How much music can you handle in one day?

If you're anything like us, you've got music in your home, office, car, headphones, and the rest of your time, in your head. So we decided to take a day out, an entire day, and fill it with everything music: giving you that jumpstart to learning music you always wanted.

We cover a wide range of subjects: from technical, instrument and tool driven workshops on playing and production, to more soft skill talks on presentation, stage presence and the business side.

We then end the day with a performance by student bands and a ripper of a jam by our faculty.

You want to be there: we know you do… Grab tix now!

The Line Up for May 8^th:

Music Theory in a Nutshell by Lillian Zachariah

Music Theory is important for any musician. Firstly, the ability to communicate ideas between musicians becomes simpler to do with one common language of notation. All basic elements of music- Melody, Rhythm and Harmony can be understood and implemented using notation. At the end of the day, all the decisions we make during a jam involve Time signature, Key signature, tempo, intervals, chord changes based on a scale or Re-harmonizing a melody.

Secondly, a vast knowledge of music theory broadens and sharpens your skills as a composer. Even an electronic musician will thrive from a working knowledge of music theory to conduct loops, set delay effects, work with MIDI and collaborate with a huge group of musicians all over the world!

We will realize that after studying the theory of music, we enter into a huge world of permutations and combinations of notes, rests, chords, beats, sub-beats and amazingly enough, all of them sound really cool and remind us of songs we have heard before, innovations or an entirely new musical creation.

Syllabus
We will cover Music Theory in a Thorough, Logical, Practical and Enjoyable way with easy to understand explanations and exercises to push you as musicians during and long after the course. The course involves extensive Ear Training exercises and also demonstrations of Sibelius, the leading music composition and notation software. This course will be applicable for a beginner, an advanced musicians playing any instrument.

All You Need Is Music by Srijayanth Sridhar

This talk takes you through music as seen through several eyes and heard through several ears and answers several important questions such as "Is music truly universal or should I not be listening to that Cambodian rap CD I bought last week?" We will try and explore music over history and geography and understand why it is indeed exciting to live in the times that we do. Is rock really dead? Is hip hop the new rock? What is cutting edge? What isn't? Can Britney Spears sing? Really?

Guitar Clinic by Bruce Lee Mani from Thermal and a Quarter

The quest for the ultimate tone is a constant struggle for aspiring and pro guitarists. Coaxing a great tone out of your guitar and amplifier is certainly a frustrating experience for most of us - even with great equipment, that "perfect sound" always seems to be just out of our grasp. Examine several ways of tweaking your guitar sound to suit you without shelling out wads of coin for a new axe or amp with the "Guitar Doctor" Bruce Lee Mani. Bruce Lee Mani is guitar player/vocalist/songwriter with award-winning Bangalore band Thermal And A Quarter (www.thermalandaquarter.com). A veteran of the circuit since 1996, he has performed with TAAQ and other artists in the US, UK, Middle East, South-East Asia, and all over India. Winner of the 'Guitarist of the Year' Award from Rolling Stone Magazine/Jack Daniels in 2009, he is also a well-established music educator and clinician. He will be also be handling a workshop on improvisation. You should not miss this one!!!

• Workshop 1: Leave no Tone Untu(r)ned!
  • What goes into your guitar sound
  • Understanding your signal chain, end-to-end
  • Understanding Amps and Signal Processing
  • Working with units and FX processors
• Workshop 2: Exercise to Improvise
  • Jamming vs. Planning
  • Basics of improvisation - avoiding the 'wrong' notes, playing the blues
  • Some further improvisation concepts; exercises
  • Playing with 'groove'

Topics covered include:

• Concept of a guitar tone
• What guitar pickups, amps and effects do
• How to use amps and various effects in combination with each other
• The Digital Revolution - An update on the changing digital scene, and how these relate to the original vintage effects.
• Getting your own sound - Tips for making choices that will help you sound unique, or if you really must, sound like someone else.

The R & B Coalition - A workshop understanding the chemistry between and bass player and a drummer

The relationship between drums and bass is a unique one that defines the “inner pulse” of a song. While a typical rhythm section would consist of bass, drums, guitar, piano/keys and percussion, it is the bass and drums that give music its oomph and dictates the groove over which the other instruments weave musical patterns. The relationship between the bass and drums should be one that brings the song together as the lack of sync between the two will undermine the clarity and the presence of the musical piece. When the bassist and drummer connect “lock in,” they will be in possession of any groove imaginable and can explore limitless possibilities where one complements the other to construct the song and provide a structure for the rest of the music ensemble. Watch Rajeev of Thermal and Quarter along with Prakash of Karma 6 as they discuss how the drum and bass come together to create grooves, which get your body rocking!

• The chemistry between a drummer and a bass player
• How to lock and compliment each other
• Jamming and Improvising on popular rhythms like Latin, Funk, Swing and Rock n Roll
• Working with different time signatures and polyrhythms

Speed King: A workshop on guitar technique and exercises to sharpen your skills as a lead guitarist.

Speed is the original high! The sheer mind numbing pace of solos by famous axe wielders such as Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Steve Morse, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert have enthralled guitar enthusiasts for many decades and continue to inspire a legion of countless young guns. A skill such as this requires the right approach to playing the instrument, dedication and countless hours of practice. However, what could put you on the right track is guidance and inputs from someone who has been riding the super fast highway of the guitar world for a while. Join Naveen Thomas of the Galeej Gurus as he shares some of his secrets to playing insanely fast, face melting, adrenaline pumping solos.

• Legato Playing
• Advanced Tapping
• Speed Picking
• Warm up routine

Digital Music School: A workshop on music production with Pro Tools 8 - Tony Das

Music production is that process that dictates what a musical piece sounds like. Even the best of equipment and musicians will fail to impress unless the right principles of production are applied to get that cutting edge sound. In today's world, a CD quality production can actually be produced at home without a big investment and that too at your own pace. Prepare yourself to be a great producer!!!

• Setup and run home recording studios from home
• Demonstration of a digital recording
• Composing and Editing tools
• Working with loops and elastic audio
• Midi production
• Virtual instruments and programming

A piano workshop by Aman Mahajan

Aman Mahajan is a pianist, keyboardist and music teacher presently based in Bangalore. Graduating from the Berklee College of Music, Boston, in 2007, where he majored in music synthesis, Aman has worked with a variety of musicians of different nationalities, playing music from various traditions. Aman is widely influenced by jazz, blues, classical and folk music styles and sounds from across the world.

• Approaching music as a form of communication
• The importance of technique / "chops" not as ends in themselves but as means to aid in the process
• Balanced posture, arm and finger positioning
• Brushing up on reading: effective reading techniques
• How to break a piece or song down and practise more effectively
• The importance of listening attentively while jamming with other musicians
• Student questions

Beat Roots: Get back to fundamentals with Ryan Colaco of Kryptos.

Any successful drummer, be it Dennis Chambers, Virgil Donati, Billy Cobham, Danny Carey or any of the many virtuosos would attribute their awe inspiring drumming technique and surgical precision to a clear and comprehensive understanding of drum rudiments. Join Ryan Colaco as he talks about how bullet paced rolls, head banging grooves are resting on top of basics and shares with you, some exercises which will help you realize your true potential as a drummer.

• Introduction to The Drums Segment for Beginners - contains the basic attitude required, reason behind it, & how to go about accomplishing it
• Hand Technique - contains a detailed explanation on the stick grip & striking action on the drums with exercises includes accenting and paradiddles
• Foot Technique - explains the heel-up & heel-down technique on the pedals with exercises
• Basic Beats Section - an outline of various popular beats, how to play them & what they sound like
• The Rolls Section - includes a simple way to understanding & playing rolls in songs, & in time with the beat
• Playing with other Instruments - a small session on how to play along with your fellow musicians

Vox

In many ways, the human voice is possibly the most remarkable instrument of all. Aside from the fact that everyone has one, the individual voice is quintessentially unique, differing from any other in myriad subtle ways. As the most immediate form of expression available to us, the voice is able to express emotions of pain, sadness, joy or anger with a sensitivity and intuitiveness that is arguably unmatched by any other external instrument. Enhance your singing career by learning proper vocal techniques to maximize your potential and gain technical and expressive command of your voice with Lillian Zachariah, an eminent choir director and pipe organist who has trained students for Broadway theater.

• How to warm up your voice
• Proper posture, breathing, tone and diction
• Maintaining vocal health
• Improving stamina, range, and sound
• Singing in Harmony

The Song Writing Process by Rzhude David

• Where to start How to get started
• Techniques, tools, tried and tested methods
• Examples and Exercises
• Technology Today