The Oasis English Press sat down for an exclusive conversation with Ashmit Pattjoshi, Coordinator of the Music Club (MuC), to gain insights into the club’s workings and preparations for Oasis ‘26.
Right off the bat, Ashmit spoke about the club performances throughout the academic year, the ‘primary and foremost’ being the two Music Nites, with one held each semester. He mentioned that the club served as the opening act for the inauguration ceremonies of Oasis and APOGEE every year. He added that the club hosted ‘Psenti Nites’ to bid farewell to their graduating club seniors and organised FX-MRDR, a detailed Ableton-aided workshop that introduced the attendees to the fundamentals of music and sound production during the even semester.
Regarding MuC’s involvement in the upcoming Oasis, Ashmit stated that the club would continue the tradition of organising Andholika. He elucidated that Andholika was a vocals-centric event in which the club provided live backing for the singers from different participating colleges. Ashmit was proud to state that the club had consistently finished in the top two at Tarang—an Indian Classical Fusion competition—for the past three years.
Talking about the preparations, Ashmit mentioned that the club had experienced its fair share of setbacks. He explained that the proximity of the fest to the mid-semester examinations led to a few members being absent for the listening sessions and daily practices, which were extremely important. He stated that during the pin-drop silence of run-throughs, the members put in their maximum effort into emulating the final performance, and every non-performing member had a role to play, from setting up the metronome to ensuring that the singer was well hydrated.
Ashmit remarked that the D-days, however, looked more complex and talked about the different departments coming together for the proper execution of a performance. According to him, the Department of Sounds had the biggest role to play. He stated that their work encompassed setting up all the instruments on stage and equalising each song on the mixer to ensure audibility inside the Main Auditorium. He further stated that the Department of Lights also played an integral role during their performances as they ensured that the backdrops visually complemented the mood of the song.
Ashmit remarked that the common Joe was averse to genres such as jazz, metal, progressive rock, et al. Hence, the club actively encouraged its audience to explore diverse types of music by curating setlists that balanced between niche and popular music.
On the monetary front, Ashmit stated that the club received funds almost exclusively from Music Club’s alumni. He noted that their newest piece of equipment was the Korg Nautilus AT workstation, which was worth more than two lakh rupees. He stressed upon the fragility of such expensive equipment and how all club members put in a conscious effort to handle it with care.
Ashmit concluded the interview by expressing his love and appreciation for the club and the audience that graced its performances. He urged the GBM to keep supporting them and attending their Music Nites and other performances.