Dr Ashley William Joseph is, quite literally, wedded to music. This 52-year-old founder of Indian National Symphony Orchestra sees music as a powerful tool to ensure harmony among people as well as scaling the barriers of region, language and culture. He is now busy rewriting the western music notation into Indian music notation to encourage more Indian musicians to step into the field with greater confidence. His is currently working on his latest project, where Indian folk music will witness a perfect blend with western symphony. The performance, to be staged in February 2019, will include 200 folk dancers and more than 400 musicians.
Dr Ashley William Joseph is the perfect role model for any music student-he breathes and lives music in every moment.
The renowned musician and Messenger of Peace Award winner has been in the industry for more than 35 years now, following in his father’s footsteps with a passion and vision to achieve his dream of making it big in the music world.. “My life has been a journey, with both ups and downs, gifting me frustrations at many junctures. The ultimate goal I’ve set myself in life is to ensure India makes it to the global platform of world music, taking the best from the legacy our predecessors have left behind and using the best talent available in our vast country,” Dr Williams said.
He is also the Founder Director and Conductor of the Indian National Symphony Orchestra (INSO), based in Bengaluru, the lone group of symphony musicians accredited by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, which binds musicians and artistes across the country.
Dr Williams elaborates how music is a powerful tool to ensure harmony among people as well as diminish barriers of region, language and culture. “Artistes based in different cities and hamlets, who find it difficult to understand what their companions speak, never fail to create the perfect harmony when they express their thoughts through musical instruments. This is a magical result- harmony is created when two or more notes come together. The same happens when diverse cultures come together binding people and creating mellifluous bonds,” he said. There is music in each and every quote that Dr Williams cites as well!
However, the only Indian to perform with the Asian Chorale before the King and Queen of Sweden, admits that he did not have an early start in the music scene.
Drawing inspiration from his father and musical maestro J.T. William Joseph, young Ashley was intrigued by the tone produced by the pipe organ, which his father used to play at St Andrew’s Church, Cubbon Road. He breathed his last there during a special service in 1995.
Recalling the incident, Dr Williams said his first reaction was “wow” as that turned out to be the best way an artist would like to bid goodbye to the earth. Within a few days,30-year old Ashley (who had completed his graduation from Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Manila) got a call from the 100-year-old Bangalore Musical Association to be his father’s successor.
The experience of learning to play the trumpet, French horn, grand piano and more and the global exposure Dr Williams gained from the Philippines had made him one among the very few musicians in India to handle and direct a symphony orchestra back then.
He is also a recipient of the state government’s honour in 2008 for his contributions in the field of music and music education. Dr Williams began his teaching career at the age of 18 and in four decades, he has taught more than one lakh students from various parts of the state and country in theatre and music.
His notable students include film actress Deepika Padukone, Miss Earth 2011 Nicole Faria and Kannada actress Sharmiela Mandre.
Be it theatre or music, the teacher-turned-director is vocal on how art teachers limit their efforts in the field due to a prevailing ‘fear factor.’ “Most teachers in India live with the fear that the student might excel them in the particular domain. Contrary to this, I’ve always tried to encourage my students and young musicians to grow more so that I can learn from them as well. The art education sector in this regard fails at present to ensure each student graduates as a complete performer rather than become a mere certificate holder,” he said.
For Dr Williams each student is unique with a different feel and tone none can replace- just like the sitar he happened to acquire indirectly from the Maharaja of Jodhpur via an ashram in the city. “Yes, the sitar is my favourite instrument as the tone it gives is irreplaceable, because of its Indian origin and also for the unique design each individual sitar has on it which can unveil historic stories,” he says while playing a melody.
Ask him what makes a person excel in musical notes and he says “nothing but passionate practice daily for a minimum of sixteen hours.” The more one plays an instrument, the more it gives back making him see the world deeper, he explains.
And this brought the conversation to the controversial issue of live bands being banned at pubs in the city. With a disturbed face, Dr William remarks that it is saddening to see artistes prevented from doing what they love the most. “When such means of expression are banned, it takes us back to the Nazi era. Each individual’s creativity should be challenged but in a healthy manner, to encourage more minds to think out of the box and put his/her talent to maximum practice,” he said.
Dr Williams is all set to stage his latest project where Indian folk music will witness a perfect blend with western symphony. “An on-stage marriage of Indian folk music and western symphony in their purest forms is what we are looking at to perform latest by February 2019. It was fascinating to know that even the bells worn by folk dancers are of a certain pitch and hence major portions of the symphony are written to incorporate and amalgamate verses played in different all-acoustic instruments such as violins, cellos, violas and such,” he said.
“The performance will include almost 200 folk dancers and more than 400 musicians to create a feast for the eyes and the ears together, with music reaching a new zenith,” he elaborated.
Ask about his family and Dr Williams has an ‘O for a Thousand Tongues’ elaborating how the right situations at his home and the constant support from his three siblings helped him purse his dreams.
Is he married? The 52-year-old has the perfect reply. “I’m extremely happy in my marriage with music as my love. Finding time for a person to replace this is never possible as I have decided to embrace this forever,” the humble musician chuckles as he concludes on a high note with a broad smile.
