Top 100 Quotes & Sayings by Shankar Mahadevan

There are two kinds of music: good music and bad music. Both are and will continue to co-exist.

I always told my children that if they want to be pilot, go ahead and do it, or if they wanted to get into agriculture, I told them that I will support them. But when they chose music, you feel as if those birds have come back home to the nest.

It is when you adapt that you truly grow. When you grow, you don't let your art become the breeding ground for inadequacies.

I have tried to show the influence of folk music in Bollywood, in Tamil movies, in Telugu cinema.

I have always been fascinated by Krishna, the Indian deity.

Music is the highest form of communication.

Fundamentally, if there is any secret, it is about the need to find that peace and calm in our personal space with music, as most of 'learning music' is about listening to music and practicing over and over again.

Music is so abstract; it is a combination of words and melody.

You can be successful without learning music, but success has nothing to do with quality.

Who are critics? Do they know about music? Have they proved themselves in the field? I remember, when we came up with the music of 'Dil Chahta Hai,' some of the critics said that the songs sounded like jingles.

While the concert is instant communication with the audience, composing is a creative process where a song comes up out of nowhere and then transmits happiness to many, translates into money, fame, or whatever.

Besides training, you need to be focused and not shy away from hard work.

I am associated with Namami Goda Foundation, and I believe rivers are the pulse of our country.

I will be singing till my last breath.

You will see nowadays TV's Top 20 and Radio's Top 20 tend to be the same. And then there are films that never reach to mass audience, and because of that, their soundtrack also dies a silent death.

I don't think you can have a calculated approach towards learning music.

Why English music is being taught in some schools? The government should make arrangements to promote Indian classical music among students.

I have completed 21 years of composing music in Indian films.

Our sons are the next generation who are more clued into the new trends of music. So if I want to understand the vibe of the new generation, and if I want to stay relevant with time, they are my source of learning.

Lots of musicians from non-filmi backgrounds and from independent bands are making it to mainstream cinema. Even the music directors are experimenting with different genres.

Music is all about creativity.

Music heals. Music grows new relations.

Music is my friend, my constant companion.

When you have music in your life, you can never be lonely.

I always believe that you have to give back what you have learnt.

Music connects all of us universally!

Musicians should understand that it is not just about creating one hit but to sustain it at the top.

I feel that one thing that a businessman can learn is do not follow a path that has already been successful. You will never be a path-breaker then.

Being from a middle-class Indian family, I learned Carnatic music.

Heartbreak is something which is part of every person.

Before the heart attack, I used to do a lot of work - what's needed and what's not needed. I used to sing songs that leave an impact and those that didn't. I could never say 'No.' Now, I have learnt to say it, though, and believe me, it has not been easy to do so.

You can't run away from the fact that you cannot ignore hard work.

I can't escape crooning the 'Mitwa... Kahe Dhadkan Tujhse Kya' number wherever I perform. Basically, I am a classically rooted musician.

I would like to do some non-film stuff.

Music in our schools is considered to be an extra-curricular activity in which you teach your students a few patriotic songs and bhajans that children are not interested in.

There is always a musical exchange happening between me and my sons.

Travel is always connected to music, as with travel, we explore the world, and by listening music, we explore ourselves.

I quit my software engineer job, decided that I would be a singer, and got married. Those days, there were no platforms like the 'Indian Idol.' It was like, you decide to become a singer, and then what do you do? It must have been tough for my wife getting married to a man without a job.

I feel there is a song for every occasion, and India is a land full of music.

I want to sing of humanity, friendship, what's happening to the Earth and the like.

My basic grammar is in Indian classical music, Carnatic music, and Hindustani music, but I don't believe that that is the only form of music I will learn. I don't believe in that, because I am a very open minded person.

Economic background should not be a reason for not learning music!

Fatherhood changed me as a musician.

I do watch singing reality shows.

There is nothing wrong in electronic music or synthesised music.

Work on not becoming good but excellent.

Bollywood takes up a lot of time.

Despite being a classical musician, I keep poking my nose in other genres of music.

People should feel proud about the music that we have in our country, and that's my objective.

I think times have changed, and there's no dearth of talent in the music industry.

Folk music has been our popular music... There is a myth that youngsters only like heavy metal or rock music, but that's not true.

'Breathless' was an important milestone in my life.

Learning music must be made easy and fun.

If you are teaching a kid about seasons, you can put it in a song. He will definitely take interest. I wish to put every physics formula into a song, and it will become very easy for the student to learn.

You can't put a show in a boring format to young kids. They need to relate to it.

I love Navi Mumbai, and I am proud to be a part of this city. The city has always inspired me to aim higher.

It's hectic at times, but this is what any artiste wants: a hectic life with lot of travelling, performances, lots of love from fans, the opportunity to compose songs back-to-back, and a chance to share the stage with maestros like Zakir Hussain.

The feeling of being able to do something for your own country is unmatchable.

My sons are my friends, too, and they have introduced me to new technology and new sounds from around the world. I have learnt a lot from them.

I don't mind travelling to and fro from Navi Mumbai for work because the calm and serene atmosphere I enjoy here is unparalleled.