Strong base in Indian classical music makes difference: Padma Shankar

You have been performing in different genres of music like Carnatic, western classical, film and fusion. How do you handle the challenge?
A strong base in Indian classical music helps me to adapt to different genres. Probably, it is because we train by the ear, the aural tradition .  We are able to decode any music into our musical notes and play them. The challenge lies in getting the right accent . We all speak English. But accents vary from country to country.  Though music is all about seven notes and its permutations and combinations , the accent varies.   The ornamentation of the notes, called gamakas, are different . Personally, I think listening to different genres helps a lot in being able to understand and adapt. Film music is precision within a couple of bars of music, besides feeling and mood. I  love to learn and push my boundaries as a musician.  It’s always a learning process and a new experience each time. Willingness to learn and ability to adapt and blend are very important. Sometimes just going with the flow without too much analysis also helps.