What are your main instruments?

Santoor & Tabla.

Are there any other instruments you dabble and tinker with?

Various percussion, guitar, bass guitar. 

What is your first vivid musical memory as a child?  Was there a particular moment when a sound or piece of music really captured your attention?

When I was small I used to watch and listen to my gran singing to herself in the house with a kind of awe and wonder. She used to sing all the time while working away at home. She used to sing old songs of Nat King Cole and The Inkspots, gentle, lilting melodies, a kind of music which I would never listen to otherwise, but I loved hearing the passion with which my gran sang them. I used to love watching how much joy she got from music and that made a great impression on me.  

How did you end up pursuing music as a career?

I could not get into formal music study at school even though I wanted to learn an  instrument and listened to music all the time as a child. I tried the piano, but was scared of the the piano teacher, and I found the music lessons very dry and uninspiring. I bought a guitar when I was 14 and taught myself through books, friends and playing along with records.

When I was 16 at college I had some musician friends who started a band and they were looking for a bass player.  After weeks of searching they eventually asked me to join them because we were friends and they knew I loved the same kind of music, even though I had never  played bass in my life! They offered to teach me as we went along. Within 6 weeks we did our first gig and it went really well. After that I never really thought about doing anything else, I practised like mad, and within a year was in 3 bands, because I found out that there was a scarcity of bass players. After that I just worked hard and opportunities seemed to come my way. 

How did you end up choosing your particular instrument?

I started on Santoor after playing tabla for 10 years. I love tabla but I had a itch to play a melodic instrument. Santoor seemed ideal because it has a strong rhythmic element and borrows in its repertoire from ideas rooted in tabla. As well as that the sound is just hypnotic. 

Is there anything you really struggle with as a musician?

I struggle to have a fixed routine of practice time which I think would be ideal. I just grab whatever time there is in the day (or night!) to practice, but it never feels enough.

I think there is also a struggle with Indian instruments in this country, that is having access to proper maintenance, or repair of these kind of instruments. Also sometimes you can feel quite isolated playing this kind of music in terms of spontaneous access to music-making environments with other like minded musicians

Were there any key moments or key people that have really helped you in your musical journey?

There are several characters who have made an impact on me. Some well known, some not so famous, but without whom I could not have even started this journey. 

I was introduced to Indian music by Mahmood Rahman (or Benu), a Bengali vocalist who was based in Sheffield when we met some twenty years ago. Benu has a passion and enthusiasm for music which is boundless and has been a major figure in nurturing Indian Music activity in this country. Benu would spend any amount of time playing and also talking about music that was truly inspiring and unconditional. One of the most generous and warmest people I have ever met. 

I first came across Indian music through chance. As a student I shared a house with a friend who was a drummer, who had been to India and returned with a set of tabla. When we moved to Sheffield he was looking for opportunities to learn it and came across a community workshop. He persuaded me to go with him to the first class because he was too nervous to go on his own in case he was the only English guy! I only went to keep him company, but it was a life changing event for me. I remember entering this community room with lots of kids running around and a guy sat in the middle of the floor with his eyes closed, cradling a tanpura, and singing away totally self absorbed. As I crept nervously towards him I found myself getting more and more hypnotised by his singing. That was the day I met Benu, and my life was never the same again! 

I have been fortunate to have some wonderful teachers and made a huge impression on me. Sri Sudhir Saxena, whom I learnt from for two years in India, a profoundly deep musician and scholar who introduced me to the aesthetics of tabla. Ustad Faiyaz Khan, a very warm and giving guru steeped in the authentic roots of tabla playing. Sri Yogesh Samsi, an amazing tabla virtuoso who has taught me some fascinating tabla repertoire and introduced me to the aesthetics of the great tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha Khan. Sri Harjinder Pal Singh, who has introduced me to the potential and beauty of the santoor. 

What excites you about playing with Indus?

Creating original music and being able to perform it with some great musicians and friends. 

What do you see next for the band?

To further explore the creative potential of the ensemble through composing, playing together regularly and performance.

Do you have a few word to share with other aspiring musicians?

It doesn't matter what kind of music or instrument you play, you have to simply love it. Enjoy the journey! It is endless but that is the beauty of it. Learn to think of all the obstacles as opportunities to move on. Guidance is really important, and if you are fortunate to find a great teacher then good for you, make the most of it, but ultimately don't forget that it is about trying to find your own voice. It takes time and it is a process that we are all in.