Ok! So it has been exactly 3 weeks since I hung out with Musicman Mihir Joshi at his place. Thanks to an incredible concept called "procrastination" and of course, a very busy day at work (yea, right!), this post got delayed! Of course, with the C.E.O. crying foul over unnecessary surfing in office, it meant I couldn't even "put some mutual fund stories on hold" and finish this at work. :P
Anyway, to begin with, this write up would be incomplete if I do not mention here how much I've admired Mihir over the couple of years that I've known him.
Still remember those XIC days, when Gautam came running to me telling me how this one dude has agreed to contribute to a certain class project, a 5-minute news feature that we were doing on one particular "rockstar" I was in serious awe of those days (NOT ANYMORE!). After we shot Mihir at Kalaghoda (in the most unobvious manner, of course), we fondly referred to him as the "one-take guy". That's all it took! The dude came riding on his bike right at the time he had promised, rattled off whatever he had to say to the camera, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and off he went. Piece of cake!
I crossed paths with him again when he turned out to be the 'mysterious' EMI guy organising a special gig for Zohak at Planet M on the "A Matter of Life and Death" album launch. "I still have not received the merchandise you promised us for that gig, Mihir!"
Thereafter he helped us with a couple of more gigs. And boy, he was a great help, indeed!
What I like most about this guy besides his seriousness about music is his enterprising attitude towards everything. The man has a lot of energy! He's just a call away for just about anything a friend might need!
So here I was! All armed with just a dictaphone and draped in my favourite Iron Maiden shirt (I just can't stop showing off), I stepped into his room, which is nothing short than what I called a 'treasure chest'.
I found Mihir with a friend whom he was quick to introduce me to. "Biprorshee, this is Luke! Luke, this is Biprorshee. He is a journalist and also sings for a band (I somehow would've just preferred the latter bit). He is a big Maiden fan! (I'm synonymous with Iron Maiden, or so I wish)". It took me a while to place that "Luke" was actually "Luke Kenny". I tried hard not to let my jaw fall apart! I adore this man (Luke, I mean). Yes, yes, there are too many people I adore! Thereby breaking a ground rule of conducting a good interview - Never be in awe of your interviewee! (No! I wasn't gonna interview Luke Kenny but just for some journalistic gyaan sake!)
So while Mihir and Luke continued with their conversation sipping tea, I politely looked around! An insane music system, every possible DVD, books, guitar....Mihir, you think your parents would adopt me?
It wasn't long before Luke decided to leave and Mihir said, "Yes man? So what are we doing?...."
Switch on the dicta...start chat.....
The coversation lasted for over an hour and not for a moment did I feel that I was interviewing someone. In fact, I'd hate to call it one. A couple of days later, I tried to summarise not just the chat but those couple of hours. Here goes....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Along came a dreamer…..
"You are never given a dream without the ability to make it come true," Mihir Joshi freely quotes Richard Bach as he speaks to me in his "treasure-chest" of a room. I smile.
I've known the self-titled "Musicman" since the days he readily helped me out with a college assignment and thereafter organised a couple of gigs for my band and have been awed by his passion each time.
As I get comfortable in his Chembur abode, he doesn't fail to amaze me again. Strewn around are innumerable CDs and DVDs, Presley smiles from one corner on the wall while a swanky music system croons "While my guitar gently weeps"!
Mihir can talk and how! To hear of how a top-notch electronics engineering student treaded the road less travelled (as Frost would've loved), became a radio jockey, promoted music, events, musicians, freelanced with publications, launched a web site, hobnobbed in the music 'corporation' and eventually gave up the plush job to be with his band - 'The Works' makes me gasp. Why? The man did all this in a matter of just four years.
"In an ideal world, I would've loved to just sing," says Mihir. Learning soon that it wasn't an ideal world after all, Mihir did the "next best thing" to share his music. In June 2004, he got the "RJ" prefix to his name at All India Radio.
And while radio continued, Musicman supported the Indian rock scene handling artist relations and event promotion with two honchos of music instruments dealers in Mumbai. Exactly a year ago, he landed himself his first corporate job as media and events manager with EMI Music.
Mihir with almost a mother's pride speaks of eMUSICPOST.com, an online music magazine he started two years ago. Dreamy eyed, he says, "When people think of music news in India, I would like them to think of eMUSICPOST.com".
Reality check! I ask maybe the dreaded question, "Money?" Quick is the retort. "AIR paid me 500 rupees for three hours, which came to about 2,000-4,000 rupees a month when I started. Money progressively increased with the jobs I took up ahead. What I make now is not an exorbitant amount but it serves the purpose," he says.
And so it does! For a teetotaller who doesn't party, Mihir says that he is self-sufficient. He is stingy, he says. "Pretty much, everything that I’ve earned has gone back to music (pointing to his chic music system). I’m happy. This is my investment. I go by my folks' words when it comes to other investments," he grins; while I shudder to think of my pending bills!
It sure must be great making a crowd swing to your tunes, hang out with the likes of Walter Trout, Mark Knopfler and Roger Waters and have a whole loada music enthusiasts looking upto him. However, one can't strike out the risks involved. Risks of failure and acceptance.
Nudge him there and you'd probably love what you hear next! "One-fourth of your life is gone in school and college. Considering an age of eighty, you’ve got three-fourths of your life remaining. One-third of that is going to be spent working. If you spend that time doing something that you don’t like, think about how much of your life you will be wasting away." All applauses due!
The man has given himself a year to find his foot as a musician. He will go back to his corporate ways otherwise. And while we pray such is not the case, Mihir saves a few wise words for the last.
"While it is great to follow your dreams, it is very important to recognise your abilities before you do it. There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You see these problems because you needs those gifts."
Ozzy Osbourne sang, "I'm just a dreamer. I dream my life away!" Musicman Mihir Joshi will write a new song!
Biprorshee Das
Feb 18, 2008
Bug Mihir at mihirlovesmusic@gmail.com
Check out The Works at The Hard Rock Cafe (they practically live there!) or at http://www.theworks.in/
The Works related external sites:
The Works Videos
The Works Myspace page
The Works Orkut fan club
The Works Facebook community
Anyway, to begin with, this write up would be incomplete if I do not mention here how much I've admired Mihir over the couple of years that I've known him.
Still remember those XIC days, when Gautam came running to me telling me how this one dude has agreed to contribute to a certain class project, a 5-minute news feature that we were doing on one particular "rockstar" I was in serious awe of those days (NOT ANYMORE!). After we shot Mihir at Kalaghoda (in the most unobvious manner, of course), we fondly referred to him as the "one-take guy". That's all it took! The dude came riding on his bike right at the time he had promised, rattled off whatever he had to say to the camera, shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and off he went. Piece of cake!
I crossed paths with him again when he turned out to be the 'mysterious' EMI guy organising a special gig for Zohak at Planet M on the "A Matter of Life and Death" album launch. "I still have not received the merchandise you promised us for that gig, Mihir!"
Thereafter he helped us with a couple of more gigs. And boy, he was a great help, indeed!
What I like most about this guy besides his seriousness about music is his enterprising attitude towards everything. The man has a lot of energy! He's just a call away for just about anything a friend might need!
So here I was! All armed with just a dictaphone and draped in my favourite Iron Maiden shirt (I just can't stop showing off), I stepped into his room, which is nothing short than what I called a 'treasure chest'.
I found Mihir with a friend whom he was quick to introduce me to. "Biprorshee, this is Luke! Luke, this is Biprorshee. He is a journalist and also sings for a band (I somehow would've just preferred the latter bit). He is a big Maiden fan! (I'm synonymous with Iron Maiden, or so I wish)". It took me a while to place that "Luke" was actually "Luke Kenny". I tried hard not to let my jaw fall apart! I adore this man (Luke, I mean). Yes, yes, there are too many people I adore! Thereby breaking a ground rule of conducting a good interview - Never be in awe of your interviewee! (No! I wasn't gonna interview Luke Kenny but just for some journalistic gyaan sake!)
So while Mihir and Luke continued with their conversation sipping tea, I politely looked around! An insane music system, every possible DVD, books, guitar....Mihir, you think your parents would adopt me?
It wasn't long before Luke decided to leave and Mihir said, "Yes man? So what are we doing?...."
Switch on the dicta...start chat.....
The coversation lasted for over an hour and not for a moment did I feel that I was interviewing someone. In fact, I'd hate to call it one. A couple of days later, I tried to summarise not just the chat but those couple of hours. Here goes....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Along came a dreamer…..
"You are never given a dream without the ability to make it come true," Mihir Joshi freely quotes Richard Bach as he speaks to me in his "treasure-chest" of a room. I smile.
I've known the self-titled "Musicman" since the days he readily helped me out with a college assignment and thereafter organised a couple of gigs for my band and have been awed by his passion each time.
As I get comfortable in his Chembur abode, he doesn't fail to amaze me again. Strewn around are innumerable CDs and DVDs, Presley smiles from one corner on the wall while a swanky music system croons "While my guitar gently weeps"!
Mihir can talk and how! To hear of how a top-notch electronics engineering student treaded the road less travelled (as Frost would've loved), became a radio jockey, promoted music, events, musicians, freelanced with publications, launched a web site, hobnobbed in the music 'corporation' and eventually gave up the plush job to be with his band - 'The Works' makes me gasp. Why? The man did all this in a matter of just four years.
"In an ideal world, I would've loved to just sing," says Mihir. Learning soon that it wasn't an ideal world after all, Mihir did the "next best thing" to share his music. In June 2004, he got the "RJ" prefix to his name at All India Radio.
And while radio continued, Musicman supported the Indian rock scene handling artist relations and event promotion with two honchos of music instruments dealers in Mumbai. Exactly a year ago, he landed himself his first corporate job as media and events manager with EMI Music.
Mihir with almost a mother's pride speaks of eMUSICPOST.com, an online music magazine he started two years ago. Dreamy eyed, he says, "When people think of music news in India, I would like them to think of eMUSICPOST.com".
Reality check! I ask maybe the dreaded question, "Money?" Quick is the retort. "AIR paid me 500 rupees for three hours, which came to about 2,000-4,000 rupees a month when I started. Money progressively increased with the jobs I took up ahead. What I make now is not an exorbitant amount but it serves the purpose," he says.
And so it does! For a teetotaller who doesn't party, Mihir says that he is self-sufficient. He is stingy, he says. "Pretty much, everything that I’ve earned has gone back to music (pointing to his chic music system). I’m happy. This is my investment. I go by my folks' words when it comes to other investments," he grins; while I shudder to think of my pending bills!
It sure must be great making a crowd swing to your tunes, hang out with the likes of Walter Trout, Mark Knopfler and Roger Waters and have a whole loada music enthusiasts looking upto him. However, one can't strike out the risks involved. Risks of failure and acceptance.
Nudge him there and you'd probably love what you hear next! "One-fourth of your life is gone in school and college. Considering an age of eighty, you’ve got three-fourths of your life remaining. One-third of that is going to be spent working. If you spend that time doing something that you don’t like, think about how much of your life you will be wasting away." All applauses due!
The man has given himself a year to find his foot as a musician. He will go back to his corporate ways otherwise. And while we pray such is not the case, Mihir saves a few wise words for the last.
"While it is great to follow your dreams, it is very important to recognise your abilities before you do it. There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You see these problems because you needs those gifts."
Ozzy Osbourne sang, "I'm just a dreamer. I dream my life away!" Musicman Mihir Joshi will write a new song!
Biprorshee Das
Feb 18, 2008
Bug Mihir at mihirlovesmusic@gmail.com
Check out The Works at The Hard Rock Cafe (they practically live there!) or at http://www.theworks.in/
The Works related external sites:
The Works Videos
The Works Myspace page
The Works Orkut fan club
The Works Facebook community
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All things bright and Biprorshee
