Mirror
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More
than words It is often hard to separate songs, into words and music, and say that one is better than the other. One feeds the emotions and sets the atmosphere for the other, and therefore the two are intertwined intimately. Be that as it may, it is often the words of a song that can make that song, a deliciously memorable one for the listener. Thus, if you are a songwriter, it is indeed a tough task to express yourself while keeping a varied listenership hanging onto your words. One such young writer, who has to achieve this delicate balance is Amri Adheeb, a 20-year-old hoping to make his mark in the music industry. He has indeed had a wonderful opportunity at putting his lyric writing skills to the test, with the VoicesNet creative writing competition, VoicesNet Anthology 12. VoicesNet is an international poetry website, offering people an outlet for individual expression. From among 55,000 contestants, his entry has been placed among the first ten, out of a total of 20 candidates selected for the final round. It is indeed no mean achievement to be so selected, considering the stiff competition from around the world. Speaking of his reaction to the news, Amri says, “I couldn’t believe it when I first heard it. I was so excited that I made my father check it for me again. I have never entered a competition of this scale before.” The winners of the final round will be announced on February 14, and that’s something that this finalist will be occupied with for the next couple of weeks. A former student of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, Amri began writing from a very young age – 12 years to be precise. It is mostly school magazines that sparked off his creativity. “My school paved the way for all this by being a constant source of inspiration. I’ve always been passionate about music. Writing lyrics was a great part of it,” maintains Amri with regard to taking up this area of creative writing. His entry into the competition was not pre-planned. “I entered it just to see what would happen. It seemed a great chance at exposure, and I thought why not?” His creation was titled, “The Evening Of Vibes”. Although it was entered as a poem, it also belongs to the category of lyrics, and will be set to a melody in the future. “As it is, an entry of my choice will be published in the VoicesNet journal, published every three months. I have forwarded a work of mine titled “Abortion”, inspired by a documentary that I watched. With regard to the competition, the final three winners, will have the opportunity of getting their work published in their end-of-the-year publication – VoicesNet Anthology – and also stand to win cash prizes,” says Amri elaborating on the details of the competition. Not only does this youngster write lyrics, he has also tried his hand at coming up with melodies for them as well. “I’m very much interested in rock music, especially alternative rock. Therefore the melodies set for most of my songs veer mostly towards rock tunes.” Having many instruments at home makes things easier, he admits. He has also composed music scores for several advertisements and can beat a fine tune on a set of drums. Asked about his family’s views of his musical career, Amri smiles. “My mother is interested in music. Of course, what my parents said was that as long as I didn’t neglect my studies, I could indulge in this. Studies and school were always a priority. Overall my family has always been very supportive of what I do. I’m very fortunate in that.” Amri still has to juggle work and his music, though, and will have to for a while. He is at present doing his higher studies in business management, marketing and psychology. At a glance the two interests seem poles apart, but he’s certain that he can pursue both together. Taking things a step further and broadening his horizons, Amri plans to launch a book of his lyrics in mid-June. “It’s a collection that I have been working on for a while. The launch was supposed to happen earlier, but with the tsunami disaster, it was postponed.” A book launch at such a young age is indeed a noteworthy achievement. Confident in his ability, he doesn’t appear perturbed at this step. “I’m really looking forward to it all.” The collection is titled Realisation Of A Redeemed Hope. The themes that run through this collection contain an appealing sense of variation. They include romance, war, friendship, death and loneliness, reigning in a wide range of interests and sources of inspiration. His ultimate goal remains the release of a CD of selected songs, from this collection. The music industry can be a daunting one, but what Amri wants to do is “to make a difference. Many genres come and go, so it’s important to do new things.” With his level of dedication and determination, it shouldn’t be too difficult a task for this aspiring lyricist. Driven by his zeal for music, and finding a voice of his own, Amri Adheeb has brought both together through his lyrics. They in turn have brought him success. Writing lyrics can thus be a mode of self-expression and a form that lets you experiment much with your creativity. Of course, the ultimate success is when the words you penned, stick in someone’s memory and continue to bring them pleasure through that very familiarity. That is exactly what this young writer has in mind… |
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