MD has to sit and compose at least 15 different tunes to satisfy the director.

The lyrics have to match the tune and the situation. After these two issues are solved - orchestration come into picture, has to hire musicians and sequence the score, book a studio, book singers (Dates are important),

The Recording day (often night) comes with pomp and galore, MDS goes round the studio explaining his score to musicians and explaining the placement etc. He wants his score to be recorded perfectly; the sound engineer has to cooperate with him.

Tune must be explained to the singer(s) along with BGM interludes, situation, pronunciation, feel etc. Each line is done at least 10 times to get the right one. It happens again with the musicians - it is not easy to obtain perfection in spite of the musician being a professional.

After all this! - Finally, the song is recorded. Next task is balancing. The fate of the song lies now in the hands of the sound engineer, (who often fails).

Balancing - Since all the instruments are recorded on separate tracks - their volume and other levels must be controlled, masalas like reverb, delay are added, panning is to done. If the Movie is on a DTS production - job becomes more difficult.

After all this, the album goes for tape/CD production - CD production is somewhat easy, except the cost. Tapes: The tape on which the work is duplicated must be good (which is often not), if not the entire work will end up in a mess.

After all this hard work!, he waits for the album release (worst part for an artist), his fate is in our (fans) hands. When we hear the tape, (which we buy or in most case we record it from someone.), We just utter a word on the album, which might be

1. Great

2. Ok

3. Waste

4. Copied

We are not aware how the production is done, how many work very hard for the

Srikanth

Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Nirupama (@ mut-53-0215.direct.ca) on: Fri Sep 18 01:25:51 EDT 1998
  
  I actually saw a video where they showed bits of re-recording done by MSV (Idon't know the name of the movie!). As Srikanth pointed out, MSV was in full spirits, acting and shouting like an excited young school boy. He was humming, laughing and making all kinds of funny noises while instructing his musicians:-)) Calculating using his teeth! Now here's an interesting guy:-) How on earth did he find out that a certain instrument was out of scale?? This is quite interesting. Please give us some more......
  
  
• From: aruvi (@ spc-isp-tor-uas-86-81.sprint.ca) on: Fri Sep 18 02:05:16 EDT 1998
  
  Whow! Finally I get to see a forum that I am really going to enjoy and different from the rest.
  
  SriKanth
  
  I have heard the song. It was an excellent melodious song. I think most of Chitra's songs in the late 80's were really good.
  Anyways, I can't wait till you get to describing how Illayaraja works. Can you explain how he works with his singers to get what he wants. I have heard that he is pretty strict on making them sing the way he wants with no improvisation. Please explain how he tutors them. Were you there for the recording of the song with the singer or just the music. Can't wait to hear from you!!
  
  
• From: visiRi (@ horus.erlm.siemens.de) on: Fri Sep 18 09:34:57 EDT 1998
  
  Dear Srikanth,
  
  Thanks a ton for the lovely subject! Can you also elaborate on how a MD & director discuss and decide abt the score? I feel some scenes are shot to match pre-scored BGM. For eg, in kadhalukku mariyaathai, when 'kuappaththu makkaL' arrange everything for the marriage and maNivaNNan & damu dance correctly to the BGM.
  
  So, what exactlty a MD & director discuss & decide? I were to be director what should I discuss with the MD?
  
  We would welcome info on this whole process. Thanks in advance.
  
  
• From: Sathish (@ 206.103.12.125) on: Fri Sep 18 11:22:41 EDT 1998
  
  Hai Srikanth
  
  I would like to know in detail how raja
  works on background score(re-recording) for a movie. Please give ur experiences in that area.
  
  
  
• From: Mano (@ ecarh29c.nortel.ca) on: Fri Sep 18 12:12:09 EDT 1998
  
  Sri Kanth:
  I don't get it. There is 'no free Lunch'. Whether its, ARR, or IR, anyone is not doing for free. They are getting paid what they are doing. Cosumers, are paying the price for their work, which adds up a lot. If the works isn't great, yes, we have the right to comment it
  
  Cheers
  Mano
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ proxy1.dpn.deere.com) on: Fri Sep 18 14:05:16 EDT 1998
  
  Hi Mano,
  I agree with you every one has the right to comment - "That is the advantage of being a fan"
  
  "Cosumers, are paying the price for their work"
  I dont agree to this!, tapes are mostly pirated in India, Royality does not reach the creator.
  All the musicians are not rich, most of them struggle for thier food.
  
  FYI: I know few instances where Raja refunded his cut when the movie flopped, I came to know about this from few reliable sources. He has done this on few occasions but atleast he had that intention. (frankly : I will not)
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: Sriram Lakshman (@ sf-dnpqf-013.compuserve.net) on: Sat Sep 19 05:22:57 EDT 1998
  
  Srikanth,
  Ithu Nyayamaa ? Rendu naal kaakka vechitteengale. Seekkiram ezhuthunga saar, unga 'mella thiranthathu kadavu' kathai
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-42.il.us.ibm.net) on: Sat Sep 19 12:21:54 EDT 1998
  
  Hi SriRam
  Weekend Sir - So I have some weeknd job to complete, I will write it down ASAP.
  
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: Mano (@ by1.genie.uottawa.ca) on: Sat Sep 19 20:51:49 EDT 1998
  
  Sri Kanth:
  I agree. But the situation has been changed, when Raja came into TFM. I mean 'Pirates'. MD's gets the Royalties now. I found this by myself. Pyramid has released '40 Greatest hits of Rajanikanth/Kamal Hasan'. To do so, they have included songs which AVM and Sea Records holds the rights. I personally email the marketting director and asked why he hasn't included very good songs from IR's albums. He said that it is a copy right problem. Yes, Most of the IR's albums are copy righted by ORiental Records (Echo). So, MDs are getting Royalties.
  
  And I want to ask you, IS ARR/IR is alone for their success? How many of you talk about the sound engieers, especially Sridhar. The name just goes to the MD.
  
  Cheers
  Mano
  
  
• From: srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-103.il.us.ibm.net) on: Sun Sep 20 11:28:37 EDT 1998
  
  Mano:
  You must have not read my earlier postings in other threads, I have talked about Srihar everyWhere
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: Nirupama (@ mut-53-0427.direct.ca) on: Mon Sep 21 23:07:16 EDT 1998
  
  Srikanth, what's going on? When are you going to give us the rest?
  
  
• From: Srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-93.il.us.ibm.net) on: Tue Sep 22 08:58:32 EDT 1998
  
  Hi Niru,
  
  I will have to type it, I am busy in my office and last week I came out with my first tamil music album on the web.(http://jsri.fsn.net)
  I will post it by this evening.Sorry for the delay.
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: srikanth (@ slip-32-101-16-48.il.us.ibm.net) on: Tue Sep 22 22:36:34 EDT 1998
  
  Hi guys.
  I saw this great event in AVM "E" I reached at round 5:00pm in the evening. Msv had already come and he was waiting for Raja. Strings section was Rehersing score already distributed. Raja came at around 5:30+pm. They were on business at once.
  MSV started to hum the tune - Raja atonce remembered the tune and made himself ready to set bgm.
  Went to the drums (I think it was Purshothaman)
  gave him a score sheet and gave the beats to be programed - (My first impression: The beat was not so good - had many gaps in the pattern. Later it proved I was wrong because of the great counter points Raja placed)
  Raja wrote some notes on his score sheet which was given to the strings and few sheets were given to the flute players. Mind it - Raja did not touch any instrument.
  He put on his little clinton like specs and started to wave his fingers towards the string section in a criscross pattern - the section followed the score - later this was the opening piece for the song. He composed (rather wrote) 3 more parts. And made few changes in the bass and cello scores. Raja was requesting the string section perform the score in more finer way, as it was not smooth. I did not know - for me the first time itself was perfect. Raja kept on insisting this through out the recording - finally he was happy - thats what we heard on the tape. Later chitra came and MSV explained her the tune, MSv has composed the tune for all the songs in the movie - Raja has done the bgms.
  Raja also sang the tune and explained the placements of flute and violins etc.
  Then the take went on - belive it or not the beat and the strings and the flute lead was just perfect on the first take. MSV told Raja that the opening flute piece reminds him of Old Karnan song - "Kanuku Kulum Edhu" . He also sang the song in the lead.After this the take went on for about 3 hours the song was completed.
  
  Still I am wondering how Raja wrote the scores without touching the keyboard.
  Both Raja and MSV worked together without any Ego. Raja just listened to MSV and accepted the ideas. MSV, a matured musician did not overtake Raja at any point.I stil admire the humble behaviour of the 2 gaints of Tamil film music.
  Srikanth
  
  
• From: A Fan (@ chcgb102-36.splitrock.net) on: Tue Sep 22 23:47:04 EDT 1998
  
  Srikanth
  
  Thanks so much. Oorusanam sounded like an MSV tune, but not the rest. Kuzhuludhum kannanakku, Vaa Vennila has the typical Raja Pallavi and charanam as well. I refuse to agree with you that MSV composed all the songs. I am not saying that I am unhappy that MSV did all those beautiful tunes, if it was he who did it. I think at least those 2 songs were really Illaiyarja numbers. By BGM did you mean the insterludes of the songs? Please clarify?
  
  For one thing, why IR and MSV are great human beings, because they recognise each other's geniuses and what they are doing for the people of South India in general.
  
  
• From: Shankar (@ webgate0.mot.com) on: Tue Sep 22 23:47:22 EDT 1998
  
  Srikanth,
  I heard MSV composed vaa veNNila unnai thAne vAnam theduthe and Raja composed Kuzhal oodhum Kannanukku. Thanx for making things clear (i think the recording U had witnessed is for the latter song, am i right???)
  
  

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