you have got to sell.

3. Broadcast Yourself.

Who says you don’t have media? Make your videos, put them on You Tube. Even better, make a blog for “your” music videos.  Initially blackmail your friends to watch your videos and comment on them; a tactic you used for getting testimonials in Orkut days. But this time your job doesn’t end here, market yourself. Tweet about your video on your Twitter account, post the links on Facebook and witness the transformation in process.

4. Don’t be a Shy Pod.

Can’t figure out your USP? Don’t get time to shoot your video? Ego clashes in Jamming sessions? Your boss sucks the creativity out of your head? Band buds have shipped to another country? Whatever your problem is, don’t hesitate, talk to us. You may find your queries silly, but we don’t and we won’t rest till we find a solution.

5. Watch this space.

When you find your USP, you need to nurture it into a brand. We promise to guide you with the help of the best in the business, next issue onwards. If you are lucky, you might even win an internship with your role model!

So write to us at myjourney@thebigm.co.in and together, let’s begin the journey towards your dreams!

Article by Kirti Tarang

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