Santosh Baynes: Bridging Cultures through Music

Santosh Baynes, a pianist and organist from Bangalore, has established himself as a versatile musician and educator, leaving a significant mark on the city’s vibrant choral and ensemble scene. As a performer, composer, and IndianRaga fellow, he has seamlessly blended Western and Indian music traditions, collaborating with artists like Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej and Mahesh Raghavan. Beyond his performances with some of Bangalore’s leading choirs, Santosh’s passion for nurturing talent is evident through his piano studio, The Fingersmith’s Garage, and his community youth ensemble, The Fingersmith Collective. This ensemble has become a fixture in Bangalore's music festivals, earning accolades for its innovative performances.

In 2024, Santosh’s talent and dedication were further recognized when he was selected as one of eight composers from across Asia to participate in a prestigious composer mentoring programme developed by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). This initiative, aimed at diversifying global music exam syllabuses, provides emerging composers from under-represented regions with the opportunity to create music for educational contexts. Through this programme, Santosh continues to expand his compositional repertoire, contributing to the global music landscape with his distinctive style and vision.

In this interview, Santosh Baynes discusses his journey as a composer and educator, his involvement in global music initiatives like the ABRSM mentoring program, and how he continues to bridge Western and Indian musical traditions.

Serenade Team: You’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with diverse ensembles and choirs in Bangalore. How has working with such a range of musicians influenced your style and approach to composition and performance?

Santosh Baynes: As a soloist, you have complete creative freedom, with every note reflecting your personal interpretation. However, as an accompanist, your focus shifts to aligning with the conductor's vision. Over the years, I've had the privilege of working with various conductors, each with a unique approach. This experience has deepened my understanding of music, especially when I've been asked to emphasize specific notes during rehearsals or when training choirs. It has also shaped my composition process.

When composing for an ensemble, my experience as an accompanist is invaluable. I understand the group’s strengths and challenges—whether it’s weaving in a low E-flat for the bass section or crafting a cadence that lets the tenors shine. Collaborating with conductors like Jonas Olsson has further refined my work, ensuring it fully leverages the vocalists' skills. Meanwhile, conductors like Dr. Ashley Williams, who embrace improvisation, inspire me to incorporate creative elements, like brass solos, into my arrangements.

Ultimately, as a composer, you must release your work and allow it to evolve in the hands of performers. A piece can take on new meanings for each performer and listener, making it a shared creation.

ST: Can you share your experience working with ABRSM and Rondo on the compositional tasks for solo and ensemble briefs? How has this collaboration influenced your approach to music composition?

SB: Through the program, we had the privilege of working with esteemed composer mentors such as Alan Bullard, Sarah Watts, and Vivian Chua. Each one-on-one session with them was profoundly enlightening. Hearing them play my compositions and express genuine enjoyment—especially during playful moments on the piano—was incredibly rewarding.

Sarah would play each phrase, highlighting what stood out and assessing whether it needed improvement. Alan would play the entire piece, then discuss how it felt, encouraging me to listen as an audience member rather than as the composer. He often said, “There’s more than one way to get from one note to another,” prompting me to explore what sounded best, make changes, and repeat the process until we were both satisfied. Vivian focused on specific sections of my string arrangements, offering insights on octave placements, hand positions, and note conflicts for instruments like the viola and cello.

They frequently acknowledged the sound I was aiming for and gently suggested alternative approaches to achieve it, making me feel truly understood as a musician. These interactions didn’t mold me into a template but rather revealed a more refined version of myself. This experience was refreshingly different from many online courses, which emphasize emulating an expert. I’ve gained a wealth of new techniques to apply to future compositions—insights that are invaluable and enduring.

ST: Your involvement with IndianRaga brought together Western and Indian musical traditions. What were some of the key challenges and rewards of blending these two distinct musical worlds?

SB: The first challenge was starting. When a project was proposed with a particular raaga, thillana, or similar element, I had to conduct extensive research to align with the team's vision, while they had to grasp my perspective on incorporating non-chordal harmonies.

Once we overcame this initial hurdle, our collaboration flourished. In fact, it flourished so well that it led to a second challenge: endless possibilities. Instead of focusing on the 2-3 projects at hand, we eagerly explored additional ideas, some of which exceeded our expectations. Even after the fellowship ended, we continued to collaborate remotely, or in smaller teams, developing new ideas over the following years.

I've drawn from our collaborative ideas for other rewarding projects, and whenever I'm involved in a gig featuring Indian classical music, I know I can always rely on insights from my friends in the fellowship.

ST: The ABRSM’s Composer Mentoring Programme emphasizes writing for educational contexts. How has participating in this program shaped your understanding of composing for music education, and what challenges have you encountered?

SB: It’s often easier to complicate an idea than to simplify it. Many of my earlier compositions were crafted to showcase technical skill—high notes for upper voices, intricate arpeggios for the pianist, or quick percussive patterns for a solo violinist. This flamboyance is essential when composing for performance. However, writing for educational purposes requires a different approach. The challenge lies in simplifying the idea while preserving its essence, ensuring that beginners can still learn something valuable from it.

Over time, I’ve revisited my pieces to make them more accessible for students, which involves not just simplifying but also anticipating potential difficulties. Working with experienced composers like Alan Bullard and Sarah Watts provided invaluable feedback. They highlighted where certain notes could become bottlenecks or where a well-crafted section might confuse a beginner. Their insights helped me make improvements more efficiently than through multiple iterations with students.

For instance, a character piece I composed became too lengthy as I tried to perfect the story it told. Sarah pointed out challenges beginners might face with wide chords, and Alan showed me how certain dynamics might not sound right, even if they were technically possible. After these revisions, the final piece is now both concise and musically satisfying. With my composition for strings, Vivian identified a few notes that, while playable, might not flow smoothly with the surrounding notes. These needed some additional refinement.

ST: As the founder of The Fingersmith Collective, what motivated you to create a community youth choir and ensemble, and how do you see its role in the local music scene?

SB: Many of my students were eager to explore music beyond academic confines yet lacked a platform to showcase their talents. For young musicians at grades 3-4, aged 10-15, opportunities were limited—they were too advanced for simpler tunes, yet not ready to share the stage with more experienced performers. I feared their passion for music might fade without the right outlets, risking the loss of their hard-earned skills.

To address this, I formed a choir where they could perform as a group, sing in harmony, and be accompanied by senior students. This approach not only allowed them to apply their musical knowledge in a performance context but also instilled the discipline of regular group practice—a challenge many bands face.

What began as The Fingersmith Collective with just 7 or 8 members has blossomed into an ensemble of 80 performers, featuring a full choir, strings, brass, piano, and organ. Impressively, nearly half the choir can sight-sing, including some as young as 10 years old. Even our 6-year-olds confidently correct me during rehearsals.

Beyond participating in city choral festivals, we host an annual recital, often featuring popular musicians from Bengaluru. Guest artists like Advent Brass, Hetrock, Grace Ensemble, and the St. John’s Church choir have joined us, providing students with invaluable experience in diverse collaborations and performing in some of the city's best venues. We are also fortunate to have Furtados Music as a partner, enriching our performances with Yamaha and Steinway grand pianos.

ST: Can you talk about the mentorship aspect of the ABRSM program? How has working with leading educational composers and ABRSM staff impacted your development as a composer?

SB: ABRSM, in collaboration with Rondo, has piloted this mentoring program for emerging composers based in Southeast Asia. ABRSM is well known globally, and Rondo has a huge footprint in Southeast Asia. This was my first time working with them, and seeing the scale of their project, RondoFest, and their smooth approach to logistics made me a huge fan. Kenny and his team—Tan Kai, Don, and Caeli—organized the fest, which featured workshops, concerts, and smaller performances. It was a great opportunity to showcase our skills, connect with like-minded musicians, and expand our network.

As a composer, understanding the context of what I’m writing is crucial, especially in educational programs where the student is the central focus. The Composer’s Program introduced us to the teams behind the scenes who contribute to this context.

ABRSM composer Amit Anand, also from Bengaluru and a previous cohort member with a piece in the ABRSM syllabus, shared his experiences with us, setting the tone for our work. We were then introduced to Bridget and Sonia Khan, their international representatives.

Hazel Wieboldt, Teresa Manese, Natalie Harnett, and Ali Bowen-Davies from Syllabus and Music Development shared insights into their daily work. I was a bit envious hearing about how much new music they get to review and play. Imagine a job where you constantly play new music without worrying about stage fright or studio nerves—and get paid for it! This side of the music industry would be perfect for musicians who feel anxious about performing on stage but love playing at home.

Mervyn Cousins and Zoe Booth, two of the chief examiners, explained what makes a piece useful for evaluating a candidate’s performance. Their guidance was incredibly helpful, even beyond the tasks we were assigned. Hilary and Rachel then introduced us to additional ABRSM resources available for music teachers and students—TeacherHub and Classroom200.

I’m especially excited for our upcoming session with the Royal Philharmonic Society. The level of detail and industry exposure in this program has been invaluable.

ST: Having worked closely with Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej, how has that experience influenced your own musical journey? What have you taken away from those collaborations?

SB: Ricky has a clear vision. Whether he's on stage or behind the glass in the studio, he knows exactly what he needs from each performer and every song. Many of us musicians have had promising ideas that never fully materialized, often because we brought in too many other artists without setting clear expectations, leading to disappointing results.

Working with Ricky on choral arrangements for The Bangalore Men, I’ve seen firsthand how his clarity of purpose directly boosts efficiency and ensures productive sessions. Every performer brings their A-game, knowing how their work aligns with the bigger picture.