Young musicians prefer to fly solo

[1]

Twenty-year-old Jayant Manchanda says music is his life. However, a brass player, Jayant, refuses to be associated with any one music band. He says he is happy being a sessions musician, who performs with different music bands.

“I have been performing professionally for last two years. I am not against the idea of forming a music band but I believe one gets to learn a lot from senior professional musicians and explore different genres by performing with different bands,” says Jayant, who has not just performed with almost all the big music bands in the city but also collaborated with international artists like Igor Bezget from Slovenia and Karina Colis, a drummer from New York.
Like Jayant, many city musicians are now performing as sessions musicians and not just getting valuable exposure but also making good money. Shubh, a drummer, says initially it took time for people to notice him but once he became a known name in the music circle, there was no need for him to go out looking for work.
“Many bands prefer sessions musicians since they add a different flavour to their music. Therefore, there is no dearth of work for sessions musicians like me. I usually do 7-8 gigs a month and earn about `7,000 per performance. So I believe I am making more money than those who are associated with a music band,” says Shubh.
While quick money is a huge attraction for these young and restless musicians Arsh Sharma believes playing with different music bands helps keep his options open.
“Apart from working independently for commercials and TV channels, I regularly perform with two music bands — Circus and Fuzz Culture. My ultimate goal is to play as often as possible and reach out to more and more listeners. Since I am not confined to one particular band, in a year I do about 70 shows easily,” says vocalist and guitarist Arsh.
The opportunity to perform with different genres and bands seems to be attracting even musicians from established music bands. Drummer Ayush Gupta, who has been with well-known music band Astitiva for last five years, started playing for other bands two years back.
“Every music band has its own identity. So playing the same kind of music can become boring. Therefore, time and again I pair up with other bands and international artists which helps me improve and create my own niche among the audience,” adds Ayush, who recently had a show with Fateh Ali and Murad Ali.