TAAQ That!' Bengaluru gets world-class academy

“How long will I take to learn, sir?" It's a question the people over at TAAQADEMY are accustomed to hearing now, in this world where everything must happen instantly or not at all. Musician Bruce Lee Mani's answer rarely varies: "Never. It's a lifetime of learning!" 

Music academies thrive across the country, many promising students virtuoso status by the time they graduate in three months - But where has the fun gone, asks Bruce Lee Mani, frontman of Thermal and a Quarter and co-founder, TAAQADEMY. "The important thing is to have fun." Not that this means compromising quality, one-on-one student and teacher interactions are rule of thumb at the academy. Today marks the launch of SMA-TAAQADEMY, as they come together with the prestigious Shankar Mahadevan Academy, to set up a world class school of music here in Bengaluru. 

Over 8000 students across the city are part of TAAQADEMY, including the schools that have signed up to the programme. They started out, however, 2010, with a small space on Queens Road. Until then, Thermal and A Quarter, the pioneers of Indian rock, were something of an urban legend themselves. And things were very different when they started. "There was maybe, one venue for us to play at? Today, there are dozens," says Bruce. 

The band began when its members were still in college, driven by passion and little else, at the time. Music teachers and opportunities for study were rare or formidably expensive and the members of TAAQ taught themselves how to play, Bruce recalls. As time went by, people began reaching out, asking if their kids could learn music from them. "We had all been taking classes for many years. In 2010, we started the academy. Even then, the emphasis was never just on preparing students for a life as a professional musician, it's simply to bring the joy of the art into their lives. Indian audiences are not very educated, music-wise. That's something we also hoped to address." 

The academy took off and soon, they were scouting for bigger places, locating one in Koramangala, then in Whitefield. Then, they extended their reach to schools across Bengaluru, too. "Even now, the fundamental principle is the same - studying music should be enjoyable. It should bring value to your life." Over 50 musicians from across India have shifted base to Bengaluru, to join the TAAQEDEMY ecosystem as members of its faculty. "Students have access to a network of musicians from everywhere." 

Much has changed in the music scene, almost as much as it hasn't. "When we started in 1996, we would get paid something like Rs 25,000 a gig. It seemed like a lot of money at time," says Bruce, 'But that's what musicians till get today! In that sense, things haven't changed. Then again, there are so many spaces for musicians to perform." Technology has transformed the scene too, again, in ways that are both good and bad. "On the one hand, more musicians have access," Bruce explains, adding, "On the other, you're trying to make yourself heard amongst people who are already inundated with information. When John Lennon said Imagine, people stopped and did just that. It's a lot harder to stand out today." 

When: October 18, 3 pm
Where: SMA RAAQADEMY Centre, 1/6 Maruthi Mansion, 1st Floor, Assayee Road, Ulsoor