Symphony – Cacophony and Management.

While driving to office with a friend I was listening to some music, music by genius composer R.D. Burman, we were marvelling at his remarkable use of musical instruments. His adroit use of those instruments was such that they sounded so differently melodious under his baton. He was a magician who used regular instruments like flute, mandolin, mouth organ or accordion or unusual African instrument reso reso, or Castanets, percussion instrument originally used in ancient Roman, Italian, Spanish, Sephardic, Swiss, and Portuguese music with equal dexterity.  He even used non-musical objects such as empty beer bottle, tea glasses to create exceptional music.

We compared him with today’s music composers (if they can be called so), who are mostly arrangers

of electronic sounds and pre-recorded pieces of music, which they cut and paste.  The music generated doesn’t have any effect on you; if it does it is only of cacophony and ear drum rupturing sounds, interspersed with equally cacophonous auto-tune dependent voice instrument which is usually a poor imitation of olden day singers.

What made him different or what made him able to use all odd instruments which no one could think of having any music in them? Usha Uthup noted singer said in an interview "Pancham believed that every note in the nature is for him to take." He saw music in everything. Celebrated singer and his wife Asha Bhosle mentioned while talking about RD Burman that, they were watching a James bond movie, and in a scene James Bond was coming out of the swimming pool and a bird was flying over him, and there was some background music playing. RD Burman, took inspiration from those notes and made opening notes in female chorus sound in the song Koi Diya Jale Kahin in the popular album - "Dil Padosi Hai"

Who can imagine that a gurgling sound created after holding the water in one’s throat and speaking can be used as eerie background main sound, he used that sound as introduction background music for the entry of the villain Babu (played by Amitabh Bhachchan) in the film Satte Pe Satta.  

His assistant Bhanu Gupta, narrated an instance, in the biopic on Pancham by noted and acclaimed film maker Brahamand Singh, Bhanu said – “We all (the musicians) used to reach his house by 9 am every day, irrespective of whether a recording was scheduled or not, and played our music, created new musical phrases, in one such instance  I reached his house early and Pancham was having his bath, I sat at a corner in the large room where we used to practice; and started playing my guitar,  I was playing some random notes – Suddenly I saw Pancham popping his head out of the bathroom all wet, and asked “Yeh aap kya baja rahe they, isko bajate rahiye” (What was it you were playing? Please continue playing), those days we were working on a movie by Gulzar, called Parichay, and RD Burman used my notes as concluding notes of the song “Musafir hoon Yaaron”, it was strange that he thought and composed the concluding notes of the song first. And he always acknowledged it. In a composition if any of us suggested any changes in any way, and it was considered good, Pancham used to accept that change, and not only accept it, but he also used to tell others that look Bhanu has given such a wonderful suggestion.”

RD Burman could see these sounds hidden in various objects and used hidden capability of other musical instruments in creating ageless melodious score, because music was his passion which he also had as profession. He created music for himself, for his own satisfaction. He got a high when he could touch the right notes. He knew the capability of each of his musicians and their musical instruments; he could see the sound, he could visualize the effect which no one could. His unconventional use of sounds and his ability to use it to create a wonderful symphony was amazing.

A manager is also like a music composer, the composer who creates symphony with musicians who use their musical instruments to realize what he has composed in his mind and create music which lasts forever; a manager creates business symphony where profit, growth, brand image are the musical notes which he creates using his musicians, which are his colleagues, subordinates who use their skills and knowledge like musical instruments.

The manager is responsible for the creation of musical harmony. He knows his team very well and also knows their level of competency, their strengths in using the skills they possess. Like a good musician who has passion for his work, an able manager also is passionate about his work, and sees opportunities like musical notes which most others are not able to see or just ignore it. A good manager knows and can discover the hidden talent and capabilities of his co-workers and will enthuse and inspire them to use them as their contribution towards creating the organizational symphony. He is not afraid to experiment and use unorthodox methods. He is out of the box thinker.

Like our genius composer RD Burman’s example who composed the end notes of a song before composing the intro notes, a good manager begins with end in mind. In fact, he has the entire music laid out in his mind and he is able to pick the chords at will from wherever he wants. Because he is always in it, the tune which he wishes to compose is always playing in his mind, he has a jigsaw puzzle open in his mind and he is picking up the pieces and putting it at the right place in his mind.

A good manager always acknowledges the contribution of his team members. He knows that more he will give praise and recognition, more he will receive in terms of commitment, ownership and contribution from his team, something which no money can ever buy at any price.   

The passion drives and motivates a manager and his passion and motivation infects others. Like Pancham’s musicians, they would report to duty early and would work till the job is accomplished because the ownership of the assignment and the joy of accomplishment are shared in equal measure. Pancham is immortal because his creations are immortal, because they were created with full commitment and passion, the x factor which differentiates extraordinary from ordinary, the factor which decides whether the result of the effort by the team is a symphony or a cacophony.