"Keep Learning, Keep Surrounding Yourself With Talent."

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1. Tell us about your background and journey.

Music has always been a part of my life. No one in my family is a musician, but they all have been crucial in shaping my musical influences and I am so grateful for their support and encouragement. All through school and college, I have felt most at home performing on a stage.

I haven’t had any formal training as a singer or musician, but I have had the privilege and good fortune to have met and worked with amazing artists through all these years. At the age of 7, I had a brief stint with a few piano lessons, and then after I completed my BA degree from Jai Hind College, I got my Masters in Communication and Journalism.

I finally decided that after all this time, I should finally experience student life in a field that was always close to my heart – Music, and Singing. I did a short course in Singing and Songwriting at Point Blank College of Music in London. All through these years, I performed with my own brand and collaborated with numerous artists, and upon my return, I knew that music was a part of my DNA, so I got back to performing, recording, and music programming.

2. When did you first decide, you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?

I struggled a lot with this decision. An artist has no guarantee of stability, and all through my years in college, I toyed with the idea of music being just a side project or a hobby. Alas, my efforts were in vain.

Music never left me, and I couldn’t seem to push it away far enough. It made me happy and I found myself surrounded by incredibly talented musicians and artists, which only fueled my love for music and singing even more.

There is no starting point for my career - my first professional performance on stage with a band was when I was 14 years old, and the stone kept rolling ever since, gathering momentum, and I have never looked back. I am eternally grateful for all the good, bad, and ugly situations I encountered during my early years, which has shaped me to be the artist I am today.

3. Is formal training required or one can train oneself purely based on talent?

In my personal experience, if one believes that they possess an in-born talent/gift or if they have any inclination towards music and/or singing, they should definitely consider seeking out some kind of education and training to hone their skills.

I put it off for the longest time, and even when I did go to London to study music, it was extremely brief and surface level. I haven’t had any proper formal training, everything I know is from experience, and like a lot of artists out there, that’s all I can afford.

But surround yourself with talent, seek out your heroes, and educate yourself about your skill and talent. There is always something more to know and learn. As long as you put in the work and enjoy the process, it is an absolute win-win situation.

4. What are the various opportunities available for an aspiring musician?

As an aspiring musician, one needs to be open and willing to explore all the different facets of the music industry. It is always a struggle and it is difficult to get a foot in the door, but that’s where hard work and perseverance come in.

Now there are a lot of opportunities for performers, recording artists, music producers, and even artist management, festival organization, independent festival, and intimate shows to be organized and performed at, etc.

The community is small, but it is definitely growing - as are the opportunities. It is a tough uphill climb, but the little victories along the way make it worthwhile.

5. What piece of advice you would like to give to future and aspiring artists?

Well, my small piece of advice is to be as open-minded as can be and allow yourself to experience new things, be open to change, and be kind and accepting of your fellow musicians. We all know the struggle - one day you think you have it all, and the next day there is a crash.

Support the arts, support your fellow artists and a bit of healthy competition is always fine, but never let that come in the way of your work. Have fun and enjoy yourself, because what is the point in being an artist if you don’t.

There are many days where you will feel like this is all for nothing and you might want to give up, but remember that there are those who appreciate you, who will support you and let your art and music speak for itself.

Keep learning, keep surrounding yourself with talent, and like-minded people, keep experiencing something new, and above all, stay true to who you are. Stick to your identity, and only be as flexible as you want to be.

6. Who is your favorite artist and why?

Trick Question! Hahaha… I never seem to have an answer for this. I have so many favorite artists and bands and so many influences, and the list keeps growing as the music keeps evolving.

Some of my all-time favorites are Nine Inch Nails, Portishead, Chris Conell, RHCP, Bon Jovi, Whitney Houston, Backstreet Boys, Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, Massive Attack, Queen, Aerosmith, London Grammar - The list is never-ending.

- Sarosh Nanavaty singer, music performer.

- Interviewed by Kedar Lalwani