New generation's lofty goals

My nephew would like to seriously consider a career playing the drums. Although this would have been unheard of a generation ago, his parents agree. Actually, a generation ago, when I – the daughter of doctors – wanted to be a journalist, even that was unheard of, given the stringent confines of parental expectations.

Millions of young Indians – both in India and abroad – having completed their highly stressful exams last month, are now entering the next phase of life’s choices that will determine their future.

I already see a marked difference between them and my generation. Whether they live in Dubai or Delhi, their experiences and career choices are increasingly diverse. Of course, those who live abroad have the added advantage of experiencing life and all its challenges away from their homeland, which shapes their choices to a great extent. But in India, where one tends to live by example of that doctor aunt or engineer uncle, the traditional list of professions that are considered acceptable for a determined fellow to pursue has always been rather short. Not, I hope, any more.

As a compromise, my nephew will travel from Kolkata to Pune to study at a prestigious college. There he will hopefully earn a degree in mass communication. Having settled it with his parents by getting at least one degree under his belt, he then wants to turn it around and work in the growing Indian pop music industry. This while playing with his band throughout his academic career and hoping that they make it big before he is forced to don a suit and represent other musicians.

Such lofty dreams – a mainstay of American or British culture – are finding a new home with the youth of India. A generation ago, paradiddling with drums would have been relegated to a hobby. But entire generations have now grown up on satellite music stations, syndicated television shows and music franchise shops that oversee the release of the latest albums pretty much at the same time as the rest of the world.

My nephew’s role model is a 22-year-old drummer who won a competition on one of the music television shows at the age of 19. Now he tours full-time with his band, who play an amalgamated version of Indian metal rock. The usual distorted guitar riffs, heavy drum grooves and fast bass lines are accompanied by lyrics in Bengali.

His band, Etcetra, are taking a break from playing gigs this summer while some of the band members look for college placements. In the meantime, in order to counteract his grandmother’s complaints about playing the drums too loudly, this summer he plans to learn the flute. And the sitar.