A significant number of film composers in India are self-taught when it comes to their scoring skills. Even when they are trained in Indian classical music, they have no formal training in composing for films. Stories are told about how legendary composers who made lovely tunes were terrified of the Western orchestra — they had no clue about how to work with the huge string, brass and rhythm sections!
Composers usually hired arrangers who gave their melodies a formal structure, assigning parts to various instrumentalists, and communicating with them in a language they understood. This language comprises Italian terms — such as staccato, legato and marcato — and helps musicians understand the many nuances of a composition. The greatest tunesmiths in Mumbai mostly worked with arrangers from Goa, who added the orchestral zing and adapted their melodies to a film context. To catch a bit of this history, check out the series ‘Untold Story of Arrangers and Musicians,’ produced by Rajya Sabha TV and posted on YouTube. It is a warm tribute to musicians whose work we have heard and enjoyed, but about whom we know little.
The explosion of online instructional content has been a blessing for Indian film composers who always wanted to learn, but didn’t know where to go. An American platform called MasterClass has been roping in the top names across the arts to conduct its courses. One of its most popular courses featured Hans Zimmer, who speaks about scoring for films. He reveals the rationale for several decisions he took while making the score for blockbuster hits. The course is shot stylishly and edited slickly, and, needless to say, yields many invaluable insights from the man who created exciting scores for Lion King, The Pirates of the Caribbean and Inception. One insight: Sometimes, for scenes with intense action and adventure on, a slow, meditative score may work. In its ironic distance, the music adds a new dimension to what is happening on the screen.
The best thing about MasterClass is that students are given assignments at the end of the lessons, and encouraged to send in their work for evaluation. Who would have imagined you could sit at home in India and hear Zimmer talking about his craft? MasterClass is a subscription-based platform, and you get access to 100-plus courses for a monthly fee of Rs 1,250. (It has multiple plans.) The courses cover a wide gamut of subjects, ranging from photography and electronic dance music to leadership and comedy.
A Bengaluru-based startup called Front Row has also entered this space, and one of its early courses features Amit Trivedi teaching music composition. The good news is that working from home has spawned an ed-tech industry that is looking beyond professional courses, and exploring hitherto-neglected aspects of the creative arts.
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