Learn how to adapt to evolving music transitions at this workshop in Mumbai

Survival depends on adaptability said Charles Darwin leaving behind a marker for the cutthroat competition in the music industry From blues to jazz to rsquo90s poprock and the current hiphop generation the Indian music industry has seen constant transitions The upcoming workshop aptly titled From Evolution to Revolution in Kandivali by celebrated composer Ranjit Barot will delve into these facets to unearth new knowledge for aspiring youngsters in the cityldquoThe whole idea is to empower young musicians on the various aspects of creationrdquo he explains Having witnessed these upheavals since he entered the music industry as a teenager Barot is well placed to present his observationsWhile it is easy to make the error of attributing all of Indian musicrsquos evolution to its dynamic film industry the composer disagrees From the rhythms of Buddy Rich to the yodels of RD Burman the Indian music industry has had global influences he suggests ldquoYou must be familiar with the discography of the greats who preceded you in the genre that you aspire to create music inrdquo the composer points outAn early memory of the flamboyant drummer for this writer was watching the late Shammi Kapoor in Teesri Manzil 1966 The drummer agrees but says this prominent visual changed with the electronic music revolution in the 1980sldquoThe first musicians to be replaced when electronic music arrived were the drummersrdquo he says adding that the costeffective nature of technologydriven beats cut down the expense of drumkit and drummer upkeep for producers ldquoI was out of a job Louiz Banks hired me to work with him in the studio on advertisements It was here that I learned production and composingrdquo he sharesThis experience of adaptability is something he hopes to impart to the participants at the workshop With AI he warns musicians face a similar challenge They must adapt multitask and challenge themselves in different genres But has the scenario improved in recent times for drummersldquoThere has been a resurgence of drummers in the last two decadesrdquo Barot answers adding ldquoBut you cannot compare it to a time when they had equal standing on stage Also there is not enough indie music with that noholdsbarred approach This is a quieter more sensitive generation than oursrdquoDespite his own evolution into composing Barot remains a drummer at heart ldquoDrums are integral to the way any good singersongwriter shapes their musicrdquohe remarksThe workshop will seek to embed these lessons ldquoHopefully they participants will walk away with new skills and ideas of possibility to venture into areas that they might not have thought ofrdquo he points outOn August 24 12 pm onwardsAt Rule 34 Charkop Industrial Estate Kandivali WestLog on to insiderinFreeThe stylish drummer boysA fan of Led Zeppelinrsquos drummer John Bonham Barot recalls that the drummer has always been a driving force for a live band Citing Buddy Rich he says ldquoRich was a drummer and a bandleader at that He had this saying ldquoA great band with an average drummer is an average band An average band with a great drummer is a great bandrdquo Dispelling the myth of the flamboyant drummer Barot says it was an expression of talent ldquoWhether it was Bonham or Keith Moon their flair was not for showrdquo he says The new generation he points out is a lot more sensitive and quieter mdash not necessarily a bad thing ldquoWe were a little more boisterous and had colourful livesrdquo he laughs recalling his idols such as Bonham Keith Moon and Ian Paice