Singer Shruti Pathak had a blast when she recently performed with vocalist Mayur Narvekar of Project Bandish at a concert. Shruti says, "Mayur and I have been friends since college days.

We had recorded a song in the college canteen back then and when Mayur released the song, it became a big hit. This was the first time we worked together.` She tells CS more about her music fundas:

Concerts versus playback
Performing at concerts and playback singing are totally different and give me a high in their own ways. During a live performance on stage, you get the opportunity to connect with the audience personally.

The energy level is really high. If you talk about playback singing, it's a different ballgame all together. These are the songs, on the basis of which we get to perform on stage. At the end of the day, recordings reach people. So we touch people's hearts in both ways.

Riyaaz is a must
I don't follow any particular regime before a concert. I think riyaaz is the most important thing here. Your voice needs regular workout and if you do that, then the heavy duty singing needed in concerts becomes a cake walk. Riyaaz is a must for any artiste because when you go for a recording or a live performance, it gives you more confidence. You know that you will be able to handle any kind of situation smoothly.

Voice with an edge
Unlike earlier times, there are so many singers competing today, and to stand out amongst them, you need to have something different. I am just glad that I have a husky voice which is noticeable. So, the musicians in the industry know my voice and whenever they make a composition that best suits my voice, I am approached.

Hitting the right notes
I have decided that I don't want to do four songs a day and 20 releases a month. I would rather do just five songs a year but something that's noticed and appreciated. Also, I don't think one should limit themselves to one style of singing. Music is vast and it is always good to explore and learn. An artiste should try and implement new things in every one of their performances. That is what I do too.

Healing with music
Music to me is as essential as basics like eating and sleeping. When I get tired of travelling around and doing shows, I would like to merge psychology and music together, since I have graduated in Psychology. I want to start an institute of my own where I can treat psychologically ill people with music.