Concert-pianist, choir director and composer Neecia Majolly is not new to awards. Founder of The Majolly Music Trust, the musician’s latest achievement is receiving the ‘Best Alternative Song’ award at the Indie Music Channel Awards at the Grammy Museum Clive Davis Theatre, Hollywood recently.
In a candid chat with Tini Sara Anien, she sheds light on the award and the Western classical music scene.
Tell us about the award.
It is one of the biggest awards in the independent music scene. Most of the known awards deal with popular artistes. They are backed by record labels by independent musicians don’t always have that backing. We do things on our own and such an award is encouraging.
I was nominated for the ‘Best Alternative Song’ award for ‘Fenced Circle’ and the ‘Best Alternative Video’, and I won the former.
What is ‘Fenced Circle’ about?
The song comes from an album called ‘Please’. The album is not a feel-good
album at all, it has alternative rock with goth influences. The album deals with hard-hitting topics. ‘Fenced Circle’ is about the futility of life; no matter what one does they come back to square one.
Other interesting songs in ‘Please’ are...
One of the first songs in ‘Please’, which received an award was ‘Dark Room’, which is a melancholic song about a person who is heartbroken. The ‘White Bone’ is about ivory poaching in Africa, while ‘Revolution’ is about trying to make people wake up and understand that they need to focus on important things. ‘Fight for your Right’ is about people of any colour or orientation standing up for what they believe in and the title track ‘Please’ is about a woman who has tried to resist rape.
What made you write songs with messages?
I’ve been in music since I was a child. A lot artistes like to explore such music as it gives us an opportunity to explore ourselves. The songs cover problems that bother me, which is why I wanted to write about it. It’s easy to write music which is appealing or what people can dance to, but I don’t feel that it is the proper expression of myself. I write material that matters to me.
You have been expanding your horizon a lot...
When I’m doing western classical music, I’m on my own. I decided that I would be a studio artist and collaborate in terms of arrangements, lyrics etc. I’ve collaborated with foreign artistes like Galina Heifetz, and Indian artistes like Manoj George and Supriya Raghunandan.
I am working on a video for ‘Please’ now, and also involved with the Trust’s activities and teaching. I’m also working with two choir projects. I’ve also been doing music theatre which is satisfying.
How is western classical music doing here?
There is an increasing interest in western classical music in Bengaluru. Through the years many more music schools have cropped up. The only problem is that there are not enough good piano and vocal teachers for western classical music. The inhibitions that teaching music wouldn’t fetch enough money might be keeping them away.
Bengaluru’s audiences are more appreciative and open to different genres of music.