After Class

Germantown during one of their gigs. Photo: Abu Sayeem Chowdhury

Our Escape from the Real World

Fardin Akbar Hyderi

Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life"--Berthold Auerbach, poet and author.

Music -- the word itself has a very catchy tone. Along with eating, drinking and all the other things that we do in our daily lives, we are completely oblivious to the fact that music has become one of our day to day necessities. Music can be a lot of things to a lot of people. Music is sometimes a hobby, it is a profession to some, some need music for meditation and other mantra chakras and to us, students, music is an escape. It is our escape from everything including the constant "Do this!" and "Do that!" and from guilty answers to "How far are you done with your studies?" from our parents and elders, not to mention the complaints from our significant others.

The lives that we now lead as students are packed with studies and examination hassles which never seem to end. Although it is vital to give a lot of importance to that part of our lives, we also feel that "Life is short. Enjoy!" For most of us, it is music that we choose, to get away from things like calculus and trigonometry. Inviting a group of friends and just laying back with a guitar after a two to three hour class is what it is all about. It is more than just fun; it is a way of relaxing our senses, pacifying our minds and just moving into our very own hassle-free world.

Amidst all the study drama, playing music with friends can remain a hobby or even become a profession if one realises that it is their forte. Neither is bad as long as we have our priorities straight. Whether driven by passion or inspiration, writing and performing one's own music can not only boost ones self-esteem, but he or she may even make it big on a public scale.YouTube plays a huge role in all this. We could never know that the song we recorded on our cell phone during our friendly jamming, just to see us playing over and over again, could actually end up with thousands or millions of hits if uploaded on YouTube. Taking Justin Bieber for instance, no matter how clichéd he is thought to be, that is exactly how he made it big.

Zagforth holding a jam session. photo : Kazi Tahsin Agaz Apurbo

Samwan Rob, the lead guitarist of the band Germantown says, “I grew up listening to songs by Bryan Adams and Eagles, as well as bands like Souls and LRB. Music played and still does play an important role in my student life. I was very eager to perform music when I was a child, so I started learning piano but for some reason I was not destined to become a pianist. Later in my teen years, I found the guitar much more soothing. I remember getting together with my cousin, who is an awesome singer, and just covering songs from various bands, with me playing the guitar and him singing during study breaks or random hangouts. The band Germantown was formed very suddenly when a group of friends got together for a random gig. During our study breaks from my university we always perform in concerts and we love it!" Nawar Azgar, a guitar enthusiast says, “Music has always been my 'mojo'. I need music for almost everything, starting from doing math to even talking to friends online. Bands like Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Led Zepplin have always been my inspiration. I play guitar along with a couple of other friends after classes and my parents are completely supportive of my interests. In future, I see myself performing in a band which makes real music along with fulfilling my duty as a student."

Performing or listening to music, now and then, saves our lives from becoming a very boring one and also diverts us from all the other things in life which we might regret doing later. The constant paranoia and tension from studies and even troubles at home might drive one into doing drugs and other illegal activities. Music for them is an actual life saver. Talking about their problems and expressing them through music and lyrics later on helps them open up and share with the world, what they are going through. Music is that very thing without which life may just have been inconceivable.