Classical music influenced my musical aesthetics: Shankar Mahadevan

Mumbai: Award-winning composer and playback singer Shankar Mahadevan says exposure to classical music has played an important part in influencing his musical aesthetics.

"As a musician, I believe that my early exposure to classical (Carnatic) music and then just living in a city like Mumbai, where I was exposed to so many forms of music... Have played a very important part in influencing my musical aesthetics," Mahadevan told PTI.

"I believe that classical music comes through listening and practice and it can be fun both for the singer or performer and the listener or audience, as long as the performer is taught to recognise the pulse of the audience," he said.

The Shankar Mahadevan Academy (SMA), a music platform founded by Mahadevan, recently entered into a contract with Artist Aloud, a digital media, distribution and talent management platform for independent artists across the globe.

Artist Aloud will be promoting and distributing the content through their distribution channels, including online and on ground platforms. "The intent behind starting the academy online was to allow students who are far and wide and do not have access to good teachers, a chance to learn our traditional classical music," Mahadevan said.

"I also wanted the new generation to be aware of the beauty of these forms of music and make it available to them in a format that would be fun, engaging and appealing." The original content created by the students of SMA during the course will be collected and approved by the academy. Artist aloud will distribute the approved content across 25 platforms including Hungama, iTunes and other mobile operators.

"Through the academy, I would want to ensure that the students listen to a lot of music, regardless of the genre. The academy believes that more than 50 per cent of learning music can be and should be achieved through 'listening to music' and the rest through other forms like teaching, structured learning, practice etc," Mahadevan said.

The academy operates its classes round-the-clock in over 47 countries across 18 geographic time zones to allow students to pursue their passion for music from the convenience of their homes. It offers over 290 courses and has delivered more than 38,000 virtual classes.