The Open House Series

What is Indie?”

That’s a question we ask ourselves quite frequently here at the YP foundation, and imagine our absolute thrill when we got to ask this question to the big daddies of Indian Indie.

 “WHO?”

(download)

Click here to download:

Part_1.mpg (48.07 MB)

Yep, you heard us. Indus Creed, an independent rock group formed in 1984 as “Rock Machine”.  Based in Mumbai, they were one of the first bands in India to tour the country, get signed to a label, have massive airplay on MTV, basically do all the things major league rockstars do. After an extended hiatus, the band is back with Uday Benegal (vocals), Mahesh Tinaikar (lead guitar) and Zubin Balaporia (keyboard)  from the original line-up and Jai Row Kavi(drums) and Rushid Mistry(bass) as new additions.

The YP Foundation caught up with them on the 13^th December during the South Asian Bands Fest at Purana Qila. They’d just finished their sound check and were slated to perform later that evening. The interaction was immensely enlightening because they answered to our questions from the perspective of a band formed in 1984 and playing NOW. Amongst many other epiphanies, we realized that being a rock star is hard!

Specifically, the interaction covered topics like the role of record label companies, online marketing, the ever pervasive question of “what is independent music” and Indus Creed’s views on the kind of music that is being produced now and the struggle of upcoming artists. The team felt that this interaction with the band was helpful because it allowed them to discuss freely the issues that upcoming musicians faced in the 1980s and the issues they have now. The transition in the music industry for upcoming artists from 1984 to 2010 has not been as drastic as it should have been.

Indus Creed talked about their experiences and journey through the years, about the music infrastructure in the 1980s and the current music scene. They felt that the current independent scene has become much more organised than the way it used to be when they first formed their band. But it still hasn't been helpful enough for the artists because of various reasons [See: Video]. They also emphasized on the role of internet for young musicians now.

Uday Benegal, who is slated to speak at the Open House workshop (On music journalism - 23rd of January, click to register) had this to say:  

“I would not be able to stress enough the need for music education and skill development with today's youth. The better prepared they are—as performers, creators and technicians—the more they will be able to harness the immense potential of the entertainment industry. The YP Foundation's efforts to help guide and develop those skills are highly commendable and deserve great support.”   

Watch the video for some candid footage from the interaction.

And be sure to connect with us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/OHseries

See you at the workshops! 

The Beatles. Jimi Hendrix. Indus Creed. Indian Ocean. Pentagram. Raghu Dixit. You?

Have you ever felt the frustration of knowing that you've got it takes to be up there with them, but couldn't because your parents would rather see you becoming an engineer/doctor/lawyer because music isn't the "safe" choice? That its so hard to MAKE independent music and then to not even know what to do about it?

So have we. But boy o boy, the times, they are a-changin'. Independent music is finally finding its feet, talent is finding its due recognition, and all of us are finding that we don't need to look towards the West anymore to find a sound that we can relate to.

Where are you in this revolution?

Here.The YP Foundation's Open House Series.

What is The Open House Series?

The Open House Series is an interactive, multi year workshop series for interested, upcoming and established young artistes that explore information, ideas and models that protect promote and publish Independent Music in India.

The Open House Series brings together professional musicians, amateur artists, music enthusiasts, students, media representatives and members of the community to disseminate existing knowledge, create new avenues of collaboration and build capacity on independent music as a viable career option.                                                                             

Why The Open House Series? 

There are multiple challenges faced by young people as well as amateur artists with trying to establish and build sustainable careers in Independent Music in India: 

1. Many amateur artists often don't have adequate knowledge to help them create a career and sustain themselves and are unable to afford, access, or are  unaware of international or existing local resources that could train them to do so.
2. There is a lack of shared knowledge amongst younger artists on issues such as promoting and developing their work in music, accessing and developing  large scale or new audiences, exploring non performance career options in music and there is limited existing knowledge on the legal aspects of working  with the arts, particularly intellectual property rights.
3. Educational institutions (schools/colleges etc) are unable to provide students with the resources/training required to support a career in the field of music  in India.
4. There is a lack of cost effective training forums, for young people desiring to pursue arts management.
5. Existing performance spaces in the NCR are limited to venues such as pubs and bars, which limits a younger audience's access to music.

The Open House series aims to help young artists/students gain access to training and skill development opportunities in the field of Independent music.

Additionally, the series aims to engage educators, parents, donors and media bodies in a dialogue on the need for comprehensive music education, and to structure a platform providing support to young musicians.

To this end, we've designed a short survey that we'd really like you to fill it out.

Thank you and we hope to see you at the workshops!

Click Here to see the Schedule

Click Here to Register for a Workshop

Coming soon: The Open House Festival!