Ronny’s theme

"I started with one student in 2007. Today I have got 89 students,” says Rohinton Irani alluding to the rising popularity of Ronny’s Music Academy in Poona where he teaches the guitar, keyboard and drums. "My youngest student is six years old and the oldest is 58,” adds 38-year-old Irani who finds it "interesting” rather than "challenging” to be creative in his teaching of non classical music, mainly western, although Hindi rock or film songs may also be included as per students’ requests.

All his music proteges — 59 learning the guitar, 21, the keyboard, and nine, the drums — are required to go through three stages at the Academy. In the first stage they learn to play the guitar or keyboard and give a solo performance. This solo performance is a live show where they sing and play the instrument. The drummers have to give a drum solo for about three minutes. In the second stage they are expected to form a band of three guitarists, a keyboardist and a drummer and put up a live performance in front of a bigger audience where they cover songs from different genres of music. "Each member including the drummer has to sing one song chosen by me while playing the instrument too,” adds Irani. When they progress to the third stage, students have to compose at least three songs on different themes given by Irani.

At this time, students have to learn to read and write music. That is when Irani’s teaching skills come to the fore, specially for those students who don’t understand the concepts properly and have to be motivated to learn and then understand how they work. On a lighter note, he adds, "Tackling parents and of course making sure they pay the fees can be challenging.” He charges Rs 1,000 per month to teach the guitar or keyboard, and Rs 1,400 for drums.

Super Bawas (L to R, standing: keyboardist Neville Postwalla, vocalist Khonesh Irani, drummer Marzban Irani, (sitting) lead guitarist Meherdil Irani, bassist Nauzar Bharucha and rhythm guitarist Rohinton Irani;

Nearly 10 percent of his students are Parsis, most of whom come to learn the guitar. "There is no doubt about the talent that Parsis have but the dedication to pursue music as a career is not there,” he observes.

In contrast Irani has been inclined towards music since his school days at Poona’s J. N. Petit Technical High School when he would invariably volunteer to sing in class or on stage. "In reality, I always wanted to learn drums but since drums require larger space and more money, my mother got me a guitar as a gift at the age of 13,” states Irani recounting his early childhood days when the first thing he did after getting up in the morning was to switch on the tape recorder. His father Adi Kaikhusroo Irani was a weightlifter employed with the Central Railway. After his demise in 1980, when Rohinton was barely eight years old, his mother Dolly joined the Central Railway as a clerk in the electrical division, retiring as an office superintendent last March.

tutoring a student

When starting with the guitar, initially it was his cousin Meherdil Irani who helped him to hone his talent. "Later on I learnt from professionals like Sanjay Joseph, Michael Pereira and Christopher Fonseca,” adds Irani who happily informs that he is self taught in keyboard and drums. After pursuing commerce in 11th and 12th from S. M. Choksey High School and Junior College he studied science at the Poona College of Arts, Science and Commerce. It is largely with passion and determination that Irani has climbed the ladder to achieve his dreams and aspirations.

In 1992, a group of six Parsis came together to form the band, Super Bawas where Irani played as the rhythm guitarist. Subsequently the band was renamed Purple Haze. They performed in various places like Ahmednagar, Bangalore and Poona. "We also opened a show for the famous artist, Remo, in Bangalore. We disbanded in 1997 once a couple of members got married and others got busy with their family business,” adds Irani. Since July 2009 he has also been teaching guitar and keyboard at Sardar Dastur Girls School, and drums and guitar at Sardar Dastur Boys School.

Married for 14 years to Moti (née Pundol), a former teacher of lower nursery at Sardar Dastur Primary School who is currently pursuing her BEd, the couple has two children — 13-year-old daughter Delferuz and son Meherzad (10). Moti has supported her husband’s musical career throughout telling him, "As long as you are happy doing it, I am happy.”

"From being pioneers and leaders, our community is behaving like crabs and wanting to pull each other down,” regrets Irani who views himself as "a proud Zoroastrian… Being the pioneer monotheistic religion, we should be leading the world with our three strong pillars of good thoughts, good words and good deeds. It is sad that this is not happening anymore.” He is happy though that the community can boast of leaders like Tatas, Petits, Jeejeebhoys and on the music scene Zubin Mehta and Freddie Mercury.

The Iranis: Meherzad, Rohinton, Moti and Delferuz

Besides music, football has also been his passion. "I always wanted to coach a football team and seeing that the girls team of Dastur School did not have a coach, I volunteered and am doing it on an honorary basis,” mentions Irani.

Word of mouth references have helped draw students to the two branches of Ronny’s Music Academy. Besides music training, Irani would also like to launch a store that sells music instruments. "It is sad to see how the local music shops fool innocent music learners when they go to buy the instruments. I am already selling guitars cheaper than the market rate and with a guarantee,” he says. Yet another ambition is to start a recording studio to help young bands get a chance to launch themselves in the music world. He would like his students too to have contracts with music companies to record and sell their albums. The musician’s ultimate aim is to have his Academy known as a brand name and become the best in Poona.

Ronny’s Music Academy branches are located at City Center, Basement Shop No. 4, Synagogue Street, opposite OBC, Camp, Poona 411001 and at Suyojana Community Hall, Lane 5, Opposite Hotel Lotus, Koregaon Park, Poona 411001. The musician can be contacted on his mobile: 9371010373.