Pilot turns Rockstar as he changes flight mid-air. Know the story of Behram Signaporia who turned his life by choosing to follow his passion for music. Behram is part of the band called Best Kept Secret, his multiple Award-winning band has performed over 500 shows in over 45 cities across the globe. Soon Behram will be seen as a lead singer in the Bollywood Industry, adding yet another feather to his cap.
Discuss your journey as a singer and how did you navigate towards your current profession?
I started singing in high school. I started playing the guitar when I was around 12 years old. I even had a teenage high school Band and then a College Band and we would play at these Inter-College competitions and even perform at a few bars even though we were under-age at the time. I have always been influenced by music. so much so, that it used to even affect my mood; a sad song made me sad, a happy song cheered me up and a heartbreak song made me believe I was going through a heartbreak. Even when I went to America to become a Pilot, I used to play my guitar and sing along with other trainee Pilots and Flight Instructors. However, it was only after I came back to India and was "put on hold" by an Airline did I really pursue Music seriously. Music was my savior since childhood and it saved me again as the Aviation Industry went through a recession. I met my Bandmates through a common friend, who wanted to put a Band together for his Wedding. It was supposed to be one show but now, we've ended up doing more than 600 Shows across the World.
There was a time in my life, around 5 years ago where I had to made a decision and choose between being a Pilot and a Rockstar. I chose to be a Musician and take a chance. This is how my journey in this Industry began. My Aircraft didn't take off but my Music Career did. Share one incident in your life that completely changed your perspective about failure and success and how? Growing up, I was a complete Sports buff. I was a natural Athlete and represented the Karnataka State in Athletics for 4 years in my Under 16 days. I also captained and played Football,Cricket, Track and Field, Table Tennis and several other sports at the inter-school level. Being a sportsman and playing at a competitive level, failures are always a part of sport. Sports made me mentally strong and disciplined on and off the field. When I wasn't being hired by Airlines despite my high scores, I considered that as a failure and took it with a pinch of salt. While the Aviation Industry wasn't hiring young Pilots, it gave me the opportunity to focus on my Music. I believe that when one door closes, another one opens. That's how I like to cope with failure. With regards to success in Music, I think we are currently among the highest earning and busiest Bands in the country. We do close to 100 shows per year and have performed in 56 cities Worldwide. Financially, we might consider ourselves, relatively, successful. However, for us, fortune and fame was never the driving force as a Band. Music is something that we make and feel from every inch of our body and soul and we will never let temporary success get to our heads. We are aware that we are in-demand but it only makes us work harder and get better in order to entertain more and more audiences.
Discuss your initial fears and challenges for anyone aspiring to join your industry, and how did you overcome those initial challenges?
Initially, when we all started, we all had other jobs and we played Music cos it was fun and we had great chemistry as a Band. The initial fear was whether we could make it as a Band in India. More importantly, if we had a future as an English Band. We had to face the challenge of balancing a full-time job during the day and rehearsing and playing on the Weekends. As things escalated with Music, we started working harder during the week. As Pubs shows became Club shows and club shows became Arenas and Music Festivals, we realised this was our calling. We still held onto our jobs until we started seeing Music as a financially feasible option. One day, we all sat together and decided to take the leap of faith. Initially, it was tough because we didn't make as much money as our previous jobs but we were our own bosses and we were doing what we loved. We believed the Industry was lucrative if we worked hard and smart towards our goals. And even now, after all these shows, World Tours and endorsements, we still face challenges. It's life. We stick to the basics and back ourselves. For anyone joining the Industry, my advice is to give it everything. Put your heart and soul into your art and your work will take you places.
Discuss a few growth habits/rituals you follow each day that completely changed your professional life?
We learn something new everyday in the Music Industry. The point is to keep evolving with technology and with new genres and sounds. As a singer, I follow one strict ritual and that is to not abuse my voice. I prefer consuming hot beverages and I stay away from Ice or cold things with the exception of Ice cream in small servings. Taking care of my mental and physical health is another important ritual I follow. In terms of growth habits, there is no substitute for hard work. I believe as a musician, rehearsing regularly and listening to a lot of your inspirations is very vital. It keeps you grounded. Having a good management in place to handle the admin work helps us focus on our music, which is what we love doing.
Share 5 Learnings from your journey.
It's important to do what you Love It's important to "work" with people who you Love and Respect and vice-versa Fortune and Fame is temporary and they are just a by-product of the work you put in. Hard work and perseverance with a good amount of Luck is needed to get far. As entertainers, always give your Audience what they want. Listen to them because they keep you in business.
Do you feel Fear of Failure and the Stigma attached to Failing are issues that need to be discussed if yes, then why?
Given the importance of mental health in todays world, it's important to discuss the stigma attached with failing. Everyone has a different way to cope with failure and I've seen some musicians go into a shell for being labelled as 'unsuccessful" In my opinion, the more we fail and the harder we fall, the stronger we rise. As I mentioned earlier, when one door closes, another one opens. I have different mechanisms to cope with failure because we experience them regularly. We must fail, to succeed and this should be taught to us from a very early age.
Failing It Up is an initiative to De-stigmatize Failing by Redefining failure. What are your thoughts about the industry Failing It Up? Will this initiative help create an environment of growth by changing people's mindset about failing? How do leaders like you perceive failures differently that the thought of quitting doesn't occur in our minds?
I think it's a fabulous initiative. Many musicians don't know how to cope with failure. Many choose to quit and take up different jobs against their will. Being in the Music industry, I work closely with the Fashion and Films Industry as well and the Entertainment Industry as a whole could use an initiative like Failing it Up to deal with their low points.
For people like me, I've always believed success and failure are part and parcel of life. One needs to fail a million times in order to succeed and scale great heights. When I'm at my lowest point, I know that the only way is up. I am blessed to have a team that always pushes me to succeed and to give my best in every situation. We take failure with a pinch of salt as we know that things will get better. Like the great Michael Jordan said, "I've failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed".