What does a typical day at work then look like for you?

I am a Carnatic music violinist and the 4th generation musician in a family of musicians. I give multiple performances both in India as well as abroad. A career in music is supposedly “off the beaten track”, as it does not involve having a desk job. My work involves a myriad set of activities, described as follows:

I conduct music lessons (face to face and over skype) for students all over the world, and I have trained about 700-800 students so far. I am also part of several music groups which tour all over the world, including to approximately 40 cities in the US, within a span of 2 months.

I have founded a company in the US, which focusses on giving Indian artists a stage in the USA and promoting better cultural interaction between nations through musical performances and fine arts.

I also attend recording sessions where I play classical, fusion and western classical music. I have also had opportunities play alongside the musical maestro Ilayaraja (who is a very renowned Indian film composer).

I am also on the advisory boards of premium institutions abroad, where we make decisions on the manner in which musical, cultural festivals are to be conducted.

The rest of my time is spent practising my music and planning for concerts, which is a constant and on-going process.

Can you tell us about your journey which got you to where you are today?

Born into a musical family, and given that my father is a very famous violinist made sure that choosing the musical way was a “given” for me. I was able to identify complex musical notes at a very young age, and I gave my debut concert at the age of 10. I did my schooling in Chennai and spent a total of around 4 hours in a day practising and rehearsing my music, which would go up to 6 hours on weekends and holidays. Discipline was a key to being able to achieve this and not meeting the minimum required practice hours would mean that I would have to skip a meal.

After my schooling, I completed a Bachelor's degree in music and a Master's degree in Public Administration, followed by an MBA. After this, I took up a job in the banking industry, where I worked for about 10 years. Though I performed very well there, I knew in my heart of hearts that music is my true calling. In 2009, I quit my corporate job and took up music full time. Ever since then, there has been no looking back. I also founded my own company in 2016.

What are your words of advice to budding and aspiring musicians?

Following your passion intensely is the key to recognition in the music field. Never even consider giving up and fight out and struggle for your place. As cliched as it may sound, failure is part and parcel of being successful. Also, even if you are not from a musical family, fret not. While it may have certain advantages as immediate recognition, it also has its own drawbacks, such as having to live up the society's expectation based on your family members' success. All the very best!