AR Rahman launches new musical instrument in Chennai

Music composer AR Rahman launched Seaboard Rise by ROLI at KM Music Conservatory with a performance by KM students with Seaboard Rise and a 3-days workshop on the use of the musical instrument. Manon Dave, ROLI's product manager for the Seaboard RISE, has been overseeing the workshop for the students from October 9-13 at the music school.

As part of the workshop, AR Rahman invited six students, who are working intensively with Manon Dave on the Seaboard RISE to his studio on October 11 to check on their progress, give advice and tips on using the board. He demonstrated the sounds and techniques he likes. He also set out plans for the continued use of the RISE in the curriculum at KM. He told the students that they need to have the right mindset to play the instrument and that it is about feeling their way from the sounds they have in their heads through the board.

Music students at KM Music Conservatory were among the very first people to play the Seaboard RISE in the country. Rahman has arranged for five of the first units to reach the gifted students at KMMC, which the AR Rahman Foundation supports. He wishes to introduce the next generation of Indian music-makers to this next-generation, groundbreaking musical instrument. The students will premiere their new pieces on the October 13, Tuesday at 7pm at KM Music Conservatory Auditorium.

AR Rahman, was one of the earliest artists to champion the Seaboard, a musical instrument whose soft, pressure-sensitive surface lets music-makers control sound through touch. He performs on the Seaboard in his shows around the world, showcasing the instrument as one that will shape the future of music creation.