This is where singers rock

This is where singers rock

Music is the best remedy, whether life is on a high or in the dumps! However when it comes to the Indian Idol contestants, music is life and life music. These youngsters are here to sing and find a place for themselves in the world of fame and fortune. They have come from far, from little known towns to well-known cities; some have also come from countries outside India. For these participants, music is not as simple as they would have imagined. They are on the way to hard work and struggle to win the coveted title. Their days are long and their nights very short. After a tiresome day of rigorous vocal training, they are woken up at the crack of dawn and therein begins the training lessons… music and vocal training under the tutelage of Ram Shankar, a well known music director and Hriday Merchant, a vocal trainer. If the youngsters are putting in loads of efforts and hard work, the two gurus are working even more. It's no easy task to train young voices and prepare them to stand before the world and perform. They have to give their best shot to have the viewers listen and vote for them. Says music director Ram Shankar, who guides them with the songs, "They have the potential to become the next Indian Idol; they just need some guidance in polishing their skills, expressions and scale of singing." While Hriday Merchant points out, "Nobody can become a singer overnight, but if somebody has got the basics right, then we can fine tune and guide them; I teach them voice culture which is the art of using body to express emotions in a song. I am making them practice voice culture." While vocal training and practices take most of their time of the day, the contestants are also put through a tough regimen, where they have to refrain from having curd, cold drinks or any oily food that can damage their voice during the course of the show. When asked about the disciplined life that they are put through during Indian idol, a contestant says, "If these sacrifices help us to achieve something as big as the Indian Idol title, we don't mind making these sacrifices."

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/

so the guru we saw in the fever episode is Ram Shankar?
wow they have a specific diet too...thats interesting