“The human voice itself is a singing voice, not a speaking one. So anybody can sing. All you need is confidence and the right techniques,” says Ananth Vaidyanathan, a well-known voice expert. He will be in the city this weekend to share his expertise and guide music enthusiasts at a workshop organised by Orita Sinclair School of Design and Music.
Ananth started learning music as a seven year old but decided to go professtional when when joined an academy in Kolkata at the age of 24. “Though I learnt a lot about music, I lost my voice due to improper training.” Though heartbroken, he continued to stay in a musical environment by moving to voice engineering and learning about the different techniques for singing. “I understood that such incidents were common. Though I did get my voice back later, I wanted to teach people and help them to bring out their best,” he says.
- When: May 11; 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Where: Orita Sinclair School of Design and Music, Above Audi Car Showroom, Avinashi Road
- Registration: Fee is ₹2000 inclusive of refreshment. On the spot registration is available
- Contact: 6383607343 or 9500316444 to register and for details
Though he made a name for himself in musical circles from the 1990s, Ananth became famous after his appearances in musical reality shows on television. “These shows made people in our country aware of the concept of voice training. Now things have changed, as there is a lot of exposure due to the Internet. I have done shows in Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. I see a lot of talent in the participants who reach the final rounds and train them to use their vocal system to its full potential.”
His training sessions usually are for three hours. “I ask the singers to sing their favourite songs, correct mistakes and explain the different techniques used by the original singer. Each musician has his/her own individual style. It is important to understand that if we have to bring the same effect to a particular song.”
Ask him about his plans for the workshop, he replies, “People in Coimbatore love music. What is lacking is exposure to the music industry. My workshop will be an introduction to the theoretical framework of voice training. I will also focus on confidence building measures and discuss topics like the importance of breath and give individual feedback. This is my first workshop here and I am excited.”