Prasanna with students from a workshop held previously

Most musicians are categorised into boxes depending on genres. But a few maintain a fluidity of sound that helps them diversify their output, cutting across various styles. R Prasanna is one such artiste. Although the 47-year-old's initial upbringing was in Carnatic music, he mastered different forms like jazz, rock and even heavy metal in no time. Eventually, he also made a mark in Bollywood, becoming AR Rahman's go-to guitarist, apart from shaping his own identity as a multi-faceted music composer. Prasanna is also a revered guitar teacher, who will play a concert this week where the audience will consist primarily of schoolchildren. We catch up with him over email ahead of the gig. Excerpts: