My music journey started when I was around seven years old with Carnatic music. At the time, it was just another extracurricular activity, but my passion for the art form developed strongly as I grew over the years and began to understand the beauty and nuance behind the songs. Carnatic music evolved to become a creative outlet for me; through discovering and honing my skills in improvisational styles, I have found so much expressive potential in sangeetham.
In middle school, I got the opportunity to explore different avenues in music such as choir and fine arts, and I started learning violin. Although Western violin and Carnatic music are stylistically very different, it was riveting to identify and experiment with the fundamental similarities between the two forms. I learned violin and participated in an orchestra for over five years.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, I was searching for ways to keep improving my skills and contribute to the community. This led me to Accessible Orchestra, a nonprofit organization that allows students to tutor beginners in orchestral instruments. Through this organization, I tutored two kids in violin for over a year. The experience allowed me to appreciate and love Carnatic and Western music even more. Accessible Orchestra has also helped me establish my goal of reaching and impacting a larger community through my music.
When I transferred to a STEM focused school for my Junior year, I joined Dull Roar (the music organization at TAMS), seeking to foster a passion for music within a science and math-centered environment. As an executive of Dull Roar, I am working towards creating meaningful connections in the community through tutoring and volunteering.
My journey so far has shown me that music has the capability to connect vast and diverse communities regardless of form, culture, and even language. Although my passions in STEM and music seem to belong to wildly different worlds, they are both interconnected and serve the same purpose of learning, healing, and growing. In the future, I hope to increase the reach of my music to support people in need and to give back to my community!