Tag Archives: Shardul Pandey Talks

Shardul Pandey Talks To Gabriel Lynch

Shardul Pandey Talks

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Gabriel at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story.

Gabriel Lynch: My name is Gabriel Lynch. I’m an independent Australian musician and songwriter. Music has been a big part of my life since I was a very young. My parents encouraged me to take up the violin when I was five years old. Shortly then I also became a member of the Australian Boys Choir. When I was 8, my dad – a music scholar and classical guitarist – showed me three chords on the guitar and from then onward, I was writing my own songs. By age 13 I had played my first show in a pub in my hometown of Melbourne, and I have never stopped performing since then.

I’m now 26 years old and I have spent most of the last three years making my living out of touring, performing and selling my own self-funded CDs. I’ve played in countries all over Europe, Australia and Asia and last year I was lucky enough to even perform at a festival in Singapore, alongside my heroes Elbow, The John Butler Trio and Architecture in Helsinki.

I’ve worked along some incredible musicians of various styles and genres. For the last three months I was working my improvising chops as a jazz singer with a small band at Bangkok’s renowned music hub, Brown Sugar. I have also been working alongside Australian DJ and composer, Robbie James, to create a new album of electronic music under the name Stray Nation.

At the present time, I’m working as a musician for hire in Bangkok. I’m also in the process of preparing to create a new record of my own (after having great success with my last EP, Dependent State). The finance for my new album will be raised via an online crowdfunding campaign which is a very new concept to me. But it’s also very exciting because I’m using that campaign to challenge myself as a songwriter – everyone who pledges has a chance to choose a song title and topic that I must then write and record for YouTube within two weeks!

Gabriel LynchShardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique ?

Gabriel Lynch: The thing that makes my endeavours most unique is the fact that I am totally independent. That means that every tour, every record I make, every project I undertake is self-funded and produced. The other thing that perhaps makes my approach to my work unique is that I am always trying new ways to expand my own horizons. Beyond my own releases and performances, I also love to collaborate and play outside of my comfort zone. In the near future I’ll be releasing a joint electronic music project with Melbourne producer/dj Robbie James called Stray Nation. And, of course, in raising funds for my new solo album, I am asking my audience to help me with the songwriting process by suggesting song titles and topics. They get the opportunity to do this when they pledge their support. I think this brings in a new level of online audience participation and I think that interaction (which is one of my favourite things about playing live) is crucial to creating art that is all the more personal for my followers and supporters.

Shardul Pandey: On what musical projects you are working on? What can we expect from you in the next few years ? Any long-term goals?

Gabriel Lynch: As I mentioned, my main project at the moment is the songwriting exercise/crowdfunding project for my next album. This is a big challenge for me as I will have to pour out a lot of music in a short period of time. I’m hoping to then incorporate the best songs I come up with into the new album. The new album will be recorded in 2014 and will be followed by tours in Asia, Australia and (hopefully) the US for the very first time. I’d be lying if I said I had any strict goals. But my main ambition through everything I do is to make more friends, expose my music to more people and find those individuals who connect with what I do. Music is about sharing and I hope to do that in every way possible. That means playing and performing at every opportunity, continuing to write and create new material for my followers, and collaborating with other artists.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to share the experience of your first performance?

Gabriel Lynch: I was about 13 years old when I first played live. I was invited by a small collective to participate in an open mic night at a pub in Melbourne. It was a very small affair, but I remember being deeply excited because it was my first time performing my music in front of strangers. It was also exciting to be inside a pub! Of course, my mother had to accompany me to many of my shows when I was under the legal drinking age (18 in Australia). But she was really supportive and ended up taking me to loads of shows throughout my teen years.

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist ? Any favorite moment you would like to share?

Gabriel Lynch: There are a great many to choose from. I think the best moments for me when I receive words of comfort or encouragement from strangers. That sometimes happens when an audience sings along with my songs. It happens when somebody sends me an email to say ‘thank you’ for a song that touched them in a particular way. Perhaps the one experience that comes to mind first was my début performance at Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre. The audience was incredibly enthusiastic and were so excited by the opportunity to sing harmonies with me (something I like to do when I play live – the results are often mixed). They really gave it their all and they were so quick to approach me afterward, one at a time, to introduce themselves and say hello. I think I met a couple of hundred people that night and I’ll never forget it!

Shardul Pandey: Any other creative mediums you work in?

Gabriel Lynch: I stick with music mostly. Although that’s a broad statement. I have several projects on the go and I work as a hired gun for jazz ensembles and cover bands to keep myself busy. But I have recently started writing online for a handful of music websites. The most popular column I have is for Philippines’ DIG Radio site. The column is entitled “All Musicians Go to Hell” and I use it as an opportunity to talk about all things music: performing, music criticism and analysis, tips for other musicians. The fun part is using humour to convey my message.

Gabriel Lynch

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

Gabriel Lynch: I think I’d describe it as expression. Simple as that. When I hear music that makes me feel something, irrespective of what, and irrespective of genre, that says to me that the composer has achieved something special.

Shardul Pandey: Who were your biggest musical influences ?

Gabriel Lynch: I’m extremely fond of many different musicians from different backgrounds and periods of history. My favourite contemporary artists are groups like Elbow, Radiohead, Ben Folds and Eels. But I also have a deep love of classical music (Debussy and Elgar are among my favourites) and jazz (Brad Mehldau is one of my heroes). But musically I find my experiences, meeting people and going through the trials of life are some of the best sources of inspiration.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving ?

Gabriel Lynch: The uptempo numbers from Ben Folds Five are usually a good start for music to make you feel energised. Songs like “Kate” and “Song for the Dumped”. I also love Mutemath and their style of bluesy rock. It’s sophisticated and incredibly intense, but a lot of fun.

Shardul Pandey: Any plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Gabriel Lynch: Yes indeed. Once my new album is finished, I’ll be attempting to reach as far and wide as I can. I’ll start with Asia and my home country, Australia. But I’m hoping to get to the US for the first time. This will all take place midway through 2014.

Shardul Pandey: What you feel is your strength as a musician and how would you like to be remembered ?

Gabriel Lynch: Musically speaking? I suppose it would be my songwriting. I never really thought of myself as a singer, much less a guitarist. But I think I have the ability to express, through melody and song, the things I write about before lyrics even come into the equation. But what really matters, at the end of the day, is that I love working with other musicians. I think my best quality, therefore, is my approach to making music with others. I like to think I make friends of anyone I play along, and having that relationship opens you up to the possibility of creating something very unique and special.

Shardul Pandey: What advice would you give to newbie musicians?

Gabriel Lynch: Be honest in your music. Forget about being cool. Forget about playing the most current and popular style. Be honest and write and play the music that speaks to you. If you’re honest, people listening will be able to find it and that’s how you’ll reach them. That’s how you’ll grow a support base. And it will also make you happy.

Gabriel Lynch

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain?

Gabriel Lynch: Yes, TheGabrielLynchBand.com. There are a few other places: Indiegogo Campaign, Gabriellynch.bandcamp.com, Facebook.com/gabriellynchmusic, Twitter.com/glynchmusic

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Gabriel Lynch: I hope that your readers and all netizens who stumble upon this article and/or my music will give it a chance. Support doesn’t come in the form of money or page ‘likes’. But if you hear what I do, and if it means something to you, you can support me by sharing my songs with your friends. You can support me by following my news. And, most importantly, if you make it known that you like what you hear, then I’ll have all the more reason to come and perform for you the next time I hit the road. And I hope that will be sometime very soon.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Aspyre

Shardul Pandey Talks To Aspyre

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Aspyre at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netiznes about yourself.

Aspyre: My name is Aspyre. I’m a Canadian born country singer. I started writing songs when I was 8 years old. I always loved singing but I knew just singing wasn’t enough. I always had an interest in guitar but never knew how to play. As fate would have it, I ended up getting a guitar with a broken neck from a friend. He was gonna throw it out, so I decided to see if I could fix it and teach myself. A little wood glue and dedication changed my life forever. I’ve never had a real lesson in my life, but think I’m doing pretty well with it! I know all the odds are against me in this industry but I’m hoping to beat those odds and travel doing a career that I love!

Shardul Pandey: So what are you doing now-a-days ? What musical projects you are currently working on?

Aspyre: Well right now I’m working at a seniors home and pursuing music on the side. I’m completely self-taught on guitar and practice non stop! I’ve dreamed about this since I was a little, and it’s so exciting that I was FINALLY able to start this journey two months ago. So far though, the support has amazed! I’m planning to record an EP in the next few months, so everyone can keep an eye out for that and a music video! I’m always uploading new videos on YouTube (Aspyresings) and new photos on my Facebook page all the time!

Shardul Pandey: How would you describe your sound to people who have not yet heard your music ?

Aspyre: Describing my sound is hard for me to do, but if I had to put it into words, I would say I’m an indie/country singer. My sound is what makes Aspyre so different from the rest.

Shardul Pandey: Any loves, other than music? Is there any other creative mediums you work in?

Aspyre: My two love’s other than music are my miniature Australian shepherd Baxter, and being able to help others any chance I get! I’m also a great sculptor, not just a writer! I can’t draw at all, but give me a ball of clay, and I can make anything.

Shardul Pandey: Any favorite moment you would like to share?

Aspyre: My favorite moments would have to be the first time I ever heard my voice on a recording and realised, I sounded good! How am I unique? My story is a long and special one. I won’t go into detail, but I will say that I’ve been on my own for this entire journey. My parents/family never encouraged me to sing. I taught myself how to play guitar in my basement bedroom with my guitar I found and fixed.

One day I will share my whole story with you:)

Shardul Pandey: What you do for fun & entertainment? Any peculiar interests?

Aspyre: For fun, I don’t go to cinemas or watch tv. I prefer to spend my time surrounded by my closest friends.

I believe time spent with loved ones is a million times more precious than hours wasted on a TV screen.

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about your favorites.

Aspyre:My favorites:

  • My favorite films are Edward scissor hands, SNL’s Superstar and Anchorman.
  • My favorite actors/actresses: Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum.
  • My favorite singers: Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Rascal Flatts and Luke Bryan
  • My favorite international artists: I really enjoy european EDM artists. Hardwell, avichi, kaskade.
  • My favorite food will always be pineapple and black olive pizza or simply, a grilled cheese sandwich
  • My favorite travel destination would be hawaii, but I would love to see England!
  • My favorite music festival is Shambhala in British Columbia.
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Shardul Pandey: Best advice ever given? First song ever sung? Secret craving?

Aspyre: Everything happens for a reason. Never give up, and never stop trying because clouds will always go away. Sunshine is only hidden as long as you let it.
My first favorite song that I remember is ‘don’t be stupid’ by Shania twain. My all time secret craving is candy! Cotton candy, rock candy, sour candy,… Etc..

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

Aspyre: Music to me is what water is to a fish. With out it, I couldn’t make it through my day. I wouldn’t be able to travel anywhere, I wouldn’t be able to keep a smile on my face when others pulled me down. I couldn’t go to sleep at night or wake up in the morning. Music is what I live and breathe for. Music is everything to me.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving ?

Aspyre: Red- taylor swift, Killin it- krewella, Get down – Kairo kingdom, Chicken fried – Zach brown band

Shardul Pandey: According to you, what are easy and hard parts of singing ?

Aspyre: The easiest part of singing for me,is simply just the singing part! But I do find that it is harder for me to play certain or difficult guitar rhythms while I sing.

Shardul Pandey: What you feel is your strength as a performer and how would you like to be remembered?

Aspyre: My strengths would have to be my strong vocal range and vibrato. Similar to Carrie Underwood. I hope to be remembered by my unique sound!

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to give any advice to newbie musicians?

Aspyre: Never put your self down or worry what others think of your music. Confidence is everything these days.

Shardul Pandey: Any new plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Aspyre: I have some plans for a tour around the southern united states for summer 2014, but I haven’t even released my EP yet so it’s still up in the air where I will end up in the future!

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Aspyre: My ultimate message to everyone: never give up!! Always follow your heart with a positive attitude and outlook. People will always be waiting to pull you down, but if you don’t let them, you will rise to the top!! Never let anything tell you that your dreams are not possible.

Shardul Pandey Talks To K.C. Loy

K.C. Loy

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you K.C.at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself.

K.C. Loy: I always remember choosing paths least traveled. Usually for the adventure it promised, but mostly ‘cos the rest seemed so boring. Yes! ‘Boring’ is one disease I’ve tried to avoid like a plague. Music, Dancing & Performing came naturally. I felt at home on the stage, even at the age of 5.

I think I can still remember the audience, my parents and of course my teacher, by the pews, all waiting with bated breath. I loved it when they broke into smiles and applause. That little flame kept the embers in my heart, glowing, soft & warm up until the day I realized, long after I’d chosen this path, “This is where I am supposed to be! Dreaming – Creating – Performing!”

I started off as a Composer of music for Advertisements & Television, moving on to Bollywood with the Hindi feature I.Proud to be Indian.

I Co-produced a Marathi feature  film “Pak Pak Pakaak” along with Composing the songs, I also assisted in the Story development & Screenplay. “Pak Pak Pakaak” went on to win 8 of The Maharashtra State awards including Outstanding Music, of course.

Well, awards are all nice but I was still missing out on something… direct audience.
All my works have all been, innocently, goading me towards performing my originals to a live audience and of course publishing them.

So, here I stand, Mic ready and Band all tuned up, to sing for you something Raw and Earthy.

Shardul Pandey TalksShardul Pandey: Please briefly explain your sound to our netizens who have yet not heard your music?

K.C. Loy: I am an indie singer-songwriter. So naturally my songs are Lyric and melody based. I love to perform my songs Raw, Organic and straight from the heart. There’s a story in every one of them and of course, they’re sing-able and fun.

Shardul Pandey: What keep your endeavors unique?

K.C. Loy: My compositions are straight from my heart to your heart and nothing in between. Every one of my gigs, is like my first and last gig… I just go all out. My audiences reciprocate with such great vibe, it makes me more powerful, creating an electric atmosphere.

Shardul Pandey: On what musical projects you are working one? What can we expect from you in the next few years? Any long-term goals?

K.C. Loy: Right now I’m working on releasing my first single LIFE IS… it’s a ‘Baul’ (songs sung by minstrels/ fakirs of Bengal) influenced song. It’s simple and yet deeply philosophical. The melody is infectious and just keeps ringing in your head. Making the video is fun but also the hardest part. However it’s promising to be colourful!

I plan to release more songs in the following months. I want to take my Sound all around India… and then the world. My long-term goal would be to hear strangers sing my songs, that would be like receiving a Grammy or whatever great music award exists.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to share the experience of your first performance?

K.C. Loy: I remember each one of my first performances, however there’s one particular performance that changed my life. Some years ago, at Rang Bhavan, we were performing originals for “The Concert for Freedom”. The first row of “rockers” wanted to listen to Iron maiden, etc. and kept hooting/ swearing at us. We were furious and some of us wanted to break their skulls. Just then my girlfriend(when I peeped off stage) whispered “sing for those who want to listen to you!” And that hit me like… BOOM! I then focused on the 500 odd, behind the guys in the first row. I realized, they were singing along and cheering for us. Wow! That day on, I never lost my cool on stage.

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist? Any favorite moment you would like to share?

K.C. Loy: Life as an artist is made up of great moments and terrible ones. From the moment you get an interesting idea that has great potential, to the moment you’ve completed the song, is one big buzz. Now, this buzz, gets to its highest point when the audience shows its love. If, however, the audience hates it, the buzz goes down but it somehow, doesn’t usually die. It’s like your baby, your own flesh and blood. I’ve had all these moments many a times over.

Shardul Pandey: What other creative mediums you like working in?

K.C. Loy: I love writing short stories (mostly because I never actually had the patience to write a ‘long’ one). I have a bunch of them that I intend to publish sometime next year. Professionally, I have written screenplays for two Marathi films and many thriller TV shows. I love capturing faces in the sun with a DSLR. I work with a 500D and hope to upgrade soon.

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

K.C. Loy: Music is a ‘Miracle’ for me. I never can guess when I’m going to compose a tune or write a song. It just hits me when I least expect and flows till I’m all out. Then I look at it and wonder “Why” I wrote it? And the reason, if I find one, never answers the “How”.

Shardul Pandey: Who were your biggest musical influences?

K.C. Loy: SD & RD Burman, Salil Choudhary, Hridaynath mangeshkar, Beatles, Cliff Richards, Pearljam, Ian Anderson and so many more.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving?

K.C. Loy: Simple songs with lyrics, usually get me moving and tracks with large symphonies.

Shardul Pandey: Any plans for an international tour on your horizon?

K.C. Loy: Nothing planned but of course… as I mentioned earlier, I intend to take my songs to world.

Shardul Pandey: What you feel is your strength as a musician and how would you like to be remembered ?

K.C. Loy: My melodies and my lyrics are my strength. I would like to be remembered as a person who spread hope through his songs.

Shardul Pandey: What advice would you give to newbie musicians?

K.C. Loy: Follow your heart!

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain ? Where netizens can find latest news feed about you and your music ?

K.C. Loy: Yes, www.kcloy.com. I am also on:

Shardul Pandey: What you do for fun & entertainment? Any peculiar interests?

K.C. Loy: I love to trek, find a spot in the mountains and read a book. Or watch movies at home.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

K.C. Loy: Go on and check out all the songs on youtube/vimeo as you like, but ‘Don’t’ forget to BUY indie music online ‘cos that’s the only way you make sure the artist survives and keeps creating songs for you.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat, A Folk Musician

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Audra at SANGKRIT.net, tell me your story.

Audra Kubat: My name is Audra Kubat, and I’m a folk singer-songwriter based in my native Detroit, Michigan. I started playing music as a child, teaching myself how to play piano by ear. I started playing guitar in my late teens and began putting words to the music shortly after that. I have performed out since the 1990’s, and have three albums released independently on my own Remedy Records, and two released nationally through a label called Times Beach Records.

I started writing music because it helped me to process and work through the troubles in my life. It was healing for me. As I began to share my work with others, I found that people were moved in a similar way, and this really helped motivate me to branch out and play more and more shows.

I have had the honor of performing at many music festivals in my state and participating in many charity events that have helped numerous causes throughout the years. In 2001, I won an award for “Outstanding Folk Artist” in the Detroit Music Awards, and have been annually nominated ever since.

There was a point back in 2005-2006 when I was in light rotation on over 250 college radio stations nationwide. I began to tour regularly along the route between Detroit and New York, and at the height of my exposure through Times Beach, I moved to New York City with the intention of spending a year or so sharing my music there. When I arrived, I spent 4-5 days a week seeking out and playing open mics throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Meanwhile, as the year passed, it became apparent that my label back home was unable to sustain itself, and folded. Suddenly I found myself out there on my own, without access to the connections they had made for me.

This was hard, and it hit me emotionally at the time. I struggled with depression yet pressed on in New York the best I could for the next few months, but in the darkest part of that experience I returned home.

Disappointed by the collapse of Times Beach Records, and my own, I retreated into a period of reflection, writing, and practice. I played less shows and became a little more reclusive, but I didn’t stop generating new work and got back on my feet.

In the years since my last release, I have steadily built up dozens of new songs, and carefully honed the ones that will become a new album. I feel that I sound better today than I ever have, and with this album, I am stepping back into the ring.

As an acoustic artist, I was long focused on lyrics and melodies and left the digital work to recording engineers. However, recently I’ve stepped into the digital waters, and it is exhilarating. With my laptop and ProTools I’ve had hands-on mixing control for the first time in my career. With these new tools, I created the 20-minute score for ‘Knowledge Is Power‘ at 2012’s DLectricity, a celebration of light.
http://vimeo.com/55759334

I’m a working musician, making my living on gigs, shows big and small, giving lessons, and working with local Detroit organization InsideOut Literary Arts Project which places artists and writers in the Detroit class rooms to share their artistry.”

Shardul Pandey: Any new plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Audra Kubat: I am open to this; however I don’t currently have the resources. I have sold a few thousand records overseas though, many of which were concentrated in the Netherlands. So, it would seem that there are possibilities.

Shardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique?

Audra Kubat: Well, I am not sure it is so unique, but I work to find meaning in the world through my work. The music is trying to negotiate the difference between hope and reality. Picking up pieces and turning them over to see all sides, and uncover the ever-changing dimensions. I guess I am searching for the answers by singing out loud into the universe and asking for a response. Maybe what’s unique about it, is its timing. I am working in a medium that is one of the oldest. In that, I’m trying to find something new that can be said. Something that can again, like many old folk songs, try to explain our position against the backdrop of the present; something that acknowledges our collective need to make sense of it and to belong to it, yet still be ourselves.

Shardul Pandey: According to you, what are cushy and hard parts of singing?

Audra Kubat: The cushy part of singing for me is that it seems to be effortless. I can’t really even stop myself from singing…any time of day or night. I am constantly making up tunes, as I am walking, waiting in line, driving…I sometimes don’t even realize I am singing and am reminded when someone from the next stall over, ha. Words too, come like this. It is like I can just see something and be moved to sing about it on the spot. Most of my songs come this way…melody and lyrics together.

The hard part of singing for me is trying to be completely in the song and give it its just due when I am performing it. For the song to work it must be honest, I really have to dig down and find the mindset that I had when I was moved to write it. This is the tough part…reliving those moments. Whether happy or sad, they all were quite intense, or I would not have written about them. Regardless, that is the challenge. This part takes all of me, and I am not saying that is it not worth it. It is a part of the process and in the end is the most meaningful for me. It is that you deliver the song to the people and that they feel it and they know that you gave it to them with honestly and you can feel it coming back to you. This is the goal. This is where the real value is.

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist?

Audra Kubat: My foremost experience as an artist…that is a big question. I could answer this in a simple way, really. I think my experience overall is that being an artist is not a choice I can make. It is a joy and a burden. The highs are glorious and the lows, just devastating. Really, for myself, it is like having an affliction that causes you to feel such a connection to the things outside of yourself that you are crippled and empowered at the same time; a challenge in a world with so much tension, right? Yet, this pressure is what causes the pen to push on the paper, and causes the artist to react. It helps make the unbearable seem conquerable.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat, A Folk Musician Based In Detroit, Michigan

Shardul Pandey: What do you feel is your strength as a performer?

Audra Kubat: I believe allowing myself to be vulnerable is a strength, and doing so in turn allows others to be. This is when a connection can really happen. I believe vulnerability can be a good thing at times. Really what’s happening, is that one is being honest about their true feelings. When we stop hiding and allow ourselves to be open, we can know each other more wholly. Kind of a nice thing, I think.

Shardul Pandey: How would you like to be remembered?

Audra Kubat: I guess if I am remembered, I would like it if people said I gave myself to the world. I wanted so badly to help others be themselves and love each other, that I sacrificed for a dream that is not mine alone, The dream of a global love and respect between people. This is why I write and I struggle, why I push and dig. I can see it sometimes, imagine it when I try…

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to say anything for “Shardul Pandey Talks”?

Audra Kubat: I love the Internet. It is important for understanding our global significance. It creates a place where conversation can take place and open dialogues can be inclusive and expansive. People can talk about their experiences from many miles apart. They can share a collective experience and have it change how they view others. From a business perspective, it’s freeing, and allows me to be at home and still connect with people directly.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Audra Kubat: Be kind, follow your hearts, be fearless, love hard, travel, spend time with your elders, be like a child, challenge your beliefs, be leery of stereotyping, sing out loud in a restaurant, spend time alone, spend time with friends, listen to the beggar once in a while, question authority, be real, dance with your lover sometimes, even if you hate to dance!

Shardul Pandey Talks To Caitlin Kelley

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Caitlin at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story.

Caitlin Kelley: I want to thank you for taking interest, and here is a piece of my story! If you’d like to know more, just let me know!

My name is Caitlin Kelley, I am 22 years old and I am a self made, International Model/ Actress. I do a little bit of everything, Print, commercial, fashion, runway… everything, and I am constantly travelling!

But, my life wasn’t always like this… I was just a little girl with a big dream and an extremely conservative family in an even more conservative town. I was never the pretty or popular girl, and I was always VERY different from my classmates… the very smart, artist, marching band student that was graduating early to go into per-med. My life was an academic pressure cooker, and I never really lived that crazy “consequence free” childhood of parties, and boys, aka I grew up very young. Then something happened and I decided to give myself at least one year of a normal high school life. I changed my major to studio art after deciding that I didn’t want to spend the next 12 years studying and falling into debt, just to turn around and make a bigger pay check to pay that debt off. I moved out on my own. After a year of college I still wasn’t happy, so I left school to just LIVE life. I got a job, fell in love, got engaged, and before I knew it… I weighed 230lbs. It was the lowest point of my adult life thus far. I was so depressed, and just unhappy. 2 years went by like this. Until one day, I had enough courage to really look at myself in the mirror. I looked HARD, pretending to be happy in a relationship, working a normal life, being very unhealthy and I said to myself “You’re unhappy…. What will make you Happy?”… and in the depths of my being, unafraid, I answered “I want to be a model.”… and that’s when things changed.

Now any normal person would be like “please, a model? you weigh 230lbs….” But I had wanted to be one since I first figured out what a model was… I remember obsessively watching America’s next top model, and the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows and coming to tears dreaming that it was me up there. I would research everything I could, just to learn.
So I gave myself a chance, I dedicated myself to losing weight ON MY OWN. And I did it in a healthy way with Exercise and a healthy diet. I tried out for ANTM 3 times without ever making it. I got connected with a group of beginning photographers in my home town and together we all learned the different sides of a Modelling Shoot just by referencing what we saw on TV or in classes. The work from that first shoot is to this day some of my best. I will never forget the friends I made there, I don’t know if they realize how important of a role they played in my journey. One shoot turned into two, and so on, my network and connections started to grow, and then my Name started to be recognized locally. Starting small, I did a show or ad shoot here , a commercial there; always putting up barriers for myself that if it dint work out this time, I would quit as to not waste anymore time on a frivolous dream. But every time, it was a huge success that lead to more opportunities, and that’s when I started making money…. I expanded my reach to the larger surrounding cities, including Chicago, where even after losing 100lbs, they told me I was too big, I felt defeated. But I never gave up, it felt like it was something I had to and was meant to do.

Now, about a year and a half later, this is my full time career, and my support system is unbelievable, it makes me so happy to now have the power to help guide younger models, as I needed when I stared. I have a full portfolio, and FRIENDS in every part of the industry that I need. I travel everywhere and am always working. Its amazing to look back and see how all the little things that didn’t work out, gave me that push just when I needed it, to get me father than I ever dreamed. I’m not trying to be famous, it is my passion, and the drive behind my passion is my family. I want to be able to take care of them; because my family is my heart, and without them, there would be no life worth living.
It seemed impossible, but our lives are what we make them! You can have, do, or be anything you want… Just go for it. What are you waiting for?

If you’ve got any questions or want to follow my story, here are my pages: Facebook: www.facebook.com/ModelCaitlinKelley
Instagram: @ModelCaitlinKelley, Twitter: @_CaitlinKelley
Remember that YOU are BEAUTIFUL, Much Love ~Cailtin Kelley

[heading]After 10 days[/heading]

Shardul Pandey: Tell me about your recent modelling projects?

Caitlin Kelley: That’s WAY too long to answer… I do about 6 projects a week, most recently, a commercial for Pantene

Shardul Pandey: What inspired your passion?

Caitlin Kelley: Being able to help my family while getting to see the world. / I love to feel like I’m moving forward and reaching for goals that others find impossible, I like to inspire.

Shardul Pandey: What has been your best fashion look?

Caitlin Kelley: I’d say that I’m pretty eclectic, so I love weird mismatching layers, I think it’s more the person on the inside that is the Fashion, so if you can be confident in something that looks totally ridiculous, it MAKES it fashionable.

Shardul Pandey: And biggest fashion mistake?

Caitlin Kelley: In highschool, I would wear Flip Flops, year round…. through the snow. I don’t know how I still have toes.

Shardul Pandey: Your beauty regime?

Caitlin Kelley: I wear very little to no make-up, and I wash my face with a combination of Biore and Clean and Clear once in the morning and then right before bed. DRINK LOTS OF WATER

Shardul Pandey: And your favourite types of outfits to model in?

Caitlin Kelley: Ball gowns

Shardul Pandey: Any least favourites?

Caitlin Kelley: Leggings… thus far

Shardul Pandey: Any ultimate goal?

Caitlin Kelley: I want to be a Victoria’s Secret Model or the next Angelina Jolie, with the goal of seeing everything the world has to offer, letting my parents retire comfortably!

Shardul Pandey: So how do you see yourself progress?

Caitlin Kelley: I want to be a Victoria’s Secret Model or the next Angelina Jolie, with the goal of seeing everything the world has to offer, letting my parents retire comfortably! For just a year in, i’d say in doing ok on my own, but i could use all the help I can get!

Shardul Pandey: What kind of shoots would you like to work on in the future?

Caitlin Kelley: Something a little more Edgy…., and RAW.

Shardul Pandey: Do you eat nutritiously? Tell me the diet you follow on a regular basis?

Caitlin Kelley: Yes!!!

Shardul Pandey: Tell me the diet you follow on a regular basis?

Caitlin Kelley: I eat only unprocessed foods, no pop! Lots of water, green veggies, and LEAN protein.

Shardul Pandey: How often do you exercise or go to the gym & workout ?

Caitlin Kelley: I workout nearly every day.

Shardul Pandey: What is your perfect day?

Caitlin Kelley: Wake-up, head to a paid shoot, get a good workout in with a light lunch, head to a “fun” shoot, and then have dinner with friends

Shardul Pandey: Easiest way to look pretty and glamourous ?

Caitlin Kelley: BE CONFIDENT. OWN YOUR BODY! and buy clothing that makes you FEEL sexy even if it isn’t what is the latest fashion. People with remember your smile and confidence more than what you were wearing, and if they don’t, well you don’t want to be around people like that anyway.

Shardul Pandey: Tell me your favourites.

Caitlin Kelley: Color: Purple, Film: Limitless, Actor: too hard to pick, Actress: Angelina Jolie or Anne Hathaway, Music: Dubstep or Indi, Food: Salads and Pizza, Hobby: Painting, Author: Rue Volley, Book: Blood and Light by Rue Volley, Destination: anywhere warm

[heading]After 1 day[/heading]

Shardul Pandey: When exactly you get started with modelling?

Caitlin Kelley: My first shoot was 2 Novembers ago, my first paid gig was April of 2012 and I became full time just a couple of months ago.

Shardul Pandey: What do you think, Is it important to attended fashion modelling courses? Does they really help newbies to get a foothold in Fashion Industry?

Caitlin Kelley: NO!!!!! if you have what it takes it just comes naturally, if you have the look but not the talent, an agency will invest their time in you to teach you, you never want to become cookie cutter, find what makes you Unique and then Rock it!

Shardul Pandey: Has modelling changed other aspects of your life?

Caitlin Kelley: Ohhhh Yesss!!! I went from the most normal “almost housewife” existence, to the polar opposite! nothing in my life resembles normality anymore other than my family that grounds me :)

Shardul Pandey: How you distinguishes a good model from a bad one?

Caitlin Kelley: That’s really hard to answer. Its all based on opinion. but again has more to do with Class and Confidence than many think.

Shardul Pandey: OK. If I change it to, what distinguishes a good photograph from a bad one?

Caitlin Kelley: Another tough one… I’d say that a good photographer can take even the least appealing subject and make it catch your eye and stare, in just a couple shots without needing much editing.

Shardul Pandey: Tell me about your favourite models?

Caitlin Kelley: I adore Candace Swanpoel, and Cara Delevingne

Shardul Pandey: Is there anything you dislike about modelling?

Caitlin Kelley: The Day to day can get a little lonely, and I hate to see people taken advantage of, which happens too often.

Shardul Pandey: Is there anything you dislike about the fashion industry?

Caitlin Kelley: I want people to see that Beauty lies in whats real, and imperfect too and its not about fame for everyone, its WORK, also, not all models are dumb or feel entitled or have had it easy because they grew up pretty. Its the hardest thing in the world. If you disagree…. go try it out. Long term, see how you feel about yourself when everyone around you is supposed to be critiquing your every pore. It takes a strong person and yes I’m crazy for choosing it to be my life.

Shardul Pandey: How you prepare yourself for a modelling shoot?

Caitlin Kelley: I research the part to prep my body, get lots of sleep, pack my model bag with all needed garments, snacks, and activities for down time to keep me busy.

Shardul Pandey: Where do you generally like to shop? Do you shop online?

Caitlin Kelley: I actually love second hand stores… you can find the most unique things, plus I love taking something that no one wanted anymore and making it beautiful.

Shardul Pandey: What fashion magazines & weblogs do you like reading?

Caitlin Kelley: Vogue, W, Marie Claire, Comso…. anything Fashion

Shardul Pandey: How you communicate with other netizens, specially your subscribers? How often you reply to them?

Caitlin Kelley: I really LOVE hearing from fans, I am just another person with a big heart! but I admit, things do get VERY busy and I can’t always reply as much as I would like to!

Shardul Pandey: How you access Internet? What device you use?

Caitlin Kelley: I do almost everything on my iPhone so that I can stay connected all day, but when I have bigger emails or loads of work I grab my laptop.

Shardul Pandey: Do you own a domain?

Caitlin Kelley: My domain is under construction but is: www.CaitlinKelley.net

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Caitlin Kelley: You can have, do, or be anything you want… Just do it. What are you waiting for? Stop telling yourself that you can’t, and see how far you’ll go. Remember that YOU are BEAUTIFUL. Go out and make the WORLD your stomping ground. Design a life that you love.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat, A Folk Musician Based In Detroit, Michigan

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Audra at SANGKRIT.net, tell me your story.

Audra Kubat: My name is Audra Kubat, and I’m a folk singer-songwriter based in my native Detroit, Michigan. I started playing music as a child, teaching myself how to play piano by ear. I started playing guitar in my late teens and began putting words to the music shortly after that. I have performed out since the 1990’s, and have three albums released independently on my own Remedy Records, and two released nationally through a label called Times Beach Records.

I started writing music because it helped me to process and work through the troubles in my life. It was healing for me. As I began to share my work with others, I found that people were moved in a similar way, and this really helped motivate me to branch out and play more and more shows.

I have had the honor of performing at many music festivals in my state and participating in many charity events that have helped numerous causes throughout the years. In 2001, I won an award for “Outstanding Folk Artist” in the Detroit Music Awards, and have been annually nominated ever since.

There was a point back in 2005-2006 when I was in light rotation on over 250 college radio stations nationwide. I began to tour regularly along the route between Detroit and New York, and at the height of my exposure through Times Beach, I moved to New York City with the intention of spending a year or so sharing my music there. When I arrived, I spent 4-5 days a week seeking out and playing open mics throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Meanwhile, as the year passed, it became apparent that my label back home was unable to sustain itself, and folded. Suddenly I found myself out there on my own, without access to the connections they had made for me.

This was hard, and it hit me emotionally at the time. I struggled with depression yet pressed on in New York the best I could for the next few months, but in the darkest part of that experience I returned home.

Disappointed by the collapse of Times Beach Records, and my own, I retreated into a period of reflection, writing, and practice. I played less shows and became a little more reclusive, but I didn’t stop generating new work and got back on my feet.

In the years since my last release, I have steadily built up dozens of new songs, and carefully honed the ones that will become a new album. I feel that I sound better today than I ever have, and with this album, I am stepping back into the ring.

As an acoustic artist, I was long focused on lyrics and melodies and left the digital work to recording engineers. However, recently I’ve stepped into the digital waters, and it is exhilarating. With my laptop and ProTools I’ve had hands-on mixing control for the first time in my career. With these new tools, I created the 20-minute score for ‘Knowledge Is Power‘ at 2012’s DLectricity, a celebration of light.
http://vimeo.com/55759334

I’m a working musician, making my living on gigs, shows big and small, giving lessons, and working with local Detroit organization InsideOut Literary Arts Project which places artists and writers in the Detroit class rooms to share their artistry.”

Shardul Pandey:  Any new plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Audra Kubat: I am open to this; however I don’t currently have the resources. I have sold a few thousand records overseas though, many of which were concentrated in the Netherlands. So, it would seem that there are possibilities.

Shardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique?

Audra Kubat: Well, I am not sure it is so unique, but I work to find meaning in the world through my work. The music is trying to negotiate the difference between hope and reality. Picking up pieces and turning them over to see all sides, and uncover the ever-changing dimensions. I guess I am searching for the answers by singing out loud into the universe and asking for a response. Maybe what’s unique about it, is its timing. I am working in a medium that is one of the oldest. In that, I’m trying to find something new that can be said. Something that can again, like many old folk songs, try to explain our position against the backdrop of the present; something that acknowledges our collective need to make sense of it and to belong to it, yet still be ourselves.

Shardul Pandey: According to you, what are cushy and hard parts of singing?

Audra Kubat: The cushy part of singing for me is that it seems to be effortless. I can’t really even stop myself from singing…any time of day or night. I am constantly making up tunes, as I am walking, waiting in line, driving…I sometimes don’t even realize I am singing and am reminded when someone from the next stall over, ha. Words too, come like this. It is like I can just see something and be moved to sing about it on the spot. Most of my songs come this way…melody and lyrics together.

The hard part of singing for me is trying to be completely in the song and give it its just due when I am performing it. For the song to work it must be honest, I really have to dig down and find the mindset that I had when I was moved to write it. This is the tough part…reliving those moments. Whether happy or sad, they all were quite intense, or I would not have written about them. Regardless, that is the challenge. This part takes all of me, and I am not saying that is it not worth it. It is a part of the process and in the end is the most meaningful for me. It is that you deliver the song to the people and that they feel it and they know that you gave it to them with honestly and you can feel it coming back to you. This is the goal. This is where the real value is.

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist?

Audra Kubat: My foremost experience as an artist…that is a big question. I could answer this in a simple way, really. I think my experience overall is that being an artist is not a choice I can make. It is a joy and a burden. The highs are glorious and the lows, just devastating. Really, for myself, it is like having an affliction that causes you to feel such a connection to the things outside of yourself that you are crippled and empowered at the same time; a challenge in a world with so much tension, right? Yet, this pressure is what causes the pen to push on the paper, and causes the artist to react. It helps make the unbearable seem conquerable.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Audra Kubat, A Folk Musician Based In Detroit, Michigan

Shardul Pandey: What do you feel is your strength as a performer?

Audra Kubat: I believe allowing myself to be vulnerable is a strength, and doing so in turn allows others to be. This is when a connection can really happen. I believe vulnerability can be a good thing at times. Really what’s happening, is that one is being honest about their true feelings. When we stop hiding and allow ourselves to be open, we can know each other more wholly. Kind of a nice thing, I think.

Shardul Pandey: How would you like to be remembered?

Audra Kubat: I guess if I am remembered, I would like it if people said I gave myself to the world. I wanted so badly to help others be themselves and love each other, that I sacrificed for a dream that is not mine alone, The dream of a global love and respect between people. This is why I write and I struggle, why I push and dig. I can see it sometimes, imagine it when I try…

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to say anything for “Shardul Pandey Talks”?

Audra Kubat: I love the Internet. It is important for understanding our global significance. It creates a place where conversation can take place and open dialogues can be inclusive and expansive. People can talk about their experiences from many miles apart. They can share a collective experience and have it change how they view others. From a business perspective, it’s freeing, and allows me to be at home and still connect with people directly.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Audra Kubat: Be kind, follow your hearts, be fearless, love hard, travel, spend time with your elders, be like a child, challenge your beliefs, be leery of stereotyping, sing out loud in a restaurant, spend time alone, spend time with friends, listen to the beggar once in a while, question authority, be real, dance with your lover sometimes, even if you hate to dance!

Shardul Pandey Talks To Arpita Mukherjee

Arpita Mukherjee was the WINNER of the “GOLDEN VOICE HUNT “ on Zee tv’s SAREGAMAPA. An Air Force officer’s daughter , and an Economics (Hons) Graduate and Sangeet Shiromani from Delhi University, she has a strong musical base with her classical and semi classical training.

Continue reading Shardul Pandey Talks To Arpita Mukherjee

Shardul Pandey Talks To Sergey Golovach

Shardul Pandey Talks To Sergey Golovach

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Sergey at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story.

Sergey Golovach: First of all, I thank you for your interest in my personality and my projects.

My name is Sergey Golovach. I am Russian but for several years I stay in Asia. I used to stay in China before and now I am staying in Vietnam.

I started my first business in 1999 when I was student. Later I realized what I can do well and what I am interested in. I like to solve problems and find the best ways to optimize business operations and minimize expenses of companies. So I provide consultancy services: private label / OEM manufacturing projects; finding suppliers and buyers; mediatory and negotiations; technologies.

I have imported and exported a lot of products, worked with many suppliers, made different projects so I have good experience and relations in different fields.

I also have one business for my soul: I produce 100% natural coffee in Vietnam (www.oldsaigoncoffee.com)

Shardul Pandey: Why you decided to go for crowdfunding ?

Sergey Golovach: Some time ago I began to watch some projects at Indiegogo, Kickstarter, etc. And I could see that it is a great tool for some business projects to find investment and customers at the same time. Staying in Asia I have some friends who have manufacturing capacities but can not find enough customers to minimize their expenses and production cost. So now I am using crowdfunding platform to collect orders for good quality and rather cheap products. Now I have launched 2 campaigns:

  1. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/another-wireless-micro-hd-camera-ready/x/4697346
  2. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/new-ultra-portable-wi-fi-camera/x/4697346

I do not tell that these are new inventions made by me or my team. No. By the way, some project teams at crowdfunding platforms offer some known things made in Asia and tell they have developed them from zero. For example, some electronics, wooden accessories, etc. I do not tell the same. All I do is collect mass orders and investment to minimize the production prices. That’s easy to understand and absolutely fair.

After some time I will publish another project: 100% natural wooden and bamboo cases for iPhone and maybe other mobile phones hand-made in Vietnam. With this campaign I will support good local manufacturer and introduce a great product to the world. So watch my crowdfunding activity!

Shardul Pandey: What is your main plan ? Which project are you launching right now ? Where are you spending all your time and energy?

Sergey Golovach: From 2004 I have been in good relation with some teams inventing new technologies. I used to help them promoting their “know-how” and made some negotiations for these great people. Now we have checked with small pilot line and different kinds of raw materials the way of producing high-purity silicon dioxide (SiO2, aka silica), with purity minimum 5N (99.999%) using new environmental friendly and economical technology. We have successfully finished all the test and we are absolutely ready for mass production. I plan to build the factory in Vietnam as it is a great place for raw materials and I have good experience doing business here. It will be a really great project which will help minimize the prices for Si finally. And it will be a great investment opportunity with good return. From now I am ready to communicate with investors who can be interested in supporting this project. And I am ready to collect pre-orders for really cheap high-purity SiO2. Will I use crowdfinding for this? Maybe if I can not find enough investment to launch the project. What will be the perks? Good interest on investments. Is it risky? Absolutely not as the technology has been checked carefully during several years. Is it ready to start? Absolutely, we have all the necessary schemes, plans, calculations, etc. We are ready to build the factory. New SiO2 project will be launched here www.sio2factory.com

You are the first online magazine I have shared these “secrets”.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to tell us more about Wireless Micro HD ? Its brief history ? How it works ? How did you come with its concept ? What makes it different ?

Sergey Golovach: As I told before and wrote in the comments at Indiegogo page here http://igg.me/at/wireless-micro-hd-camera/ it is just an OEM / re-branding manufacturing project. I do not not tell that it was developed by our team, I do not disassemble it to show how it looks inside to prove it is unique and I made all this myself. I want to be fair. It’s well-developed product and it was not my idea. Crowdfunding just helps to collect mass orders to make the production cost and final price cheaper. It’s good and useful product. It can be used as wearable camera, car DVR, surveillance camera, etc. And it has 2-way voice transmitting. It can work using wireless connection in cloud mode or direct mode and is compatible with iPhone / Android mobile phone and PC.

Shardul Pandey: How it will improve professional lives of its users ? Does it already exist anywhere ?

Sergey Golovach: Yes, it exists already but unfortunately many people do not know this product or consider it expensive. I try to change this situation. As this camera has a lot of possible applications and it’s rather affordable it can help people in many fields: Security monitoring – you can use this camera for real-time remote wireless surveillance directly via your mobile phone or PC, you can use it to control your children’s and pets’ activities and surroundings – because it can be mounted and it’s also wearable, and it has 2-way voice connection function, you can record videos, make photos everywhere you go – just use neck strap and wear this camera with you, or you can mount it in your car and use it as car DVR, it can be used as usual webcam, etc. etc. etc.

Shardul Pandey: How many people got associated for working together on this project ?

Sergey Golovach: Two of us are making this project. Me and my Asian partner. And of course a lot of people at the factory :)

Shardul Pandey: What is your business philosophy ? What drives you doing this ?

Sergey Golovach: When you see an opportunity just do it. Don’t loose time if you are sure you can do it well, and of course if you are sure customers will be satisfied.

Shardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique ?

Sergey Golovach: Not sure it is so unique. I just want to give a good product at good price to maximum of people.

Shardul Pandey: How other netizens can help you in this regard ?

Sergey Golovach: Sharing, recommending and sharing, sharing, sharing…

Shardul Pandey: What are your future plans ? Are you working on some other projects also ?

Sergey Golovach: I have one more project launched already with simple and cheaper product, see here: http://igg.me/at/new-ultra-portable-wifi-camera/ This is an ultra-portable WIFI wireless camera that allows users to view and record audio and video wirelessly on their PC or smart phones. It is simple & it has a great price. Soon I will launch another small project to promote products by one good Vietnamese manufacturer, hand-made natural wooden items. Coming soon… All that are manufacturing projects. They help people get good products at good prices but do not change the world generally. But the main project I spend all my efforts on is high-purity Silicon Dioxide (SiO2) production using new environmental-friendly and economical technology. We have spent several years for laboratory works and trial production and now we are absolutely sure for the mass production. We can produce high-purity (minimum 5N, 99.999%) SiO2 with very low production cost. I am not sure whether we will use crowdfunding for this because it’s a very good investment opportunity for potential investor as we give good interest with 100% success of the project. We CAN produce already and all we need is build a full-size factory. The demand for this product is very high, and until now it’s expensive due to old production technology. We will change the situation. What will it give to the world and people? Well, it’s another step to minimize the cost of SiO2 and end products like solar panels, etc. We will go this way also. You can watch this great project at www.sio2factory.com – launching soon.

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address ? Where netizens can grab latest news feed of your projects ?

Sergey Golovach: I have several web addresses for different businesses. As I told you in the last e-mail I am doing several businesses, for example I produce coffee in Vietnam. So I recommend to watch www.sio2factory.com – it will be really great and interesting after launching. Or better follow me in G+ (sergey.golovach) / Twitter (GolovachSergei). I am not active user of social networks but if I have an audience I will do my best to publish more interesting news and information. I will change :)

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens?

Sergey Golovach: Be active, do what you think you must do, be confident in what you do, be fair and love your family!

Shardul Pandey Talks To Paul Hunter, Inventor Of EZ-CHARGE

Shardul Pandey Talks To Paul Hunter, Inventor Of EZ-CHARGE

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Paul at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story.

Paul Hunter: I am a qualified Engineer and the Inventor of a device called EZ-CHARGE. I am a British citizen born on the Isle of Wight, having worked on projects such as the Concord Aircraft, hovercrafts, helicopters and various satellite systems. I was also trained as a Classical Organist and used this skill as a professional musician. As a session musician I played with many artists, from the well-known R&B singer Percy Sledge, The Trammps, The Detroit Emeralds, eventually sharing the stage with “The Eurythmics” (Annie Lennox & Dave Stewart) on the Sweet Dreams tour. I left the UK for South Africa in 1989 and became involved in the property market in Cape Town, South Africa. In 1993 I took an idea and developed the Bugz Workshop products (these can be seen on the webpage www.bugz.com) My mission & passion is to provide sustainable employment for the impoverished poor, to give them self-respect and dignity in their communities. I received a Humanitarian Award from the US Doctors for Africa in 2007 for my effort in this respect. Whilst working with Township people around Cape Town we noticed a need for a cellphone charger. A cellphone is critical for communication in the Townships, where there are no telephone land lines and electricity is mostly nonexistent. After talking with people from these communities, it became obvious to my wife and I that this is where my efforts should be focused. There are over 6 Billion cellphones in the World and all have a common challenge….not enough battery life, hence the need for our EZ-Charge device.

Shardul Pandey: Tell me about EZ-CHARGE, it’s story.

Paul Hunter: EZ-Charge, like everything that surrounds us, was just a thought and brought into reality by believing in that thought and focusing on it. Not just with imagination but with practical creativity. My wife and I are involved with a humanitarian project which involves working with people from the Townships (squatter camps) around Cape Town, South Africa. We were inspired by the struggle of the rural poor in South Africa that have a desperate need to communicate with family members who live hundreds of miles away from home, cellphones are critical in the lives of these people. However the electrical grid doesn’t reach many of the rural areas. The Townships that surround the cities also suffer with a similar situation, so the big challenge is being able to recharge a dead or dying cellphone battery.

We needed to design a device that could provide enough electricity to recharge a cellphone without using mains electricity, solar power and mechanical methods. I started this quest about 5 years ago researching into alternative methods for generating electricity. Using my research and some out of the box creative ideas, I have designed a device that we call EZ-Charge. It consists of three electrical circuits that work in harmony, two of the circuits are completed and working, providing an output of 70volts. The third circuit which will complete the device is designed and we are wishing to raise funds to complete the project and get it into mass production. In this regard, we have recently launched a campaign on the Crowd Funding site Indiegogo.com

Shardul Pandey: How it works and how it will improve professional lives of people ?

Paul Hunter: EZ-Charge works by using the ambient energy that surrounds us, converting it into usable electricity. The device is designed to use some of the energy that it produces to power itself. There is no need for batteries, mains or solar power. You will be able to just plug it into a cellphone using a USB cable, it will provide power to recharge a cellphone 24/7 so when you are not using your cellphone, simply keep it connected to EZ-Charge and it will keep your battery topped up.

Although inspired by the challenge of the rural poor to re-charge a cellphone, EZ-Charge device is needed by EVERY cellphone user the WORLD over. The more that cellphones have developed, the more applications that they use, the more power is used to drive them. Even as better batteries and super capacitors are developed, the need for this device is not diminished.  It provides power at no cost and is mobile, it goes where you go; not being tethered to a mains wall outlet, or if the sun is shining or the wind blowing. It gives you freedom and a less stressful life.  In an emergency it is there providing power so that you can still use your cellphone.

My wife and I moved to Connecticut (USA) 2 years ago. It was October when we visited our new home, the plan being to meet with contractors for the weekend. We still had summer clothes and an overnight bag. The house was empty all but for a bed and chair. We arrived and the next day a Blizzard struck!!! It brought down trees and power lines. Leaving us without power, heating and water. The Petrol stations were mostly without power, petrol was in very short, food stores shut with frozen food spoiling in the freezers , without power it wasn’t even possible to get cash out of an ATM!! My wife and I looked at each other and said WE NEED EZ-CHARGE!!!  We  were without power for 10 (very long) days, even in a sophisticated first World Country like the USA when an emergency strikes like a blizzard, or a  Hurricane like Sandy or Katrina you need to be prepared, EZ- Charge can satisfy that need.

How many times have you personally looked at your phone to check to see how low the battery is Is there enough power to make that important or critical call That can be a thing of the past with EZ-Charge!!

Shardul Pandey: So how many people got associated for working together ?

Paul Hunter: My wife and I are the driving force behind EZ-Charge but we are very grateful for the exposure that the Indiegogo campaign has provided. We have been offered assistance by  top marketing experts, researchers  and other inventors that can see the potential of this device.  We will be adding experts to our team as we go forward, these are very exciting times for us.

Shardul Pandey: And what philosophy drives you doing this ?

Paul Hunter: Solving this challenge is an enormous reward for helping others and leaving the World a better place. The technology can be used to power other devices, ultimately bringing down the need for Electricity produced by power stations and that will help in bringing down the production of Greenhouse gases and the dangers of nuclear pollution.

Shardul Pandey: What makes EZ-CHARGE  different from all the other devices out there?

Paul Hunter: EZ-Charge utilizes natural resources and is eco- friendly, it isn’t a FREE energy device. NOTHING in this World is free.  EZ-Charge converts energy that is provided by the Universe as photons and electrons and converts it into electricity.  You have to pay for the device but the energy is provided free of charge by the Universe.

There is no other device like this, other cellphone chargers rely on mains power, batteries , solar, wind, or mechanical means.

Shardul Pandey: Can this power my laptop ?

Paul Hunter: The first generation is designed to provide a 5-volt output suitable to power a cellphone. Once this is established in the market place we will be working on a Laptop charger followed by individual generators that operate using wifi or blue tooth technology to power lighting systems suitable to light a house.

Shardul Pandey: So how other netizens can help you in this regard ?

Paul Hunter: By providing exposure for our device and the Indiegogo.com campaign we hope that people can get behind us. Following our webpage for updates (ez-charge.org) talking to other like-minded people will create a demand for this device and pressure can be put on to retailers to place orders when we are ready to mass produce EZ-Charge. Keeping awareness of EZ-Charge is very important, we need people to talk about our project.   Netizens can become backers and be the first to get their very own EZ-Charge.  They can help make a dent in the Universe. Under Technology EZ-Charge.  We need Netizens everywhere to make a Global Impact by backing us today!

Shardul Pandey: How can you make Internet a little bit more interconnected?

Paul Hunter: We would like all of your readers to help spread the word about EZ-Charge. Social media has the power to topple governments, If we all use this medium we can collectively help change the way we all receive electricity.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens?

Paul Hunter: Keep an open mind & follow your instincts. Who would have thought that electricity was possible but thanks to the great inventors like Tesla and Edison we are living in a better World than they inherited. Let us all leave our children and grandchildren an inheritance worth having. Please get behind our EZ-Charge project.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Trenton Thomas

Shardul Pandey Talks To Trenton Thomas

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Trenton at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story.

Trenton Thomas: My story really begins when I was four years old. My mom was a garage sale, and there was a very old and beat-up piano in the corner of the garage. It turned out the piano was not for sale, but was awaiting a trip to the dump! My family saved it from said trip, and it was the piano I learned on, and continued to play until I was fourteen, and its old keys could no longer keep up with my more demanding pieces. Because of that old piano, I began writing Christian songs at the age of six, and took over as music director of my church at the age of ten. Music theory came naturally to me, as did songwriting. While most children played dodgeball, I practiced piano during recess at school. When most teens were dating or playing sports, you could usually find me listening to an orchestra or at the piano bench. Music was my life’s work.

During college, while studying for a degree in Sacred Music, I sang for and traveled with several music groups, and even wrote some of their music. Because I went to a Christian university, our groups performed at churches – hundreds of them, and most of them small. I would talk to the pastors, and ask them about their church’s musical needs. Most often, the response was the same – “We need sheet music. We simply can’t afford it for our choir and pianist every week.” I decided to do my part to fill the need and began the online ministry of Free Sacred Music (www.freesacredmusic.com). Initially, the site offered only my own arrangements/compositions, but has since grown to include works by many talented and generous writers and arrangers. Today, over 4,500 people download music from the site every month – many from nations where Christian music is not otherwise accessible.

During the same time frame, I discovered a new passion in the music world. I was volunteering in the university’s recording studio, and found that I loved it! I learned from an excellent recording engineer and several producers the “tricks of the trade” that have become essential to my life’s work today.

Today, I continue to write, record, and perform music. I still run Free Sacred Music, as well as my own website, www.trentonsmusic.com. I have seen some successes in the wide world of Christian music. My singles (and even my full album, in some cases) are played on several large stations across the United States, and my songs have gained recognition. More importantly to me, my music is being sung in hundreds of churches all around the world. I long to be able to visit and perform at some of these churches, but have not been financially able to travel in order to do that. Currently, I am running an Indiegogo campaign to raise finances for that very thing at –http://igg.me/at/trentonsmusic/x/4980077.

It is my dream to one day soon be able to perform at many of the churches my music has ministered to. I hope that someday my music ministry will grow further, and that the hymns I write will end up alongside some of the great hymns passed down through church history.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to briefly explain your sound to people who have not yet heard your music ?

Trenton Thomas: My sound is very unique. Many people hearing my music for the first time use words such as “worshipful,” “deep,” “beautiful,” and “relaxing” to describe it. My favorite compliment is, “I think I could listen to your music all day!” And some people do, for which I am grateful.

Shardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique ?

Trenton Thomas: My entire purpose and main goal as a modern Christian artist is entirely different from most other contemporary artists. I am primarily a writer of modern hymns, so my music is driven more by quality and depth of content than commercial appeal. As a hymn writer, my main goal is to provide the modern Church with hymns that fit this generation, but still contain the depth of theology and Biblical truth for which hymns have been historically known.

Shardul Pandey: On what musical projects you are currently working one? What can we expect from you in the next few years ? Any long term goals?

Trenton Thomas: Right now, I’m working on getting together a tour to visit some of the churches here in the US that use my music. I have released a full-length album and three singles, and most of that music is getting airplay on some large Christian radio stations, but I have not yet been able to tour with my music, due to a lack of funds. I’m trying to raise the funds for a tour through an Indiegogo crowd-funding campaign (http://igg.me/at/trentonsmusic), so I really hope that people will get involved in my music ministry by supporting this campaign and in turn getting some very cool perks for their donation!

In the next couple of years, I hope to release my next full-length album, with many more original hymns that will resonate with churches in this day and age, and hopefully stick around with some of our long-standing hymns.
Long term, I hope to be able to make my music a full-time ministry. At this point, I am working 1 ½ jobs to make ends meet, and basically fully supporting my music ministry. If I can get to the point where this is full time, I can definitely reach a lot more churches with a lot more music. Right now, I am limited by time, which is limited by finances, so I hope that I can dive in to this ministry full-time in the future.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to share the experience of your first performance ?

Trenton Thomas: I believe my first performance was a piano recital at the age of five, and I honestly don’t remember it vividly. I do remember being pretty scared at the time, since it was my first time on stage. I will tell you that I still get nervous, but more so for a small crowd than a large one. Something about a more personal audience makes it more nerve-wracking!

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist ? Any favorite moment you would like to share?

Trenton Thomas: My favorite experience as a musician was actually a side project, where I collaborated with three of my professors while in grad school. We did a Valentine’s Day concert as a barbershop quartet, with all sorts of antics and dusty old barbershop love songs. In-between music sets we had another grad student who was an excellent amateur magician do tricks and stunts. The whole thing was really fun, and we had such a packed auditorium that we ended up doing the whole thing twice that night so people could all see it! So while it wasn’t even a formal concert, it was definitely my favorite performance memory.

Shardul Pandey: Any other creative mediums you work in?

Trenton Thomas: Actually, yes, I do wildlife & scenic photography, and actually considered it as a career at one point. I began in high school, and received several awards and publications. I still really enjoy it, whenever I get a chance to do so, and have a large photography section on my website (www.trentonsmusic.com/photography), where people can view my work and order prints, photo puzzles, and calendars. I believe music and photography go together extremely well, and someday I would like to integrate multimedia slide shows into my concerts.

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

Trenton Thomas: Someone very wise once said, “Music is the language of the emotions.” I definitely believe this to be the case, and that is what makes it such a powerful medium of communication. In my field of church music, I think music is the single most powerful method of teaching solid biblical truth and impacting lives with the power of God’s Word. Music is also the best way any group of people, such as a church, can communicate something simultaneously, which makes it the absolute best method of praise to God. On an individual level as well, music can and does impact people for real life-change, and if the music is Scripture-based, that change can be a permanent change for the better. In short, music is the most powerful catalyst at our disposal for expressing praise, learning truth, and aiding change in someone’s life.

Shardul Pandey: Who were your biggest musical influences ?

Trenton Thomas: Early in life, I became enthralled with classical music, and would sit and listen to Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, etc. for hours. In the area of Christian music, I received heavy doses of artists such as Fernando Ortega (still my favorite Christian artist), Michael Card, Buddy Green, Steve Green, and Dallas Holm. I took over as music director for our church at the age of ten, so naturally I was also heavily influenced by church hymns, which ultimately led me to become a hymn writer in the modern hymn movement.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving ?

Trenton Thomas: “Smellin’ Coffee” by Chris Rice is one of my favorite “get-up-and-go” songs – its really fun and upbeat! Probably my favorite artist to simply enjoy life to is Adam Young (Owl City).

Shardul Pandey: Any plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Trenton Thomas: I would love to do an international tour! Because my ministry of Free Sacred Music is so international in nature, I have a large number of fans in Australia, South Africa, the Philippines, and Asia, as well as several countries in Europe. I would love to visit them! Hopefully someday I will. I honestly think I have as many fans in other nations as I do in the U.S., so it would really be an honor to be able to travel to some of those countries someday.

Shardul Pandey: What you feel is your strength as a musician and how would you like to be remembered ?

Trenton Thomas: I would love to be remembered as a solid theologian who wrote some of the hymns sung fifty or even one hundred years from now. I work very hard to write music that fits our current generation, but is also timeless in nature because it is solid lyrically and musically. Ultimately, only time will tell if I have accomplished that goal.

Shardul Pandey: What advice would you give to newbie musicians?

Trenton Thomas Four things: 1. There is no substitute for practice – especially not success. 2. Don’t ever compromise quality for commercialism. 3. Never stop learning and improving. 4. If you ever start feeling like you’re the best there is, remember there is some child in a remote corner of the world who can play and sing much better than you ever will!

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain ? I mean where netizens can find latest news feed about you and your music ?

Trenton Thomas: People can find my music, latest news, monthly blog, photography, social media links, free stuff, and more at my website, www.trentonsmusic.com.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Trenton Thomas: Always make sure the musical praise in your church is the best it can be. We serve an awesome and holy God, and it is our duty to praise Him with the best of our frail human abilities. Never settle for less simply because it is easier, cheaper, or “cooler.” Music is powerful, and as such should be treated with care, preparation, and understanding.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Michael Paul

Shardul Pandey Talks To Michael Paul

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Michael at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, yourstory.

Michael Paul: I arrived in the town of Century, Florida, but most of my adolescence was spent about an hour south west of New Orleans, Louisiana. My interest in music And it’s ability to change a persons mood and feelings, were noticed early on. It has an uncanny ability to communicate feelings and stir emotions to a listener like no other form of communication known, and that’s what intrigued me the most. Even though my love and passion for music was birth from youth, I did not discover my musical abilities until my mid twenties. From there I began to mesh my English and writing background with chord progression and melodies.

I am Currently residing in the state of Texas, (For now) and Within the last four months quite a few changes. I gave up my sales and marketing career, sold the majority of my material possessions I began to follow my passion and my dream, which is to convey a message of hope peace and love, to the majority of humanity that walk this planet. I Recently signed with a record company who is starting the promotion process here in Dallas. So, at the present I am really at the genesis of my music career, even though I’ve been writing and performing music for about a decade. My art reflects my reality…. The struggles I dealt with from the age of five to the present. I try to Paint a picture of my life, some of the struggles, some of the victories, but always about what’s real.

[quote url=”http://igg.me/at/MichaelPaulProject”]Please help Michael Paul reach his goal before the deadline! [button url=”http://igg.me/at/MichaelPaulProject” target=”blank” size=”2″]Contribute Now[/button][/quote]

Shardul Pandey: What makes your endeavors unique ?

Michael Paul: To be honest, I write or observe from a different vantage point or paradigm. I believe that our ‘developmental’ years, and what we were surrounded by during those years, mold and shape the majority of our personality or character. There are those who have faced much trauma or feelings of rejection during that critical time. Many times it is the angle from which I write from. So… I’m not sure about uniqueness or originality…

But I hope what I am ‘given’, can be a form of hope and ‘inner healing’ to many that are searching for that very thing.

Shardul Pandey: On what musical projects you are currently working one? What can we expect from you in the next few years ? Any long term goals?

Michael Paul: Currently, i’m writing the material for a new EP that should be out before the end of 2013. With the completion of that release, I am hoping to have the opportunity to share my music On a much larger scale, travel & breath in The air of new cities and continents and look forward to meeting many new and interesting people along the way.

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to share the experience of your first performance ?

Michael Paul: Small low lit coffeehouse with a handful of people. And I’m asking myself what the heck am I doing here? Then found my courage hiding…closed my eyes, opened my mouth and here we are.

Shardul Pandey: What is your foremost experience as an artist ? Any favorite moment you would like to share?

Michael Paul: Usually it’s the moments when the ones you least expect it, come up after a show to say, ‘thank you’….

Those moments are inked in my memory.

Shardul Pandey: Any other creative mediums you work in?

Michael Paul: I enjoy photography, and sketching…. Painting, but it’s been a few years. ( something to pick up again soon )

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

Michael Paul: Music is time slow down. Like heavens hand written notes with just the right amount of spaces in between. (that happen to be ‘art forms’ in there own stunning and peculiar way) It’s An individual form of communication that can be interpreted by the universe. It’s how many of us are able to breath.

Shardul Pandey: Who were your biggest musical influences ?

Michael Paul: I would have to say the biggest influence musically would be Pearl Jam. I can remember that unfamiliar tone coming from my grandmother’s television set when music television played “music”. Then discovered that Vedder happened to be one of the most intelligent minds in music today. Especially when using his thoughts for lyrics. Many bands from era, but also the ones before as well. Hendrix, The Who, Tom Petty; and I can’t leave Bob Marley off the list.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving?

Michael Paul: My blood seems to circulate a little more freely when I am tuning into Rage Against The Machine, POD, or some funk delivered by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Especially useful for Those much-needed gym hours.

Shardul Pandey: Any plans for an international tour on your skyline?

Michael Paul: I definitely have it as is one of my goals set. Just how far on the skyline is still yet to be determined.

Shardul Pandey: What you feel is your strength as a musician and how would you like to be remembered ?

Michael Paul: I would hope to think that my biggest strength would be my awareness that we are not guaranteed our next breath much less tomorrow. Some of where my motivation comes from. And when I’m gone….. I hope that ‘humility’, is the common word chosen when being remembered.

Shardul Pandey: What advice would you give to newbie musicians?

Michael Paul: Stay positive! Don’t be afraid of the word ‘No’.

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain ?

Michael Paul: My site is under currently under construction, but my artist page on Facebook is located here:

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Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Michael Paul: To Choose a positive mindset & to choose to help one another. We ALL need help in some fashion or form.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Kristin Lagasse

Shardul Pandey Talks To Kristin Lagasse

Shardul Pandey: I welcome your Kristin at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself, your story

Kristin Lagasse: I am a 30 year old singer-songwriter from Maine, currently living in Hawaii.
My musical journey began when I was 13 years old when my Dad handed over his beloved 6 string guitar and taught me a couple chords. I had always loved to sing and after a brief one sided love affair with the violin, I found the guitar much more suited to my needs. I could play and sing at the same time and it was only a matter of time before I was writing the depths of my 13 year old soul down to my 3 chords and belting it out for the whole world to hear. And I haven’t stopped since.

I have explored the world, responded to my hardships, praised my beautiful moments, all through music for over half of my life now. Quite honestly I don’t know how else to do it. As I grew older I found that I am a born traveler, and so I have spent my time traveling, recording, working odd jobs, writing and singing. I just simply love it.

My 3rd album will be released in December 2013 and I am very excited to share it with the world.

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about your sound, your Third Album. How much have you done and how many songs are recorded ?

Kristin Lagasse: My sound tends to lean to the stripped down side of music production. I enjoy acoustic instrumentation. Lyrics and melody are very important to me, and I try not to let them get lost in the mix. My first album I recorded myself without a clue of what I was doing. My second I chose to take to a studio, and when money got tight I went to a sound recording school in California and had students record me for free. For my third album I have gone back to the home studio, but I have been taking my time, and for the past two years have been learning about my recording program and gear and practicing. It has been nice to have the freedom to record whenever I feel like it, and full control over the final results.

I am currently raising funds to help with the mastering (which I plan to have professionally done), the production and packaging, with a crowd sourcing campaign on Indiegogo. Every little bit helps! http://igg.me/p/550889/x/4977230

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about the tracks which you have already recorded ?

Kristin Lagasse: I have already recorded most of the album, though not all of the tracks I’ve recorded will end up on it. I never stop writing songs and so the album track list has changed many times. And is going to change at least once more to make room for my two latest songs which I’m really excited about. Several of the songs feature the cello alongside my acoustic guitar (Cellists name is Rebecca Roudman- she is lovely!), several others are guitar and uke, or guitar and piano, and others still are just guitar and voice.

Shardul Pandey: What inspired your passion for music? What excites & motivates you about it ?

Kristin Lagasse: Everything inspires my passion for music. It is simply how I experience life and how I react to it. I have written songs for so long now that I barely think about doing it or why I’m doing it.

Shardul Pandey: Any loves, other then music?

Kristin Lagasse: Other than music I love chai, monkeys, the color orange, road trips, and down comforters. Oh and my friends and family :)

[box title=”Kristin Lagasse – My Favorites”]Color, Orange. Film,  A Few Good Men. Actor, Zach Braff or Matthew Perry. Actress, Natallie Portman. Male singer, Jason Mraz. Female Singer, Ani Difranco. Food, bacon. Holiday destination, home (Maine) for Christmas. Hobby, it changes and fluctuates. Right now I’m very into crocheting. Festival, Common Ground Fair in Maine. Author, David Sedaris. Book, Naked. Or Pat Conroy and Beach Music. Or Barabara Kingsolver and the Poisonwood Bible. Or Nikki Giovanni and anything by Nikki Giovanni[/box]

Shardul Pandey: What you do for fun & entertainment?

Kristin Lagasse: For fun I love to ski, swim, crochet, do yoga, and read.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving ?

Kristin Lagasse: If a song hits me just right it’ll get me moving even if it’s not a particularly upbeat song. I don’t dance though. Or, if I do, it is alone in the kitchen.

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain ? Where netizens can find latest news about you and your music ?

Kristin Lagasse:

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Kristin Lagasse: Support independent musicians (and artists of all kinds)! No one will appreciate your support and love more than we will. I have been doing this for over half my life now and I still feel absolutely thrilled every time someone buys a CD, signs my mailing list, asks for an autograph, or just takes the time to stop and listen.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Alex Smith

Shardul Pandey Talks To Alex Smith

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Alex at SANGKRIT.net, please tell us about yourself.

Alex Smith: Hey :D I’m Alex Smith. I’m a musician based in Brisbane Australia. I’m currently raising funds for my debut EP although I have been performing under the stage name Your Man Alex Smith since May 5th!

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about your music and your upcoming EP? When do you think it will be released?

Alex Smith: I’m not entirely sure what my ‘thing’ is. Usually musicians have something that makes them stand out from the rest, be it their voice or their instrumentation but I’m still finding my unique sound.

I do however write as honestly as I can. Without honesty, I feel that the music is hard to relate to and that’s one of the most important parts!

While I perform with an acoustic guitar, the album will feature a whole band. I want to immortalize these songs as the best versions they can be!

The EP will really depend on how much success the indiegogo campaign achieves. At a very minimum it will consist of two songs but the bigger the end result, the more tracks I will be able to get on the album! The album is predicted to be released around March 2014

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about the tracks which you have already recorded ? What are the themes?

Alex Smith: I actually don’t know for certain which tracks are going to be on the album. I’m working with a producer and he’s going to decide which has the most potential. Though currently there’s a lot of buzz around ‘Gingerbread Man’ ‘Guilty’ and ‘Tragedy’

Shardul Pandey: What is the story behind your title ‘Your Man Alex Smith’ ?

Alex Smith: Originally I was just going to be Alex Smith but it’s such a common name that I couldn’t get any useful or memorable usernames on sites like YouTube or Tumblr.

I used to have my own vlog and I’d start every episode with ‘Hey guys, it’s your man Alex Smith!’ And I thought that’d be a fun little thing.

Shardul Pandey: What inspired your passion for music? Have you always enjoyed the art of music?

Alex Smith: My dad is a huge fan of music. He’s been collecting Vinyls for years and the house was always full of classic rock songs. I vividly remember my dad sitting me down in the living room and preparing me to listen to ‘Bat out of Hell’. At first I thought he was just being dad but that song blew my mind. I’ve always really loved music since then.

Shardul Pandey: You are an acoustic singer, you also write songs so did you receive any formal training?

Alex Smith: That’s hard to say. I am self taught on the guitar and piano and predominantly with voice but I’ve been part of a few different choirs and I love musical theatre so I’ve absorbed a lot of valuable lessons from them that I otherwise wouldn’t have. Most recently I played The Sheriff in Underground Production’s ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ with Nick Hollamby as the Musical Director. Nick’s one of the most prestigious vocal coaches in Brisbane so I paid close attention to everything he had to say!

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to share the experience of your first performance ? You perform no mind or you think about something when your are preforming?

Alex Smith: I remember my first proper performance got egged by a passing car. I’m not sure whether it was just an act of wanton mayhem or whether it was premeditated but it was unsettling to say the least.
I personally think that the best performers are those that reveal part of themselves and are honest with the audience. You need to tell the story otherwise you’re just singing notes. When I sing I try to go back to the place I was when I wrote it. This is usually why I end up singing with my eyes closed.

Shardul Pandey: Any favorite moment you would like to share?

Alex Smith: One of my favourite moments would have to be when I performed at ‘The Zoo’. It was a big deal for me and I had a huge amount of support from the people who enjoy my music. The gig was pretty terrible but the atmosphere was just electric! And I met my girlfriend there.

Shardul Pandey: Are there any other creative mediums you work in?

Alex Smith: As I previously mentioned I used to do a lot of acting on stage as well as a little bit of screen acting but I’ve had to knuckle down and focus on my music career. It’s hard enough to make it even when it’s all you’re doing let alone with other things going on.

Shardul Pandey: Any loves, other then music?

Alex Smith: I’m a pretty big fan of ice cream. Like whenever Tash and I are out, we’ll usually end up getting some. Nothing comes close to music though.

Shardul Pandey: What you do for entertainment? Any peculiar interests?

Alex Smith: I do enjoy movies and I’ve recently started playing GTA V which is very addictive! I also love listening to ‘The Protomen Act Two: Father of Death’ it’s my favorite album.

Shardul Pandey: Excluding guitar is there any other musical instruments you like playing ?

Alex Smith: I like playing piano but I’m not super good at it.

Shardul Pandey: What songs get you moving ?

Alex Smith: I’m so far from a dancer it’s not funny. I usually can’t help dancing to ‘Caramel dansen’

Shardul Pandey: How do you best describe what music is to you?

Alex Smith: Without sounding really pretentious, music is what feelings sound like.

Shardul Pandey: Any other musical projects which you have planned for future ? Any plans for an international tour ?

Alex Smith: I am actually writing a rock opera concept album inspired by the Protomen about a robot created to make music. It’s called ‘Amadeus’ though ‘Amadeus ex machina’ has been considered as a title as well. It’ll be a cross between rock, neoclassical and musical theatre. I’m very excited about it.

I do have plans for an international tour in the sense that I plan to one day but I don’t have nearly enough of a fan base to afford it yet.

Shardul Pandey: What is your web address, do you own a domain ? Where netizens can find lastest news about you and your music ?

Alex Smith: I have:

Facebook: Facebook.com/yourmanalexsmith

Tumblr: Yourmanalexsmith.tumblr.com

YouTube: Youtube.com/yourmanalexsmith

And I currently have an Indiegogo page open to fund my first album!
http://igg.me/at/ymasep/x/316267

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Alex Smith: What are you passionate about? Are you on your way to achieving that/currently doing it? If you’re not, then change something. It’s never too late to turn everything around. You’ve only failed if you stop before you’ve succeeded!

Shardul Pandey Talks To Marie Parie On Europe Tour

[note]Talk is ongoing live…[/note]

Shardul Pandey Talks To Marie Parie – 3

[heading]← 9 Days Back[/heading]

Shardul Pandey: Hi Marie! How are you ?

Marie Parie: I just did an amazing session with Mariah Carry’s brother in Law Reuben Cannon yesterday for my new song “Kinda Girl” and it was amazing. I’m so excited to bringing R&B pieces to Pop Dance music. I love it.

Shardul Pandey: That’s Great. Have you planned any special events for this tour ?

Marie Parie: This is exciting, I’ll keep it a mystery. Well, I’m going to Europe for Radio and TV interviews. I’m going to meet with amazing people in the industry. Many surprises to come and I’d like to keep the rest of the mystery and have my fans find out about the adventure. I’ll be in touch from France.

Shardul Pandey: Good. Wishing you success and I know you’ll do very well. Good luck to you.

Marie Parie: Thanks. I’ll be in touch from France.

Shardul Pandey: Ok.

Marie Parie: Hi Shardul. I’m in France. I was on the platform of a huge TV Show of Patrick Sebastien “les Annees bonheur” for two days Monday and Tuesday, and it was amazing, all about music and meeting amazing people such as Sylvie Vartan, and more.

French stars for years, that changed french history. Now, today all french TV is talking about Marie Parie who was on one of the most famous touristic avenues in Paris, who can’t buy her beauty products.

I was walking in champs Elysee avenue, the big touristic place, the most beautiful so busy street where all tourist and locals buy beauty products and more when they used to close at midnight and now they obligate stores to close so early as 9pm and stop business and one of the sudden, I stopped near Sephoara at 9 pm, to buy products like beauty stuff and they closed the door and throw everyone out, saying that no one can work after 9pm now. So I started being so agitated telling them to let people go to work. I want them to let people work, and I spoke in French and English saying that it’s not good for tourists who want to buy stuff, France has to change this, they can’t be paying people to stop others working, and fine stores for opening pass 9pm. Many students need to work at night for sure. It was so strange to do such a thing.

Shardul Pandey: To make such a change you do require intervening politically. That demands making that kind of public opinion dominant over the constitutional process there in France. It is up to you to make your decision that up to what extent you are prepared for doing so.

If you take any such decision, I may offer you the technology to make a breakthrough.

(To be continued…….)

Shardul Pandey Talks To Natesh Kirtan

[note]Ongoing live![/note]

Shardul Pandey Talks To Natesh Kirtan

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Natesh at SANGKRIT.net, what’s your story?

Natesh Kirtan: Thank you for the opportunity to share my story, Shardul!

I love to chant, especially in the kirtan form, but also other forms. I have been chanting in the kirtan tradition for over 30 years, having first connected with it in late 1979 in the Oakland Siddha Yoga ashram of Swami Muktananda. I became a devotee of Baba and his successors. After being on that path for over a decade, I had a very powerful dream of Ammachi (Mata Amritanandamayi) before I knew anything about her, even receiving a hug from her in the dream, and I a couple years later I finally met her and became her devotee. The name Natesh I received from her many years later. Having these extraordinary beings guiding and transforming my life for the past 34 years has been truly a blessing. I, along with my wife, Monnie, and others, have been leading weekly kirtan in Sedona, AZ, for over 9 years with a group I simply called the Kirtan Wallahs and I’m now finally in the process of creating a beautiful kirtan album, Bliss of Kirtan, with great support from producer and multi-instrumentalist, Ben Leinbach, and many wonderful musicians and singers.

The process of starting a chanting group in Sedona all unfolded initially from me sitting down with the intention to practice some classical guitar pieces in the Fall of 2003 and the next thing I knew I was ‘downloading’ a chant to one of the many Deities, like Rama or Krishna or Durga or Shiva. Then I would forget about playing any classical piece and just be blissfully chanting whatever new chant. After some months of this I really lost all interest in playing any classical pieces anyway because that didn’t compare to the bliss I experienced from chanting and decided it was time to ‘share the bliss’ and started the Kirtan Wallahs.

I’ve also composed over 180 chants since 2003, although I’ve ‘retired’ a bunch of them that I became less enchanted with. It was had to narrow down the field to what to put on this first album!

Shardul Pandey: Tell us about ‘Bliss of Kirtan’ album Project ? How long have you been working on this? How much have you done and when do you think it will be released?

Natesh Kirtan: In one sense I’ve been working on it for close to 10 years, as one of the chants on the album, He Ma Durga, I composed in Autumn, 2003. But in terms of deciding to do a studio album and moving forward with the project, that decision happened in May and with some Grace I’ll be able to release the album in mid to late November.

The Bliss of Kirtan album is first and foremost a kirtan album, with the intention to inspire people to chant along with the call and response format and to invoke ecstatic, even transcendent, states of bliss in the listener, through chanting along or even simply through listening. I’ve intentionally kept the tempos much mellower than I typically do in a live kirtan so that the music can also serve as a backdrop for yoga, meditation and general daily activity.

As I mentioned, Ben Leinbach is an awesome producer, and I have some very talented female singers on the album as well as many excellent musicians contributing on bansuri, sarod, esraj, santoor and cello as well as tabla on some tracks. Sample excerpts from the latest rough mixes for the 8 tracks on the album can be heard at this link.

I’ve been getting wonderful comments from people who have heard some of the album in its present state, using adjectives like profound, sweet, powerful, lovely, lush and blissful, to name a few. Some of the tracks are mantras (or shloks) like Gayatri and Tvameva Mata and others are to the different Deities like Ganesha, Shiva, Krishna and so on. It’s also running very close to the 79.8 minutes maximum recommended for a commercially produced CD.

All the recording is done so we’re in the editing and mixing stage and still have mastering, artwork, physical production and so on to go. We got it this far on short-term borrowed money to take advantage of an opening in Ben’s schedule so now we have to raise money to get it finished and pay back the short term loans. We’ve started a funding campaign on Indiegogo to help make it happen.

http://youtu.be/OPn3ZdenLow

After all these years of doing live kirtan and composing chants, I’m really excited about how beautiful this album is turning out for sharing the ‘Bliss of Kirtan’ with the world!

(To be continued…….)

Shardul Pandey Talks To Vivek Sharma, Founder Of Filmzone Creations Pvt Ltd.

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Vivek at SANGKRIT.net. How are you? On what new projects you are currently working on ?

Vivek Sharma: Hi Shardul. I am good. Hope you are good too.

As you must have heard that I have opened my own production house, Filmzone Creations Pvt Ltd.

And now I am producing and directing many films. Making one film in 8 Indian languages, first of its kind and each language will have different actors, locations and music. Its like creating history. Its a commercial film, black humor on recession.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Vivek Sharma

Shardul Pandey: I am fine. Thanks. Yes, Priyanka told me about your new production house, Filmzone Creations Pvt Ltd.

It seems to be very interesting. So did you always know you were going to be a movie producer ?

Vivek Sharma: Yes, I was a story teller. Ma Saraswati blessed me with creative human ideas. So in my childhood I decided to become director producer writer and I became:)

Shardul Pandey: So how your journey has been, starting from your childhood when you made up your mind to become a director-producer-writer that has finally grown into this climax of yours ?

Vivek Sharma: Well I can give a brief points as I am writing a book on my journey. Mahanagry 1094 up, details will be in that.

But it started from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh from where I did my masters in physics.

Trained in martial arts..a football player.

Stage dance performer.

And a dream of making difference in people’s life..

Came to Mumbai with Rs. 250 in pocket.

Struggled..worked hard…learnt a lot from common people and survived on my own.

Lived in pipe lines, spent nights in watchmen’s cabin…corridors..station platform..

But zeal to achieve pushed me to continue. And here I am:)

Shardul Pandey: Likewise you are working on many big movie projects so when you are planning to announce your next film. I mean, would you like to give any rough idea of next big announcement from Filmzone Creations Pvt Ltd. ?

Vivek Sharma: Filmzone creations will be announcing 3 big projects around December..but pre-productions have already been started.

Shardul Pandey: I read somewhere (but I did not save the references) that Yash Johar And Karan Johar were not sure to use Rani Mukerjee’s original voice in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. It was you who stood by her and forced makers to use her real voice. Is it true or a rumor?

Shardul Pandey Talks To Vivek Sharma

Vivek Sharma: Yes I convinced Karan and Yash uncle to retain Rani’s original voice and stood by her. Worked very hard on her dubbing. I was the post production designer for ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’. I did as Yash ji and Shakhan(srk) wanted me to.

Shardul Pandey: You started your career from ‘Kuch Kuch Hota hai’, worked in various capacities and then ‘Bhoothnath’ was your directorial debut. So what was it like to film your debut movie? Was it different from other experiences you’ve had?

Vivek Sharma: I was blessed to have worked with great talents like Mahesh Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan and many others. I learnt and learnt and learnt. When I was starting Bhoothnath I had no fear. It was clear what I wanted. Amit ji and shri Ravi Chopra supported me through out. I can not ignore contribution of Juhi ma in my life and in my career. She has been there for me as a guide as a sister. Yes making film on your own is different than designing filmz for others. Its an awesome feeling to witness to see your own creation. :) I loved it. I will always cherish it.

Shardul Pandey: Bollywood seems to be experiencing a renaissance of sorts, with new directors and new subjects ? Would you like to say anything on that ? Any advice for future filmmakers?

Vivek Sharma: I consider this phase of Hindi cinema THE WORST phase where anybody is making film and anybody is becoming a star. Cinema is a platform for talents and artists which has disappeared completely. Its very sad. Corporate and certain banners have made it a mere business thing.

I feel we as film makers must make filmz which has good content and better craft. New film makers should not get into this trap of so called “new age cinema” its the worst phase.

Shardul Pandey: Sometime back I read on Filmzone Creations social media news feed that you are launching a Music Company ?

Vivek Sharma: Yes, Filmzone Creations is launching its music company as I have many film projects, in many languages and trying to bring back Indian classical and melody back on the horizon, a good class music is a promise.

Shardul Pandey: Movie making can be a time-consuming job so would you like to explain the time commitment you put into your movies. What do you do for entertainment? Do you have any peculiar interests?

Vivek Sharma: I am not just a film maker, I am a shayar too:)I am ready with my shayri book which will be published soon.

I love music so I am not only discovering new singers and music directors but also learning classical music.:)

I love sports. I cycle a lot. I am a fitness freak, very regular in gym.

I use every second of my life to create, share and cherish:)

Shardul Pandey: Where netizens can find you on Internet, your official blog is no more active ? Do you own a domain as being online actually means having a domain of your own because that is your real web-address, it saves you from straying homeless on Internet ?

Vivek Sharma: I was writing on the same platform where Mr Bachchan was writing blogs. My blogs were widely read but bigadda sites crashed and now I will write on “vivek sharma’s creative gallery” which will be launched soon but people can find me on my page “Vivek sharma’s official fan page” on Facebook.

Shardul Pandey: Got it about your weblog. Yes they scaled down their social networking and blogging services in July,2011.

It is always better to work from the domain your own because there you get to ultimately control everything that happens in your webspace and others get excluded from doing anything without your permission.

Shardul Pandey Talks To Vivek Sharma

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Vivek Sharma: Message for all the lovely netizens that.. make a positive difference in you, in the society and in the world. Its one life. Live and cherish. Create and gift. Share and luv :)

Shardul Pandey: And from personal experiences what do you say to young people out there struggling to get into the film industry?

Vivek Sharma: I never consider journey as “struggle”. Its a process, its all about passion for cinema. I think youngsters should spend more time with themselves rather than sitting in coffee-house or in gym. They should read more. They must use their energy in constructive work and most important is focus dedication and faith.

(To be continued)

Shardul Pandey Talks To Andrew Lee, Founder Of Envolve

Andrew Lee: Hi! Shardul, Are you a developer? We have some exciting news for you! Envolve has built a new platform, called Firebase, that lets you build real-time, collaborative applications in just a few lines of code. Have you ever wanted to completely customize the way chat works on your site? Now you can.

Firebase lets you build *any* real-time application — from chat apps, to shared whiteboards, to multiplayer games, to collaborative text editors. It’s an API, so you have complete control over how your app works, and you have full access to the data from any device.

For an explanation of what Firebase is and how it works, check out this short screencast. You can also try our quick 5 minute tutorial that will walk you through the API.

Thousands of apps are already using Firebase, including Klout, BitTorrent, TED, Codecademy, and Atlassian. We’d love to power your app as well.

As always, please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Shardul Pandey: Hi!, Thanks for sharing this information. I will certainly go through your new platform.

Klout, BitTorrent, TED, Codecademy, and Atlassian are popular services and I am glad that they are using Firebase.

Great with your success. I wish to congratulate you on this. Good luck to you.

(To be continued…….)

Shardul Pandey Talks To Justin Elswick On His Upcoming Album “MORTAL LONGING”

[note]Talk is ongoing live…[/note]

Sleepthief is an American electronic music recording project formed by producer and composer Justin Elswick. Elswick began writing music for the album ten years prior to its release. The album was mixed, mastered, co-produced, and co-arranged by Israel Curtis. Sleepthief’s first album, The Dawnseeker, was released in 2006.

Continue reading Shardul Pandey Talks To Justin Elswick On His Upcoming Album “MORTAL LONGING”

Shardul Pandey Talks To Marie Parie – 2, Marie Parie On Her Online Store

[heading]← 21 days back[/heading]

Shardul Pandey Talks To Marie Parie Part 2

Marie Parie: Hi Shardul! How are you? I have some news. One I’m going to Paris, and will be having radio interviews, and TV.

Also, I just created a store – http://mariepariemusic.com/store.html

Shardul Pandey: Hi! I am good. What about you ? Great with your success :-) What kind of store you have created ? Is it a simple online store of your music albums or it is your official web store with more stuff for your fans and followers ?

Marie Parie: I have an online store that has all MP gear, CD, and singles. I sell T shirts, Mugs, all sizes and for women, men and kids. The cool thing is that my fans have the choice to choose their own color, their own size and style. All products are high quality, and made in respect to the environment.

marie parie store

Shardul Pandey: Cool. You’re going to Paris, so this is an official tour ? Have you planned any special events ?

Marie Parie: This is exciting, I’ll keep it a mystery. Well, I’m going to Europe for Radio and TV interviews. I’m going to meet with amazing people in the industry. Many surprises to come and I’d like to keep the rest of the mystery and have my fans find out about the adventure.

Shardul Pandey: BTW Your new album “Alien Victory” is now available for purchase so from where we can buy it on Internet, I mean give me some links of your music on iTunes, Amazon etc ?

Marie Parie: Yes, everyone can purchase my Alien Victory album either digital copy or physical copy. It’s available on Itunes, amazon, spotify, and many other popular sites. My single “Dating” is also available and it will be interesting to find out who are the first Martians to have my album before anyone else. After my trip a lot will change so I’m excited to hear about my fans.

Shardul Pandey: Few weeks back you said that you are working on your second album, so how is it going ?

Marie Parie: Yes, I’m in the process of putting together a new album with different flavor. It will be a great surprise, and exciting new sound. A hint, it’s more melodic..

 

Shardul Pandey: Your fan following is increasing everyday and you are getting more and more popular on Internet, you own a domain and now you have your own store.

What do you think about creating your online private network. By saying private network I simply mean a Facebook/Twitter type network created specially for you and your fans. What do you say?

Marie Parie: Yes I do have my own domain, if not many one of them is www.mparie.com, in addition to www.mariepariemusic.com. I am looking forward to having my private network. In a way, it already exist on my website and FB mainly. I do have twitter as well for those who prefer Twitter. My “Fans belong to the Martian club, and I often refer to them as angel-aliens or Guarding Aliens as you can see on FB. We are all Aliens and belong to the MP Galaxy. We believe in Love, celebrate each other, and are all powerful and ready to conquer the world with music and love. Our secret is we love to party, Dance and have fun.

[heading]After 9 days[/heading]

Shardul Pandey Talks To Olga Korsak About Her Debut Album Release

SPT Olga

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Olga at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself.

Olga Korsak: Hi. My name is Olga Korsak. I was born in Riga, Latvia. I moved to Canada 5 years ago because I had a dream, I really wanted to sing!

I used to be a professional figure skater, I was multiple national Champion and winner of many international competitions around the world. At age 17 I suffered a serious back injury and was forced to leave the ice. I started to take intensive music courses to distract myself and with time I realized that all I want to do is music. There weren`t any serious opportunities for me in my Country so when I got a chance to move to Canada, I thought: “That`s your sign Olga, go!”

That`s how I ended up in Canada. It was very hard in the beginning because I came to Toronto completely alone, no English to help and 100$ in my pocket! I took endless lessons for my voice, piano , pronunciation. I worked so many different jobs to support my training and finally I am so close to make my dream happen!

I am in Latvia now, working on my first album of originals songs! I am so blessed to be supported with so many great people! I wanna bring smiles on people faces through my music, because the best reward for me is when I see people are moved and touched by my songs!

Unfortunately the album cost big money and with help of my friends and teachers we created a campaign to raise missing funds for my album. People can click the link, watch the video about my life story and how i got where I am right now, chose to pre-order the album or tickets to my concert and help me to collect missing amount of money to finish the album. All the money from pre-orders goes towards actual recording of the album. Check out our campaign:  http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/olga-korsak-debut-album/x/4243604

Shardul Pandey: So currently you are recording your debut album of original songs, when do you think it will be released? Please briefly describe your sound and your debut album ? Tell us about the songs which you have already written and recorded ?

Olga Korsak: The album will be released on March 1st/2014. It will consist of 12 original songs, both music and lyrics are written by me. I am not writing about something I do not feel or not familiar with, all my songs are about some events which touched my life one or the other way. It is hard for me to talk about something what bothering me, about memories or hopes, about happiness or sadness, it is much easier to tell the story using the notes. I hope listeners will find themself in my songs, I do hope I can do some good using my creative work.

We don`t revile for now the name of the album, it will be opened to the public after the first song is released. Please follow the news on my facebook fan page https://www.facebook.com/korsak.singer

The style I am using for my music is pop, jazz, art pop, indie pop, baroque pop, soul.

We just started to work on the album, all songs are in a creative process. You can listen some live recordings of the songs on the youtube. I do not like telling what they are about, it is better when the listener discover himself/herself.

Shardul Pandey: OK, the name of your album will be opened to public after the first song is released. Any rough idea of your first song release date, it is a music video release ?

Olga Korsak: We are planning to release the first song and a music video at the same day, the date is chosen to be February 1st/2014. We will do our best to keep our promise and be on time. I am so excited about the music video we are shooting in October here in Riga, Latvia. More then 20 talented and most of them already well known people will be working on set. The song is almost ready and I am with excitement looking at the preparation process. I can not wait to work with a young and promising Director Lauris Beinerts. He is also from Latvia but currently working and living in London, Great Britain. So again do not forget to like my facebook fan page and be the First to watch the music video ;) https://www.facebook.com/korsak.singer

Shardul Pandey: And what you do for entertainment ? How long have you lived in Latvia and what keeps you there with music?

Olga Korsak: When I am not busy with my music I always use a chance to spend time with my friends or go closer to the nature, nothing re-charge human battery better than trees and lakes! I also like active time spending, in the summer it is running, swimming, biking, hiking but winter time snowboarding, snow ball fighting, dancing. I also read and enjoy good movies, I even taking acting courses and planning in the future to do some acting.

I was born in Latvia and spent 20 years of my life here. I left to Canada almost 5 years ago and now I can honestly say that Toronto became my home. I do miss Riga and it`s small streets, my parents and childhood friends but unfortunately Riga couldn`t give me opportunities to making art. I am so glad I got a chance to record my album here at home, I can spend time with my family and walk those familiar streets again.

Shardul Pandey: What is your ultimate message for netizens ?

Olga Korsak: Dear Netizens, if you do have a dream , no meter small it is or big , do not give up. We have only one life to live and do not let anyone to live it for you! Thank you so much for reading about my project and I can not wait to perform for you! Please visit my Indiegogo campaign to watch the full story about my life and listening me sing. http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/olga-korsak-debut-album/x/4243604

Shardul Pandey Talks To Carly Krantz, A Southern Rock Singer

Shardul Pandey Talks To Carly Krantz

Shardul Pandey: I welcome you Carly at SANGKRIT.net, please tell our netizens about yourself.

Carly Krantz: My name is Carly Krantz and I’m a southern rock singer from Atlanta, GA. I’ve been playing piano a writing music since I was a kid but I wasn’t always able to sing. It was something I decided I wanted to do in high school, so I joined choir and practiced 24/7 until I sounded even halfway decent. When I turned 21 I joined a band called Kenotia and we signed to Sumerian Records out of LA. We released our ep You’ve Dug Your Grave, Now Lie in It in October 2007 and had multiple songs on MTV’s The Hills. After Kenotia disbanded I started working with different producers and writers in Atlanta and really focused on my songwriting. After working with so many talented musicians I finally found my musical niche in country/southern rock music. I’m currently working on my first solo ep and I hope I have it recorded by the end of this year. You can keep up with my shenanigans at https://www.facebook.com/CarlyKrantz

Shardul Pandey: Would you like to briefly explain your sound, your First EP to people who have not yet heard your music ? How long have you been working on this project for ? Tell us about the songs which you have already recorded/written ?

Carly Krantz: My sound is southern rock/country influenced. I’ve always loved the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd and even Kid Rock’s newer stuff because I feel like it’s a good solid mix of country and rock and that’s what I hope to capture with my ep. I’ve been writing with a very talented writer named Jeff Silver who lives in Atlanta and we have been working on this batch of songs for a good 6 months, but really I’ve been working towards this specific project for the past couple of years, experimenting and trying to find where my voice belongs.

The songs I have now are different from any songs I’ve written in the past not just because of content but even just the thought process behind them. Being in an indie rock band, you kind of have the liberty to just say what’s on your mind, but when you’re writing mainstream music and especially country music, you really have to put in a lot of thought as to what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Sometimes Jeff and I will spend an hour on writing just one line, which is something I’ve never done before but you can definitely see the quality difference in the lyrics i’m writing now as opposed to lyrics I wrote 5 years ago. As far as lyrical content, the songs are loosely based on me but are more relatable to the general public and that’s something I’ve never done before. I used to write songs so specific to my situation that I think it may have been hard for people to relate to but the songs I have now can be enjoyed by anybody.

Shardul Pandey: You said that your most important goal is to finish writing songs in Nashville with top country songwriter. Do you have any ultimate goals ? Success can mean many different things so what does success mean to you ?

Carly Krantz: My ultimate goal is and always has been to be able to make a decent living off of music and to be able to tour most of the year. I’ve never specifically wanted to be a superstar, I’ve always just wanted to be able to do music full time. If I could look into my future a few years, what I’d really like to see is me touring 500 person venues and writing for other artists. I don’t need a label, if that comes along it’s a bonus. I just want music to be my career. Success can mean a lot of different things to different people, and I think someone is successful when they’re completely happy and satisfied with what they’ve achieved.

Shardul Pandey: So how our netizens can help you finish and record your EP with professional musicians and producers ?

Carly Krantz: I really struggled with the idea of a fundraising campaign for myself, it’s not something I decided overnight. I hate asking for help and I especially hate asking for money but when I got the invite to Nashville and Atlanta, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to travel, record and pay musicians unless I reached out for assistance. The main reason I gave in and created my campaign was because Indiegogo creates a reward system for both parties, so not only are people donating to me but I also get to give them things in return. People can see what my campaign is all about here: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-carly-record-her-solo-ep

And yes, donations help me immensely but even just sharing the link on Facebook is a huge help!

The most important thing I want to leave people with is that this ep is something I’ve wanted to do my entire life, my music on my terms the way I want to do it. It’s something I’ve been working towards for the past 13 years and to get to finish this ep would be a dream come true. I truly appreciate every one’s help whether it was money, sharing my links or just a general appreciation for the music I’ve created, it means the world to me and it’s not something I’ll ever take for granted. So from the bottom of my heart, thank you!!!