Interview with multi-talented musician Praanav

Today on our Hot Seat we have Praanav, a music composer/songwriter/pianist, and an iPad artist. Lets have a chat with him.

Twist Online: First of all tell us about the start of your professional career?

Praanav: My professional career as a music composer/songwriter has begun in 2015. Although I was into composing since 2013 I was able to release only few albums and jingles initially. I faced few hurdles in my life before I opted music as my career professionally and to step into the industry.

Twist Online: Who or what inspired you to get into music industry?

Praanav: I never got inspired by looking at any artist to get into the music industry. If that happens I can assert that it is for name or fame sake. Of course I admire and get inspired by many musicians like A.R Rahman, Harris Jayraj, Michael Jackson & bands such as coldplay, linkin park, West life etc. Nonetheless, this fancy feeling of becoming a musician didn’t inspire me to get into the industry. It was my own talent/ uniqueness that made me to unlock my hidden potential, which is when I realized that I could carve a niche for myself. And this intense feeling has propelled me to get into the industry.

Twist Online: What kind of role your education in music has played in improving your skills?

Praanav: Although I got educated in music it was in the form of grades from Trinity college of London but not like a degree. I believe education can augment the expertise and the depth of your music making/playing skills. I could analyze the root key, staff notations and time signatures just by listening to the song. I was able to compose and arrange music in my mind with this knowledge as well. However, I feel that education alone is not the criteria for improving your skill. It’s the keen music sense, a good perception about the timing, feel, keeping yourself abreast of the technology, regular practice and catering to the needs of the listener are some of the qualities required in addition to education.

Twist Online: Tell us about your recent work?

Praanav: I released two fusion music video albums lately as part of my fusion web series. I also provided background score for a patriotic short film called “Respect our flag” and an ad film called “pureozone” drinking water, which are yet to be released soon.

Twist Online: What attracts you more, performing on stage or working in studios?

Praanav: I don’t have a specific answer to this coz I have a strong penchant for both. Since I’m a composer I got accustomed to the studio work and its ambience.
Most of the people from professional network aren’t aware that I was a good dancer too and performed in my college fests long ago. I even worked in a company before I got into music. There was one unique performance where I made music live on ipad and danced to it in one go. So this uniqueness is what motivates me to perform on stage. I would love to perform only when there is a wider scope to show case my innovative ability and gives me a unique identity.

Twist Online: Do you need some specific kind of environment for writing songs?

Praanav: Yeah. I prefer a serene place to write songs. I either lock my door and jot down the ideas or sometimes I write it outside when I go out for a morning walk as my daily routine. The irony is that I have penned most of the songs when I haven’t even consciously thought about sitting and writing. It just happened spontaneously when I was deeply engrossed in the ideas.

Twist Online: You are the first person to start a fusion music web series. Our readers would like to know more about that?

Praanav: I’m trying to introduce freakingly new and outlandish genres through this fusion music web series and I believe it’s going to emerge by leaps and bounds in the near future. It includes many webisodes that focus predominantly on fusion genres entailing original compositions/reprise versions in the form of band performances, lyrical videos, and collaborations with other artists. This music web series aims to push the envelope of the existing music to carve out a niche in the music industry.

Many might wonder how is it any different from the other fusion music what many artists are doing. Well, I would like to emphasize that they only do Carnatic and western music fusion in the form of EDM, Jazz, blues/rock etc and that too in the form of covers and there are also few noted bands which does other fusion genres but they stick to only a couple of such genres. But my intent is to not just do covers but also come up with my own compositions & other fusion genres too apart from Carnatic fusion. To be precise im going to do a fusion of Mid-eastern oriental music and modern trapstep style, a fusion of orchestral music and dubstep etc. In this way, I’m going to pool all types of fusion genres from different cultures with my innovation at one place and that is my “fusion web series”. Sorry for a lengthy interpretation. But it really needs ☺

Twist Online: What’s your favorite music genre?

Praanav: I can’t pigeonhole what I like, coz I listen to many genres and I’m equally good at composing them too. Most preferable are, Indian classical, RnB, Any fusion, Progressive rock, psy trance, meditation music, dub step, trap, reggae and moombahton

Twist Online: Have you set some target to achieve as a music artist?

Praanav: Yes I have.

1. My target is to become an innovative music composer, where I would like to be recognized with a unique identity. My motto is to provide a novel sounding in the music. It could be anything right from the instrumental’s subtle nuances, the orchestration, arrangements, lyrics, voice of the singer the regular chord patterns and the final mix. I want to introduce completely fresh and an authentic feel for any genre that I work on.

3. Since I have some experience in entrepreneurship, I would love to channelize all that energy into music entrepreneurship and introduce new start-ups and solutions to the most pressing problems in the music industry with a creative approach.

4. I want to be recognized equally good as an independent & a film music composer too, which is a rare combination.

5. As many are aware of the fact that legendary music composers in India like M.r Illayaraja and M.r Rehman have revolutionized the music in the early ninties. Although it’s a difficult task, I too have an aim to introduce something authentic and a new experimental style of music into the music & film industry.