| Listen
to Buddahead's Christmas song! (MP3)
Raman
Kia is the guitarist, singer and songwriter for the alternative
rock group Buddahead.
In April of 2004, the group released their debut album, Crossing
the Invisible Line, which quickly became a media favorite of
not only radio stations, but magazines and television as well, including
Teen People and the WB network. This is a band with a social conscience,
actively supporting the work of non-profit organizations War
Child and Musicians
on Call.
Raman's
parents split up when he was young, and he spent his first nine
years in Iran with his father. At that time, Iran was a war-torn
nation, and Raman grew up witnessing the horrors of war. The piano
in his house provided him a creative path to escape from all the
violence. At
age nine, he moved to England where his mother lived, to attend
a Catholic military boarding school. He now lives in New York City.
Music
in Schools Today (MuST):
Well, after reading your bio and finding out the difficulties of
the first nine years of your life in Iran, I don't know where to
begin. Could you talk about how music helped you get through all
that?
Raman:
At the time, Iran was musically a silent place but in our home we
had a piano which I would sit down and play. Of course, at first,
I had no idea what I was doing but soon my Father decided that my
little tinkles were not all that bad and I must have had some talent.
He then hired a piano teacher for me and within a few weeks the
teacher had me playing simple songs.
I remember
when I was leaving Iran to move to the UK I found that the easiest
way of saying goodbye to everyone was to make a tape recording for
them of me playing these songs.
Where
the piano really helped me however was when I first arrived at boarding
school in the UK. I was two weeks late into the school term, didn't
know anyone, and could hardly speak the language. At this time,
the piano room in the music department gave me a place I could go
to, play songs I knew, and feel quite safe.
MuST:
Had anyone else in your family played the piano?
Raman:
Yes. My Grandfather was a great musician. He played traditional
music and maintained his love and enthusiasm for all kinds of music
until he died at the age of 88.
My
Aunt, my mother's eldest sister, was also a great pianist and actually
completed her musical education with one of the highest certifications
you can get as a player.
However,
I discovered all this much later. My parents had divorced when I
was very young and I had no contact with my mother's side of the
family until many years later.
MuST:
At the British Catholic military boarding academy, you were sent
to the choir for disciplinary reasons, which proved to be a gift.
What was that like?
Raman:
I have to say I quite enjoyed being in the choir. Not only it made
me feel a part of a group straight away, I also enjoyed the singing.
Better still, it made sitting through church a lot more fun!
There
was also another side to being in the school choir also. Every so
often we would go to hospitals or nursing homes for the elderly
and sing, and I think this always brought huge amounts of joy to
those for whom we performed. Spending one's energy doing this kind
of thing is very fulfilling.
MuST:
How has your songwriting experience evolved? What is your process
for writing a song?
Raman:
I have spent as much time as possible writing either by myself or
writing with as many other people as I can. Writing is a craft and
the more you do, the better you get; and the more people you do
it with, the more you learn about it.
Unfortunately
though for me there is no process. You cannot look at inspiration
in terms of a process. The first thing is that you have to be doing
it, pick up your instrument and just write or play. Once you come
up with something good, the other 99% is pure effort. You have to
work at it until it gets to be excellent.
MuST:
How did you meet your bandmates? Was there instant chemistry with
them, or was there a trial run?
Raman:
Toby, my bass player, was introduced to me by a mutual friend and
he knew both Simon who plays guitar and Rich who plays Drums. Nick,
who plays lead guitar was somebody that I knew from the live music
scene and always thought of as a great musician. It simply happened
to be chance that he was available when I was looking.
There
was a trial period with each but honestly, they blew my mind on
the first day of the trial and I just knew from then on that the
chemistry was right!
MuST:
Where did the name Buddahead come from?
Raman:
It was just a nickname given to me that stayed on and when I was
looking for something to call this musical project I couldn't think
of anything better -- probably because I couldn't come up with anything
else at all!
MuST:
What is the significance of your CD name "Crossing the Invisible
Line"?
Raman:
Getting a record deal and making an album was not something
that happened very easily for me. There were so many years of trying
and so many setbacks that when I finally got the deal and started
making an album I wrote an e-mail to my manager and said to him
that it feels as though I am finally crossing an invisible line.
He then wrote back and said that perhaps I should call my album
that.
MuST:
You guys are getting great press, and even airplay on television.
How did the WB connection come about, and did that surprise you?
Raman:
As far as I know that was something the record company set up. You'd
have to ask them the details. I think it was Ray Charles who said
"Let me do the music, and you take care of the marketing,"
or something to that effect.
MuST:
Do you have any advice on warming up an audience who is new to your
music?
Raman:
Well, it helps to know your audience. For example, playing in front
of a seated audience in a listening room requires a different approach
than playing in front of full crowd at the Chicago House of Blues.
The
best advice to anyone though is just to get out there, start small
and keep playing live until you build your audience -- and just
be yourself.
MuST:
What's your best advice to aspiring singer/songwriter/musicians
out there?
Raman:
Think big and try very hard, but never care more about being liked
than making great music.
| Patrick
wrote:
Hello,
My name
is Patrick and I have the assignment to find a mentor for
my Communication through the Arts class, and I was hoping
that you could just help me out by answering any questions
that i have.
I am
a guitarist and am in 2 bands and have written some music,
but do not know where to go from here. What should i
do next to make my bands successful?
Being
only the rhythm guitarist in the bands I dont write lyrics,
but i would like to. I have written songs for only guitar
and bass guitar, but feel that they need lyrics, and i am
not the best with writing poems. How do you write your
music? Do you wait for an inspiration, or just write the first
thing that comes into your head?
These
are only a few questions i have, but i am hoping you can answer
them as soon as possible and i will have more.
From,
Patrick
Raman
replied:
Hello
Patrick!
I hope you are well. I will be glad to help you with your
assignment however I can.
First
of all, congratulations on being a guitar player in two bands
- that is awesome! The true and lasting way of making bands
successful is hard work. First of all, you have to really
focus on the material that you are writing and playing. You
have to become really good editors of your own work, and put
all pride and ego aside. Once (and it can take years) you
have become accomplished at writing and playing, then you
have to put yourself, your music, and your band out there.
You can start by playing as many shows as you can locally
and building a fanbase. Once you have a local fanbase, you
can try and get bigger in the state and hopefully eventually
the country. The best way is always the grassroots way.
Being a rhythm guitarist is almost ideal for being a lyricist.
Unless you are a jam band or doing intrumental experimental
music, songs will most likley need lyrics. Now, not all lyrics
are poems. Best thing to do is to really spend a lot of time
listening to the great lyrics writers. Listen to Bob Dylan,
Van Morrison, The Doors; listen to new stuff, like great rappers
such as Jay-Z. In short, just listen to a million different
things, and you will get a feel for how different writers
write lyrics and how they apply it to music.
As for me, I have to admit, there is no one way that works.
I find that most often the basic initial musical idea comes
from me just sitting around endless hours and jamming out.
Once I have the basic idea, I start writing music and lyrics
together - as if it is a journey that they both need to travel
together. For lyrics, I always write about how I am feeling.
The best advice I ever got was: It's your emotions, but for
the world. The second best advice I ever got: Don't be cliched.
Best of luck,
Raman
|
Lauren
wrote:
My
name is Lauren, i'm 15 years old. I'm teaching
myself how to play bass guitar right now, I really wanted
to play the drums, but my parents don't have enough money,
so that's why I'm teaching myself bass. I really love it a
lot, I'm in choir at my high school, and music has been my
life forever. My parents though, believe it's just a
hobby, and I'm only a freshman in high school, they keep telling
me i have to start thinking about college and I have to start
studying for the PSAT's, which I'm not looking forward to.
They keep asking me what college I want to go to, they really
want me to be a lawyer, which I have no interest in what so
ever. I keep telling them I wanna be a rock star, and they're
like you still have to go to college and be well educated.
I was looking at colleges like the Music Institute in California,
but my parents still don't support me. And then trying
to balance school work on top of music is extremely hard because
there are no music programs at my school except for choir,
orchestra, and marching band (which takes up a lot of people's
lives). There are no clubs for aspiring musicians, composers,
etc. My parents can't afford lessons, I'm not doing
good in school, and just wanna think about practicing now,
instead of studying to be a lawyer. So how can I get
my parents to support me?
Thanx Raman,
Lauren
Raman
replied:
Hi Lauren,
I was the same age as you are now, 15, when I first wrote
a proper song. I could play piano back then but I also decided
around that age that I was going to teach myself how to play
guitar.
Sorry to hear that you can't afford a drum kit yet. Welcome
to the world of the poor but talented musician. Rich my drummer
has some excellent advice for you. He says for twenty dollars
you can get some drum pads and for 5 dollars you can buy some
sticks and you can at least start learning on those while
you save. This should help you keep the dream alive.
You can also go to a rehearsal space. Most of them already
have a drum kit in them so every now and then you can just
go in and play until your heart is content.
Keep
up the choir too. I was in one and I really think it has helped
my ability as a singer today.
Also, just like you, I battled my Father furiously over music.
He really did not want me to be a musician. As far as he was
concerned anything: law, medicine, business would be better.
My
advice: do both. I did. I finished school. Did a degree in
English literature, and even did a masters in business. The
whole time, of course, I was writing and playing live locally
which was making me better at both those things.
Just because you go to school it doesn't mean you can't keep
up with your passion. It's unfortunate that your school doesn't
have any real music programs. Mine didn't either except for
a few classical stuff.
I
negotiated with my parents and agreed that after school I
would go to an audio engineering school for a year, for which
I would pay by getting a job, and then after that I would
go to college. They agreed and so I did both.
Ultimately my advice is to do well at school and do the music
at the same time. So many of the greatest artists have college
degrees so there is no reason why you can't do both.
It
sounds like you have passion and talent and it seems to me
that you are going to be successful in music.
Look
at the bright side: if you do well enough in school to go
to college then you can enjoy most of the music programs all
good colleges offer, and you will meet lots of other musicians
like yourself who are at college and it is so much easier
to form a band. Also most college towns are packed with music
venues. They are the easiest places to form bands, get gigs,
and build fans.
Lauren,
best of luck and let me know if I can help out anymore.
Raman
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