Behind The Sound-Proof Glass

it was so silent in there I could hear my heart-beating. Actually, it sounded more like it was throbbing for fear of what was to happen next. He told me to stay steady and not move from my mark and I so felt like the son of William Tell at that moment! Nevertheless, I tried to keep my cool, wiping my brow as I stood in that air conditioned sound-proof room waiting to sing the first few notes and then finally the moment came and went past me before I could even realize what the hell happened!

It took me a total of 15 hours to reach that recording studio located close to Mangalore City. the first 12 hours were by a Volvo Bus from Pune and these were all the hours it was supposed to take me to reach this beautiful city. But an accident on the way ensured my journey was halted abruptly at Kota, about a half hour drive from Udupi City. It was quite a shocker of an incident with the bus being violently jolted at 6 AM while its passengers were fast alseep. An oncoming bus scraped past our bus on the driver side as our adventureous man behind the wheels was overtaking a huge truck. The result was nearly catastrophic with the other bus falling into the ditch while we came to a screeching stop.

Anyways, a half hour and 2 local buses later I caught a bus to Udupi and decided to meet my granny who stayed there. Would I have met her had my bus not had this incident? I doubt I would have. I met her and had breakfast with her, met my uncles and aunts, my cousin brothers and played with my cutiepie niece.

Finally I reached my destination and began practising for the recording and boy was it tough. I thought it would be a breeze but having to sing in a particular tone and with certain expression and having to repeat the lines over and over and over again in takes and retakes knocked the wind out of me! Yet a sense of calm came over me when I entered that recording room. In a moment my life flashed before my eyes, those days of singing before guests, relatives and friends, those days of singing in a choir standing behind the microphone coz there was no space in front of it and those days when my voice was going through an identity crisis of sorts. I felt like today and every day of my life was planned by a higher force to see this day.

And I recorded, in 2 hours I managed 3 hymns and by the end of it I felt like I was on a roll and wanted to do more. It was the most enthralling experience I have had in years, an adventure of a lifetime. And for the first time I felt at home so far away from home, in the midst of what i loved most: music. Now I know that so long as I have faith in my self and my abilities I will always be safe and heard behind the sound-proof glass of life by the chief musician!