Music gym that shapes up singing talents of amateur performers

If we get into the habit of workout out in a gym, we tend to continue it and enjoy the benefits of working out. But have you ever thought of giving some ‘workouts’ to your vocal chords? That’s what city-based drummer Suresh is doing through Pioneer Music Gym (PMG). Apart from giving exercises to vocal chords, PMG workouts include pitch adaptation, karaoke sessions and tune training.

A couple of years ago, while working with non-professionals, Suresh noticed their extraordinary singing talent. But they didn’t have anyone to guide or mentor. This led Suresh (popularly known as Pioneer Suresh) to start the Pioneer Music Gym with 13 members. “I’ve been working in the music industry for many years and I’ve seen many people from outside the industry who sing well but lack proper training. Also, they didn’t have any platform to showcase their talent. That’s one of the main reasons for me to start PMG where people can rekindle their passion,” says Suresh.

The concept of the ‘music gym’ is to work out your voice and sing with karaoke and instrumental backing. “It’s not a karaoke club where people come in, sing and go. When a person is singing, I correct the pitch variations and help in controlling the voice modulation. PMG has people from various walks of life. There are homemakers, IT professionals, lawyers, bank officials, students, etc. Weekends will be packed with singers between the age group of 12 and 70. Apart from karaoke sessions, I also organise music lectures every two months,”he says.

They sing folk, old film songs in mainly Tamil and Hindi. “Every Sunday singers come together at a hall in Sun Plaza Complex and organise themselves into groups called Symphony, Euphony and Harmony. Moreover, at the music gym, you can see people sharing their knowledge about music and musical instruments and even a few has some interesting stories to share,” muses Suresh, who has performed with renowned singers such as KJ Yesudas and KS Chithra.

Members of PMG have performed 12 concerts and supported many charitable causes. The concept is gaining attention and a few from Coimbatore and Bengaluru have approached Suresh to start PMG franchise. “I am not keen on giving a franchise. This is just a concept and everyone can grasp it. I am open to giving training and suggestions to those who are interested,” he tells us.

The sessions happen on weekends at two locations — T Nagar and Teynampet.