Why are musical metaphors beautiful? →

May 26, 2014 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

They say you cannot compare apples with oranges. But, metaphors identify the similarities, instead of differences, between two unlike things. Beautiful isn't? Metaphors make complex concepts sound easier so that we can relate.

In music, metaphors help listeners identify with the lyricists' emotions. They help us imagine and visualize abstract concepts as a concrete image.

Here's a Kannada original song sung by Sunil Koshy of From Mug to Mike and I. The picture in this post is what came to my mind when I listened to the song below:

Did you listen to the song? What is the image that came to your mind? Is it something similar to the one above? Do share your thoughts.

[UPDATE]

Even though they aren't true, metaphors are decision points to differentiate between amateurs and professionals.

“A metaphor takes what we know and uses it as a lever to understand something else. And the only way we can do that is by starting with the true thing and then twisting it into a new thing, a thing we’ll be able to also understand.
The difference between the successful professional and the struggling amateur can often be seen in their respective facility with metaphor. The amateur struggles to accept that metaphor is even acceptable (“are atoms actually building blocks?”) or can’t find the powerful analogy needed to bring home the concept. Because all metaphors aren’t actually true, it takes confidence to use them well.

If you’re having trouble understanding a disconnect, or are seeking to explain why something works or doesn’t, begin with a metaphor. “Why is this new thing a lot like that understood thing...”

Metaphors aren’t true, but they work.”

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Can music help improve sales in businesses? →

May 18, 2014 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

During our days in Bangalore, my husband and I used to go to this pub called Purple Haze quite often. We were regulars at Purple Haze not because of the excellent service or the reasonable prices in the drinks and food menu but, because of the music they played during the happy hour. In fact, music was the ONLY reason why we used to go there. Be it meeting up with people or be it taking our non-Bangalore resident friends, Purple Haze was the place. Clearly, Purple Haze's USP was their music. I was never mindful of this fact but, now, after graduating from a B-school, I've started paying attention to such small but, critical things.

This shows that music could be used to attract people and drive sales in businesses. In case of MNCs, corporate anthems convey an organization’s mission and values in a subtle yet strong manner and they help increase sales. They also help improve the branding of organizations.

Here is a corporate anthem I sang for the organization called Core Objects, which got acquired later, by another firm (did you notice the irony here?). The song was written and composed by Vineeth Raj Menon who did the music programming for Lucia, a popular crowd-funded Kannada movie.

Have you noticed how music has been used to drive sales in businesses? Share your examples and thoughts in the comments below.

It's the day of mothers →

May 11, 2014 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

Who is a mother? I'm sure the internet/dictionary shows up several brilliant definitions for the term 'mother'.

Now, let me rephrase the question a little bit, who can be a mother and that too, a good one? The answer is ANYONE. No matter what your age is, what your gender is, what your occupation is or which part of the world you are in, you can be a good mother. There's a good mother inside every single person.

Many a times, I've had friends who displayed selfless compassion and care when I really needed some. Many a times, I've had strangers who stood by me to ensure I was safe and sound. Many a times, my husband was able to (he still does) sense my thoughts and has done some amazing things to make me feel good. In all those instances, I was being mothered. I've also, seen dogs comforting and caring for people in need, just like some amazing mothers.

Clearly, motherhood is something that is beyond the terminology and its something innate and primal. It constitutes certain transferable qualities that can help make this world a much better place to live in. On this mothers' day, I'm dedicating one of my Kannada original singles to all the mothers out there. The song is composed in raagas, Jog and Abheri.

So, have you had any instance(s) of being mothered? Share your thoughts.

Why do we like recycled and reused songs? →

May 02, 2014 by Soumya Radhakrishnan

Many of us recycle and reuse things on a daily basis to save the planet. Similarly, songs could be recycled and reused zillion times in both good and bad ways. Yes, I am talking about cover versions here.

Centuries have passed but, Carnatic musicians keep recycling the compositions of trinities and have even made a career out of it by applying manodharma and other different techniques. Popular music channels such as Rosebowl and Kappa TV have revolutionized this cover trend in addition to promoting bands making original music. As a musician, sometimes I enjoy singing covers of some of my favorite songs and guess what, there is a set of audience who has found some of my cover songs interesting as well.

This ever-growing popularity of cover versions leads to an obvious question - why is there such a huge audience for a recycled song?

Familiarity induces a feeling of comfort and this leads to a general human tendency for resistance to change. This could be a reason why cover versions of songs appeal to more number of people than original numbers.

Have you thought about this? What do you think are some of the reasons for this?