MUMBAI: The old phrase is known to all – ‘Music is a window to the soul’ and co-founder of the globally known Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio, Loy Mendonsa prove every letter of the statement.

In a conversation with Subhash Ghai and the students at a special workshop supervised by Dr. Sangeeta Shankar, the HOD for Whistling Woods International (WWI) School of Performing Arts – Music Department, Loy Mendonsa spoke about his career adventures and the strong touch he feels with music.  

Subhash Ghai started by requesting Loy Mendonsa to share his mindset about music. He answered saying, “Music is a soulful art form. While creating music, try to impart emotions in it.” He went ahead and suggested the students to recognize melody in simple conversations and the amazing impact it has on the audience. He also shocked the students by creating an unexpected tune with the help of words suggested by the enthusiastic audience.

As the workshop continued, Loy Mendonsa shared his opinions on the song world from a producer’s viewpoint. He stressed on the necessity of imparting character in a song and suggesting catchy words as lyrics. His tip states that the beginning of a song is the most essential area of any song. 

When debating over instruments, he stated the importance of playing for one’s own works rather than playing to earn fame or impressing other people and inspired the students by suggesting to create - “Something random, and with this randomness, you will create a pattern.”

By the end, the students performed and showcased their abilities leaving Loy Mendonsa spellbound He stated - “If this is the level at which the students are taught then I must say you are doing a wonderful job.”

To improve their skills, Loy Mendonsa suggested the students to practice ‘ear training’, an essential for good musicians.

With the workshop drawing to a close, Subhash Ghai gave Loy Mendonsa a token of appreciation and expressed gratitude for taking the session and giving his precious insights.