Swedish music duo Roxette couldn’t have said it better in their song Dressed for Success. Their lyrics …Tried to make it little by little, Tried to make it bit by bit on my own, Quit the job, the grey believer, Another town where I get close to the bone… The song was the lead single from their second studio album ‘Look Sharp’ (1988). The song was re-issued internationally in June 1989 and became a worldwide hit.

Success means different things to different people. Young musicians share their concepts with Monarose Sheila Pereira

Prince Thomas Mangan, Session bass player

When I was young, success to me was being able to play an instrument with fluent dexterity. When I was a teenager I had already mastered the keys drums and bass. Success to me evolved from being able to play an instrument to being able to make a stable career out of  music. Now success to me is all about invoking as many people as I can with the joy of music. Success is a story ark that keeps evolving with life. I like it that way. If success was  a finite element we all would have called it quits a long time ago. At the end we all have to remember  that our stories inspire others to tread on their own journey.

Stuart DaCosta, Bass player, composer, producer

I make music everyday with people that I love. with my band The Yellow Diary, or with my colleagues at the Salvage Audio Collective.This for me is success. Having a really loving environment around me, with people to share ideas and collaborate with on a regular basis. But for this, I have to thank my supportive parents and a hard working mindset that started at home. The feeling of success is very short lived, In fact it is better to choose goals that would allow you to enjoy the journey rather than bog you down with unrealistic expectations. I have learned this the hard way

Reewa Rathod, pianist

To me, success is waking up and being able to do the things I love everyday, which is sing , play the piano and create music. Success is having my parents look at me and be proud of who they see. It’s being someone my friends know they can rely on and the person who does what the say they’re going to. Success is being able to achieve my goals. Career goals, life goals and personal things I want to achieve. It’s about making an impact in the world. Being able to leave this life knowing that I’ve done something good – or at least attempted too. .. making others smile through my music . Bringing happiness to the lives that need the most uplifting, being able to make people happy on even the gloomiest of days, and always being kind no matter the circumstances. Success is to be able to fly solo and make a difference ...to be true to yourself and believe in your work . It’s all about the journey.

Arvinder Singh Nagpal, percussionist,

A lot of people equate money and fame with success. They measure success in terms of the number of cars and houses you have.But that's not true success. For me, success means fulfilment of my life goals. That is, becoming a musicia. I had to run the family business to support the family at a very young age, doing work I have no interest in. But I knew I'd leave it for good someday and pursue my passion for music. Today, I can say I'm on my way to success because I'm finally on the path to achieve my childhood dream.

Nikhil Rane,World whistling champion 2016 and 2018,

I never think about winning. I just head towards my goals and take all the efforts to achieve it; that is success for me. Being two times world whistling champion I never thought this particular passion will give me such an identity. I believe in myself and always think positive.

Pooja Gaitonde, singer

Its so simple to say he or she is so successful but very rarely someone understands that to gain success one has to go through so many challenges, difficulties, hardwork, dedication,commitment. For me success means end of one phase of struggle. Now you might be thinking "One Phase" then whats the second. The actual struggle comes when you got to maintain the success.

Mayur Nagpal, Singer,

Success to me is not that I become this or that, or achieving this or that or becoming so powerful or whatever the materialistic definitions are. For me, success is  when I'm able to lead a happy and a fulfilled life, absolutely doing what I love, that is music, and earning a decent living out of it. 

Monarose Sheila Pereira is an author, journalist and media lecturer. She has published several books and has written for all the major newsppers and magazines. She has worked for All India Radio and Doordarshan. She also conducts self improvement workshops.