A rocking career to put your life on a song

New Delhi: Drumming, strumming and high-decibel humming: that's what they do for a living. Them Clones, stars of the domestic rock circuit, have been jamming for over seven years now. And it's not just their music that they experiment with.

“We were asked not to swear on stage, not to smoke and stripping was out of question, we did all of that,” confesses the drummer of the band, Surojit Dev.

While each of the Clones do have nine-to-five jobs, music has been first love and first priority which means whirlwind tours across the country, playing gigs at college festivals, pub shows, rock fests, corporate events and concerts - something that didn't go down well with parents at first.

“They kept stressing on the word "hobby" a lot, just go ahead with your "hobby", manage your "hobby",” says vocalist Prithwish Dev.

But hobnobbing with this hobby long enough is serious business.

“If you are to ensure that you can take that crowd for the moment and really entertain them, you need to be entertained yourself, which means you need to be honest with your music,” says Prithwish.

If you pump in enough commitment, 50,000 to Rs 1 lakh per show is what you can take home. Music to the ears? But remember success doesn't come easy to every aspiring musician.

“Please write good songs, you can't write crap and just get away with it,” says Prithwish.

To strike the right chords professionally, you can enrol for a degree in music from University of Delhi, Nagpur University, Bangalore University or the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishad.

AR Rahman's recently launched KM Music Conservatory in Chennai also offers courses for beginners and professionals.

With the Indian music industry as dynamic as the audience itself, scope for this rocking career is noteworthy.

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