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Blackbird - The DIY Way


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It’s been many years since I started my music journey and finally now, I’m able to invest in some minimal equipment and put some music out to the best of my efforts. And I love it! DIY is a very essential approach to any musician or artist. It allows you to think creatively and forces you to learn skills that you would have probably overlooked if it was easily available.

With that being said, here’s the beginning of something that I’m very excited about. More music. More stories. More love. 

 

 

 

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And Dek, if you're reading this, about the 'messing around' with others' songs - ummmmm oops. :D lol Sorry about that.

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Guest Rob Ash

My brother,

 

I sometimes wonder what your life is like, Mahesh. It's not that I dwell on it... just, when I see you on here, especially when you post something like this, which is so well made, I get to wondering about the challenges you might face that I would have little or no concept of.

 

How difficult is it to obtain a job there? When I was a young man, even during a period when the American economy was supposedly down, I never went more than a couple of weeks without a job, unless I chose for the time to run longer.

 

How difficult is it to freely express yourself? I realize India is nominally democratic, but people (everywhere) still face social and cultural obstacles. I was part of a generation of "angry" young men who refused to accept the social limitations our parents wanted to impose on us. In my youth, this manifested in our "going wild"... partying, growing our hair, wearing clothes that were flashy or dark and a bit scary (for the times!)... AND, for some of us, learning to play rock music and forming bands.

 

How much do you have to strive to gather the money to buy something you want? Most Americans never seem to have to "hurt" enough to really value the things they purchase... I feel this was less true for my generation than for young people today, but even in my youth, we took obtaining "things" for granted. You mention only recently obtaining the equipment to make your music... I have a list of various pieces, software packages, instruments, etc., that my wife carries in her purse. about twice a year I get a present from her, that she picked from that list. I am 54, we have no children, but still.

 

What is it like putting a band together where you live? How does this experience differ from my own? Honestly, I do not think of you as coming from a socially depressed environment, only a different one. Still, I would expect that putting a band together, finding a place to practice, locating gigs and then getting the band and all it's equipment to gigs is a different experience where you are than here.

 

Whatever unique stresses you come under (or unique benefits you enjoy!) to do what you do as a musician, I deeply admire your talent and skill, Mahesh.

 

This is a fine interpretation of a timeless Beatles tune.

 

 

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Thanks a lot Rob. Appreciate your interest!

 

How difficult is it to obtain a job there? When I was a young man, even during a period when the American economy was supposedly down, I never went more than a couple of weeks without a job, unless I chose for the time to run longer.

 

It depends pretty much on your qualification. India is a very very crowded country so there are many jobs with more jobless people. I personally feel that for a middle class man in India, it is quite expensive for even a basic living with minimum necessities. Minimum wage here is EXTREMELY less which is about $5 a DAY. So it is more about the kind of job you are able to get than getting one itself. 

I took a risk when I decided to take music full time, especially when I don’t perform music in any regional language. Therefore, lesser audience, lesser gigs which is the reason for my heavy dependence on savings, frugal living and good financial planning. Most of the money that comes my way goes to the bank for paying off my student loans. 

 

 

 


How difficult is it to freely express yourself? I realize India is nominally democratic, but people (everywhere) still face social and cultural obstacles. I was part of a generation of "angry" young men who refused to accept the social limitations our parents wanted to impose on us. In my youth, this manifested in our "going wild"... partying, growing our hair, wearing clothes that were flashy or dark and a bit scary (for the times!)... AND, for some of us, learning to play rock music and forming bands.

 

Because India is made up of hundreds of different cultures, languages and traditions, it can be a challenge. There is still a lot of resentment and hate towards the so-called ‘western’ culture here. There are certain group of organisations filled with assholes who simply want to cause violence using the excuse of preserving the culture of the land. But English is one of the primary languages taught here and American culture is hugely popular too. To put it short, it’s a mess.  

 
 

 

 

How much do you have to strive to gather the money to buy something you want? Most Americans never seem to have to "hurt" enough to really value the things they purchase... I feel this was less true for my generation than for young people today, but even in my youth, we took obtaining "things" for granted. You mention only recently obtaining the equipment to make your music... I have a list of various pieces, software packages, instruments, etc., that my wife carries in her purse. about twice a year I get a present from her, that she picked from that list. I am 54, we have no children, but still.

 

It takes time. At least when you don’t have the parents who can afford to pay for you(which is quite common).  Since most equipment is imported to India and not manufactured here, they tend to be quite expensive. I remember saving up for around 9 months to buy a $300 guitar. This is something I wish I could improve on, and fast. 
 


 

 

What is it like putting a band together where you live? How does this experience differ from my own? Honestly, I do not think of you as coming from a socially depressed environment, only a different one. Still, I would expect that putting a band together, finding a place to practice, locating gigs and then getting the band and all it's equipment to gigs is a different experience where you are than here.

 

Putting a band together as for all of us is about finding the right musicians. That professional discipline when it comes to working with fellow musicians is scarce here. It is unbelievable how people take for granted the basic requirements like coming to jam on time or working on your shit in and out.  Practicing happens in jam rooms that we rent on an hourly basis. There are only a handful of venues around that cater to International music. There is huge competition with Bollywood and Indian Film music. So, we rely mostly on pub gigs apart from a handful of music festivals where they pay no more than the pub gigs themselves for artists on the line-up besides the main act. Very few pubs or venues pay on time and there is that other challenge of chasing them for months, even, to get the pay transferred. 

 

 

 

 

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Guest Rob Ash
15 hours ago, Mahesh said:

Putting a band together as for all of us is about finding the right musicians. That professional discipline when it comes to working with fellow musicians is scarce here. It is unbelievable how people take for granted the basic requirements like coming to jam on time or working on your shit in and out.  Practicing happens in jam rooms that we rent on an hourly basis. There are only a handful of venues around that cater to International music. There is huge competition with Bollywood and Indian Film music. So, we rely mostly on pub gigs apart from a handful of music festivals where they pay no more than the pub gigs themselves for artists on the line-up besides the main act. Very few pubs or venues pay on time and there is that other challenge of chasing them for months, even, to get the pay transferred.

 

I chose this last paragraph, but mean this response to address your entire post.

 

I hope you don't think I am making light of your situation, but I want you to know that reading your response helped me to feel a kinship with you I hope you are able to relate to. In spite of the obvious cultural differences, we have had similar experiences. There are aspects of Indian culture I am frankly glad to have never experienced. I do not mean for that to imply that I look down upon your culture, Mahesh. I simply cannot for the life of me figure out how I would deal with some of the things you have experienced. We have clearer cultural divides from region to region in the states, and more that unites us than divides us, most of the time. People from one area of America can move to another to live and acclimate very quickly. There will be small differences in local customs and social patterns, but these will be negligible compared to what you describe.

 

But, what unites us is our experiences with regards to our musical lives. I have gone through much of what you have. It seems that building a band is the same challenge, and a lousy bar owner is a lousy bar owner. Even festivals sound about the same.

 

It goes without question that I wish you every success. It takes a great talent, which you have, along with a great commitment. On that second part, know that there are many of us here that extend their well wishes and support, such as it is, and for what it is worth.

 

I am glad to have come to this site and discovered your music.

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On 17/10/2016 at 6:23 AM, RobAsh15 said:

 

I chose this last paragraph, but mean this response to address your entire post.

 

I hope you don't think I am making light of your situation, but I want you to know that reading your response helped me to feel a kinship with you I hope you are able to relate to. In spite of the obvious cultural differences, we have had similar experiences. There are aspects of Indian culture I am frankly glad to have never experienced. I do not mean for that to imply that I look down upon your culture, Mahesh. I simply cannot for the life of me figure out how I would deal with some of the things you have experienced. We have clearer cultural divides from region to region in the states, and more that unites us than divides us, most of the time. People from one area of America can move to another to live and acclimate very quickly. There will be small differences in local customs and social patterns, but these will be negligible compared to what you describe.

 

But, what unites us is our experiences with regards to our musical lives. I have gone through much of what you have. It seems that building a band is the same challenge, and a lousy bar owner is a lousy bar owner. Even festivals sound about the same.

 

It goes without question that I wish you every success. It takes a great talent, which you have, along with a great commitment. On that second part, know that there are many of us here that extend their well wishes and support, such as it is, and for what it is worth.

 

I am glad to have come to this site and discovered your music.

 

 

Rob,

 

I’m glad to hear you say that because in fact, it does make me feel better about where I stand. It is an uphill battle everyday but I ain’t the only hiker up here on this mountain.

 

Regarding the cultural differences and experiences, don’t worry, I feel the same way. It’s astonishing how the country is turning more and more violent and intolerant by the day in the name of national, moral and religious pride. Ironic too! We are losing humanity by the day. I’m young but I wouldn’t want to have children if this is the world they will set out to see.  Music and the people around it are the only things that keep me going every day. And I’m glad. 

 

Thank you for your words and support. I genuinely appreciate it. 

Regards,
Mahesh
 

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On 6 October 2016 at 2:47 PM, Mahesh said:

And Dek, if you're reading this, about the 'messing around' with others' songs - ummmmm oops. :D lol Sorry about that.

 

Ha ;) Well you picked a fantastic song and you did it superbly. Just about every great artist has done a cover or two at some point...nothing wrong with that... unless they murder it (like Miley).

 

Do you do your own recordings then? The quality is really top notch. I'd be interested to read about your methods and equipment.

 

Also... reading your comments here with interest - I have some experience working with businesses in India (outside of music) so I've had a glimpse of the divide between rich and poor...and the rich are RICH. Listening to you talk about the struggle out there I wondered... do you write songs about how you feel about things there? If you have or if you ever feel inclined to, I'd like to hear... 

 

In some ways your cover here hints at a sense of that maybe, maybe it's in my head but then again maybe that's why Rob asked the question... The way you've done the video adds to the feeling... Am I imagining that? It's in your eyes...OR you just happen to have that feeling about you.

 

Thinking out loud as I type... the businessman on my shoulder says maybe you could have chosen a more moving location or even varied it behind you but then again maybe it's not important AND more importantly if you're going to cover a Macca song this well then I think you should aim to have him see the video. Tweet it to him and see what happens! Seriously!!

Edited by MonoStone
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  • 4 weeks later...
On 2016-10-19 at 10:18 AM, Mahesh said:

Music and the people around it are the only things that keep me going every day.

 

This plus a family, that's all you need. Then we start filling the world with tiny little musicians and before we know it, the world will be a better place!!!

 

Let get to it! =)

 

Oh and I loved your version of Blackbird Mahesh. As always great stuff. And your voice...man I envy that. =)

 

All the best,

 

S

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