Have you ever been bored at your college orientation? Where the staff comes up, gives long speeches and endless ‘gyaan’, gyaan that doesn’t make sense and you just want to run away? Gladson Peter is the ultimate entertainer to turn boredom into a live performance to take you down the memory lane of good old school days.
Have you ever felt extremely low and the depression is now epidemic? Nicholas Mohite, along with his beats, is your man of the hour. He never runs out of jokes and will stick around till you’re up and jolly.
So if you’re a Wilsonian, you will definitely spot them near the TYBA classroom (313) or chilling in the canteen eating Chinese fried rice anda maarke. (You’ll identify two black helmets if they’re around)
The Ukelelist and the Beat-boxer ended up a duo 10 minutes before registering for Open Mic night at Kaleidoscope 2014, Sophia College and they call themselves ‘The Uke-box’.
Here’s a conversation with two of the coolest people I’ve ever known.
- How did you two meet?
Gladson: This was when I was in FYBA and Nicholas was in 12th. There was an audition in McKenzie auditorium for Adorea and the drums were getting set up. I was helping the guys out there and Nicholas was one of the participants. I had seen him earlier around in college (with faint memory) but that day was when we met.
- At what age you began music?
Nick: Music was always around. So I don’t remember at what age.
Gladson: When I was 3 years old.
- How do you juggle between music and academics?
Nick: Music and studies are related. When time for study gets boring because I’m a bad reader, I listen to some of my favorite genres and then get back to studying.
Gladson: Music runs in my body like I’m breathing, whether I’m studying or sleeping or even just talking to someone. Hence, it’s all over. I don’t really know about studies, but I manage my bit to do all I can. I like to learn, not study.
- How did you two end up as a duo and what makes you unique?
Nick: We just ended up forming the duo 10 minutes before we registered to perform for the open mic night at Sophia’s College. We were supposed to perform solo acts. It was a random decision.
Gladson: I wanted to perform for Kaleidoscope again this year, but I saw this potential in Nic and really wanted him have that stage. After working together with the Acapella group for Malhar, we tried jamming with the Ukulele and beat-boxing and it sounded really cool and innovative. We went for the auditions for the open-mic night as three acts – A Ukulele solo, a beat-boxing solo, and a combination of Ukulele and beat boxing where we tried a random jam 10 minutes before the audition. We gave it a shot and ‘BAM’ magic happened. Both of us were clearly interested in the duet we tried because the song we presented was ‘Awesome God’ by Michael Smith. What kept it big was to play this song in a secular platform. What makes us unique is that a native instrument from the Hawaiian Islands met the native instrument from deep within a human body, in India!!! I think we find it as cool as it looks too (laughs a little)
- How have your talents influenced each other?
Nick: Gladson plays most of the instruments so I’m encouraged to learn more. I’m quick at learning and I guess Gladson picks that up from me.
Gladson: After I got to know that he also beat-boxes, my usual curiosity made me go and talk to him. I liked the way he actually does it. I would say, I knew there was beat-boxing, because of Chan who introduced it to Nic, Nic probably is the first guy who I heard beat-boxing so closely. I definitely have started beat-boxing a little and also taught my younger brother. I think, that is pretty influential enough and says a lot.
- What’s the best thing about Gladson/ Nicholas?
Nick: The best thing about Glady is he knows where is the source and from where to draw the love and dedication for music.
Gladson: He’s a person who loves God. Very humble and fun to be around. One of the few people I’ve met who is passionate about giving the best he can, for God and for anything and anyone around him.
- What advice would you give each other?
Nick: I’ll tell him not to change who he is.
Gladson: To stay humble just as he is and keep the cheer and share the joy as he always does.
- What would life without Gladson be like?
Nick: Life without Glady would be like Scarlet Johanneson without hair in the hit movies, wolverine without claws, iron man without Jarvis, avengers without captain America or a non-vegetarian buffet without chicken.
- How is your relationship as friends?
Gladson: The root of our friendship is deep in God. I clearly know that there is much more than just worldly friendship as two human beings. We’ve come to be prayer partners and we’ve learnt to love others with God’s love. We’ve been blessed to keep each other strong in prayers and to support and be there for people around us. I really do not see anything otherwise which can be humanly and can gladly say that if God brought us to meet, may His will be done.
- Having been part of the campus for so many years now what are some of the major changes you’ve witnessed?
Nick: Before it used to be much cooler, people were more serious and dedicated towards their dreams. I’m here since 2011 and now everything is virtualized. Life is so limited and less valued. People prefer to be in their own small box which is becoming smaller every year.
Gladson: Well, seven years for me has changed me more than what I saw in the campus. I really feel, just like any senior would tell their juniors that “their time was the best” is a non-valid statement to me. Every little change has a different influence to each one. I remember that the fountain in front of the AV room used to work and we would spend time just looking at it. It was a beauty in itself. Another change is Room no.311. It did not have the wooden false walls. Security guards have changed (not to even mention). Last year, we protested against the black boards and because of the brave move by one of our friend, we actually took down the old black boards and the institution was forced to fix new ones, and now they are better. Well, the most important part is that the mentality of the people in the campus has been very up-to-date and I’m a proud Wilsonian.
- If you had to change something about the music industry today, what would it be?
Nick: I wouldn’t like to change the music industry because some suck and some excel. And if you want to make the bad ones better than how will the good be distinguished. It would be the same. So let it go as it is. Only thing is you express all that you want to. Sometimes people will appreciate and sometimes they won’t. All that matters is your heart and the effort you put for doing something.
Gladson: I would probably change the fact that computers do a lot more work than humans. I hate the fact that there’s a lot of music in today’s age which is programmed and not played. There’s a lot of skill and talent going down the drain because of this. I would encourage each person to pick up an instrument and discover their musical sense rather than dance to music made by pressing buttons.
- What are your plans for Uke-box as a career?
Nick: God knows how it will go ahead. No plans as such.
Gladson: Uke-box isn’t a career for us. I think it’s more about just using the talents we’ve been blessed with to bring more smiles to people. I think we will take forward with God’s guidance, wherever He leads us. I’m not sure of what we’ve planned this about. We won’t aim to earn money out of this by making it a career; rather, if this could challenge and inspire people to do more, we would be much happier. Uke-box has a special place in both of our hearts. We wish to take this to greater heights.
Check these guys out on YouTube and share their work if it brought a smile on your face! : https://youtu.be/1AdFTjaPRb0
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