Ep. 16 Sharanya Gopinath - Performance is magic

In this captivating episode, host Aravind speaks with musician and performer Sharanya about her lifelong journey on the stage. From her beginnings as a child prodigy to her current understanding of performance as a soul-searching and spiritual experience, Sharanya offers a fascinating look at the evolution of an artist.

She shares her unique perspective on the intersection of skill and spirituality in performance, referencing a powerful Theiyum ritual that transformed her view of a performer's power. Sharanya also delves into the practical aspects of her craft, discussing her preparation process, the role of improvisation, and how she handles things when they go wrong on stage.

Beyond the spotlight, she reflects on the challenging side of the industry, including the importance of respect for artists from promoters and the struggle with self-promotion. Sharanya redefines success beyond money, emphasizing the value of the material and the people she collaborates with.

Join us to hear her final thoughts on the essence of live performance in a digital world and why she believes the connection between a performer and the audience is pure "magic."

Transcript

Hi, Sharanya, and welcome. Hi, Arvind. Thank you. 

Thank you for talking to me. So how did it all begin for you, getting on stage? Do you remember your first experience? I think I was very fortunate to have people around me that somehow felt that, okay, let's put this child on stage. And how old were you? I think there are pictures of me being on stage with larger groups, of course, in maybe when I was three in preschool. 

And for a solo performance, I think there was, there's a picture of me when I was maybe four singing the national anthem in front of the school. So I think. Child prodigy. 

Not really. I think maybe I was just, I think I don't ever remember being afraid of being on stage. So maybe that's, maybe I didn't even realise what was going on. 

And probably the people around me said, okay, this child is not crying when put in front of a mic. Let's just put her there. Do you recall any performance that you saw and then got blown away when you were young and said, this is like what I want to do? Yes, definitely. 

There are lots of musical performances, drama and theatre performances that have really blown my mind. But I think one that really changed my perspective and understanding was this Theiyum performance interestingly, which I had the honour and privilege of immersing myself in. And that really switched my perspective on what, what the power and potential that a performer has. 

So what happens in a Theiyum performance is that really an ordinary person steps into a spiritual realm almost, right? And they take on almost supernatural powers, like walking over fire or even carrying the weight of the costume is all something that comes because of that switch into the performance zone, which is almost like a trance. And for both the performer and the audience, it becomes almost like that journey into something that's away from reality and the natural, the ordinary, right? And that then gives the performer such power to carry messages of hope or peace or even healing and to see so many people who come from far distances with struggles and troubles and then to go away with transformation, right, with a message of hope and that I think really switched my understanding of what a performance could do. So since you brought up the spiritual zone, I'll jump right there. 

Do you think there is something beyond like just skill and technique in a performance? Definitely. I think it's, it's the ideal state when one goes into that phase of not really thinking, oh, what am I? Am I doing something wrong? Am I doing something right? What is my next line going to be or what am I going to do in the next moment or even lingering on the previous moment, right? That is what I try and aspire to go through in every performance. So that state of, I think trance is the best word for me that describes it, right? So definitely it's something 

spiritual where maybe, maybe while you're practising, maybe while you're even hearing a piece for the first time, you think this is beyond my ability, but sometimes it just happens in the performance, right? You might have had, you might have been sick, but then somehow in that performance zone, things that didn't happen earlier might end up happening. 

And I don't see any other explanation for it than spiritual, a spiritual experience. Great. How has your understanding of performing evolved from when you began to now? So again, as a child, I think it was, it was just something that somebody told you to do. 

You went up there on stage, you learned your part. I went up there and did it. And then of course, there was a lot of validation because everybody would appreciate you. 

And I think that sort of became addictive in a way, right? That validation became addictive. But then over time, you also started enjoying the process, the rehearsals towards it, the people that you would meet, the whole celebration after, before. So that entire process became something that I started looking forward to. 

And at some, there were phases where it was also competitive, right? Where you go for these college fests, for instance, and then you think of the performance as, oh, I have to show my best technical ability and I have to, what can I do to impress? But then from there, I think it's even then, I'm happy to say that it's evolved for me at least into a more soul searching, more what it makes me feel as an individual, even if there was nobody else around, right? And then I think the understanding of performance beyond the stage, that even something that you do in a studio, right? And it's not necessarily a song. It could be, say, an audio book that I'm narrating or a play that I'm in. All of these are performances, right? Absolutely. 

And sometimes maybe I could even perform for myself without an audience. So I think all of these different phases are segments of experience that I've been through. And I'm glad for all of them. 

I hope to discover more through the experience of evolving as an artist. Wonderful. So can you take me through your preparation process? Yes, definitely. 

So depending on the kind of performance, right, if it were, I recall there was a certain play that I was a part of, which demanded singing while a lot of movement was also in place. So which means that it required a certain amount of physical stamina. So I'm not somebody who really enjoys exercising, working out, but then that gave me a motivation to prepare myself to be able to do these multiple things simultaneously. 

And so for any performance, depending on what it demands, I enjoy that process of preparing for it. It could be practising a certain set of vocal warm-ups or vocal runs or being really sure of the piece itself or the performance material itself so that on stage or in that performance moment, you're not really worrying about that material itself, but focus more on feeling it and sharing it with the audience in that moment of time. So these things you do on the day of the 

show or the day before? Several days before, right? So on the day, it's usually, oh yes, I also try to recreate the performance setup as much as possible. 

I mean, it could be the shoes or the props that you're wearing or anything just to make everything as... So like visualisation? Visualisation and as much as possible, even use these things in practise so that you're not worrying about it. It's not alien in that moment of performance, right? Yeah. So that's about, I think, preparing for any performance. 

What do you have, like some kind of diet? Oh, no, not at all. Or something you won't eat before a show or you won't drink before a show? I think I try to drink a lot of water, so I'm not, I don't think I'm very technical in that sense. So, you know, I will, there are certain foods that I avoid or I try to eat well and not overeat. 

Not be hungry. No, not be hungry. Yes. 

But very often in a performance, you don't really think about your hunger because if you're immersed in the moment and then it hits you later. But just for stamina and just for to pull through that performance and try to be comfortable. Do you have certain things you look for when you go for a soundcheck? For a soundcheck? Okay. 

So I try and make sure that, so I'm one of those people that goes to a soundcheck thinking that I will give my best from my own body and then I'm going to trust the sound engineer because I'm not going to get into like, oh, I don't think that part of the audience can hear it. Because from where I stand, I just need to be able to hear myself and as long as I can, I'm comfortable with all of the other components that I need to hear, I'm happy. So even with regard to how much reverb or how I would trust the sound engineer completely because they, from where they stand, know the space best. 

What role does improvisation play in your work? I think improvisation fascinates me a lot and I think many things is one of the bands that I really look up to in terms of how we are able to so spontaneously and comfortably improvise. It's also a very challenging area for me because there's always a question of how much space do I give the other person? Am I speaking too much? Am I giving, am I responding enough? Am I complimenting the other person enough? So these are things that I'm still trying to overcome and work around. It's because it's almost like a conversation, right, where two people are, two or more people are talking and then you want to make that conversation so interesting for the people who are listening also to be a part of. 

And in cases like, I guess, Jacob Collier, where you're also able to make them a part of that conversation. So I try to improvise definitely and there is preparation that goes into it. So I try and think of, I try and play with certain parts of the piece, whether it is spoken or sung to try and see what I can do differently. 

And it could be lyrical, it could be musical, it could also be theatric or physical. So these are 

things that I try and play with as part of preparation. And then on the day, of course, the space that you're in and the moment contributes so much to how you improvise. 

So yes, it's a bit of a scary space, but also a place that thrills me. I definitely try and make as much room as possible for improvisation while performing. Okay, brilliant. 

How much rehearsal do you like to do? Is there something like too much rehearsal, you feel? No, I don't think I've ever felt that there's been too much rehearsal. Most of the time, you wish there was more time. But I guess that's just me, because I also enjoy that process of rehearsal with the people who are a part of it, right? So maybe because I enjoy that time too much, I don't feel like it's too much rehearsal. 

But there would have been surely instances where you're in groups of people where you can't stand each other also, no? Sometimes it could happen. Maybe, maybe, but nothing comes to mind like that, because I think always the material takes precedence. There are indeed reasons where sometimes you're fed up with a certain gig that you took on and you wonder, why did I even take this on? That does happen. 

Okay, so maybe you're right. Sometimes that could happen. Lots of things can go wrong during a show. 

How do you deal with it? Mistakes or something in the auditorium, some light went off, mic went off. I think the one principle that all of us performers agree by is the show must go on, right? There have been instances when I think a bandmate's guitar string has broken, but he's kept playing. Or sometimes when you, maybe your monitors don't work or whatever, but you still keep going on. 

And sometimes I think it also works in your favour when you've not really planned it. I think there was one instance where I was a little ambitious with a piece that I'd practised to play and sing on the keyboard. And then I turn up and then, it doesn't usually happen, but my fingers froze. 

I just couldn't play. And I saw Rukia, I stopped and I said, see, my fingers are just not moving, but I'm going to sing it. And you told the audience. 

I told the audience. It was a setting that allowed for it. And they just started clapping along and it turned the performance into something else. 

And I think I also felt a lot more connected to the audience because it felt like we were performing together versus me just performing to them. So that's a moment that turned into something that it could have been a failure, but it turned into something that was beautiful in a different sense. Great. 

How does your identity or your personal history inform your performance? I think that's also something that's evolving. If you ask me, every individual goes through various identities. And 

how we, it's like they say, right, every time you read a book, depending on where you are in life, or even watch a movie or listen to a song, you may feel different feelings. 

And I think that's the same with my own identity as a performer. There are songs that maybe I would have loved to do at a certain age, which I might cringe about now. Or maybe songs that I have not connected to earlier, but because life has thrown certain experiences at me, now I feel more connected and more a certain line might mean something to me even more now. 

So do these things like affect the way you perform on stage or it's just the choice of song? I think it does affect the way I would perform on stage. For instance, maybe there's a certain line that I might have belted and sung at a certain point in time, right? It might have been a very joyful line. I might have sung it that way. 

But today, maybe that line gives me a different meaning and I might choose to sing it soft. Maybe I was earlier putting on an act to bring a certain line forward. But now I truly understand what it means. 

And maybe I speak it, maybe I whisper it. So I think that changes. So what is your relationship with the audience? What role do they have a role to play? You think they have a responsibility even? Definitely. 

I think in a performance, a performer is only one part of the equation. The audience and the performer play a collective role in enabling that entire experience for everyone, right? So in a live performance, for instance, you have maybe somebody singing along and you hear them or maybe they're smiling at you. And all of that, I think contributes to what you bring to the performance as a performer. 

So there is something called audience etiquette as well, I guess, where, I mean, simple things like they say, put your phone on silent, all of that, right? So that respect for the performer and respect for the audience as well, both come together in bringing that performance to life. What is your expectation of a promoter or an organiser of a show? Pay the artist on time. Of course. 

Yeah. But it's sad that I had to call that out. But pay the artist on time, rather like stick to what you've agreed on and be fair to the performer. 

There was a recent instance where a friend of mine was very excited because one of her independent songs was going to be put on vinyl and they just got the credits wrong. So there were 200 copies of this particular vinyl printed and I think that the credits didn't even have her name right. So just the basics, I think, getting these things right, treating the artist beyond a money making machine, if you will, to respect what they bring as the art itself. 

And just think about the fact that this person's gone through so much training and preparation and it's not easy to put music out, whether it's your original music or even if you're performing covers or anything. It takes a lot to be a performer. And for I think the only thing that I would expect for a promoter or an organiser is to respect that. 

And I think everything else then follows. What do you think about what's your opinion on stage persona, appearances and showmanship? What is the role? How important is it for you? It is important. It is important because it plays a role as a tool towards that, creating that experience. 

So whether it is a prop or a costume or a certain avatar that you take, I think all of that helps to create that. If it helps to create the experience that you are taking your audience with you, then it definitely plays a role. Brilliant. 

In fact, I think there are... So you like to fully dress up? Yes, for that character, for that. There have been instances where you perform as yourself and that's fine too. But just being intentional about... I think that's a good word. 

Yeah, about how you want to... What's the character that you want your audience to see you as, right? In fact, I've heard of... I've not done it myself, but I've heard of this one singer who was doing a certain cabaret number and then she dressed up in costume while singing in the studio just to feel that character, right? Because that's another sort of power that performance gives you, to take on these different characters. And sometimes the costume or what you're wearing, it's almost like method acting, where you try and put yourself literally in the shoes of that character and imagine what they've been through before or after or what shapes their beliefs and thoughts. I think anything that helps with this, creating this drama, helps. 

Actually, a couple of my guests have said that we're only acting on stage. Right. Yeah. 

Yeah. Yeah. What is the most challenging aspect of performance for you? Okay, I have to think about this a little because I think one is indeed improvisation, right? And breaking away from that point of thinking, oh, am I doing this right or should I be doing this? That's something I struggle with. 

And I'm trying to and I feel that it maybe gets better with time and practise. Has it gotten better? It has. Already? It has. 

It has gotten better. Because sometimes you feel that, oh, no, I'm put in this situation where there are musicians who are far more experienced than me. It's maybe a bit of imposter syndrome also, right, of feeling that, do I really deserve to be here? It's a mixture of gratitude and awe of being in that space, being able to. 

It's that pressure that you put on yourself to make that big picture or make that outcome sound the best, right? So I think that is one challenging aspect of performance for me. But it's not something that I am averse to. I like that. 

That challenge. I like that tension because I think it puts you in that uncomfortable, putting yourself in that uncomfortable place really makes you come out better, I think. So that's. 

If it's too easy, then it's not fun. Yeah. It's not fun. 

So that's one challenging bit. And the other, I think, is especially when you're performing for a setup where there are certain expectations around the audience has to dance or you have to entertain. Sure. 

I mean, you come prepared with a certain repertoire, you come prepared with a certain set list and then there is a lack of, I think the audience expects something else. I guess many of us have been in that situation where the brief is something and then there are maybe two or three people in that, almost like a Chinese whisper sequence. And then by the time the brief comes to you, it's something, but then you reach your audience and then they're expecting something else. 

Completely different. So that, yeah, that's tough, you know. So I think that goes back to probably the role of the organiser or the promoter. 

To be, to tell clearly what the situation is. Yes. To know your audience, really.