Catching the high notes
Last Updated IST
VOICE APART Purvaa Sampath (third from left) with her family.
Globalisation of music is not a new phenomenon. Artistes are taking to collaborations, crossing borders and increasingly exploring their abilities by experimenting with music. Bengalureans are not far behind. They are constantly striving to place Indian music on the global map and one of the ways they are doing this is by successfully pursued music at the prestigious Berklee College of Music.
Two graduates, Ashwin Shenoy and Purvaa Sampath, who joined as members of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, share their experiences with ‘Metrolife’.
Ashwin, who graduated in 2016, says that studying at Berklee was the best thing to have ever happened in his life. “I applied online and decided to go to Boston to try out my auditions and see what the ‘Berklee experience’ is like. I enjoyed it a lot. I passed a 15 minute-long audition and an interview. I love the Berklee family and made really talented friends such as Sangeetha Bhattacharya, a fabulous singer and a kathak dancer, sarod player Shashank Navaladi, classical singer Rohit Jayaraman and music engineer Dhruv Goel.”
When asked why he chose music as his field of study, he shakes his head. “I really don’t know. I think it was because my dad took away my PS3 for sometime during school and I had nothing to do but play guitar and sing. I kept doing it and started to enjoy the process.” Ashwin has been a part of 4 splendid concerts with guests like Clinton Cerejo, Yogini Gandhi and A R Rahman. “The entire credit for the beautiful performances goes to Annette Philip, Director of Berklee Indian Ensemble and a member of faculty at Berklee College of Music.”
Another Bengalurean, Purvaa Sampath says, “I began learning Carnatic music when I was 3 years old. My grandmother was a graduate from Kalakshetra and music ran in our family. I studied fine arts and bharathanatyam till I turned 16 but after that, I chose to stick with music because it’s what I felt most connected to.” Purvaa joined the Berklee family in 2014. She adds, “I still remember staying up all night and browsing music colleges in the United States. Berklee was always in the top 10 and they were the only music college who offered a degree in music therapy.” She is in the process of launching her artiste name, Mayah. Apart from being a singer, she also writes. She is looking forward to bringing storytelling in music. With respect to music therapy, her dream to make it as an integrated medicine by making it accessible and inclusive for all.
“I think it is the signature sound of the ensemble. The best arrangement was ‘Yeh Jo Desh’. I also like ‘Kun Faaya Kun’ that we performed or A R Rahman concert Having said that I don’t have any favourite performance. Every song is unique in its own way,” shares Purvaa.
Two graduates, Ashwin Shenoy and Purvaa Sampath, who joined as members of the Berklee Indian Ensemble, share their experiences with ‘Metrolife’.
Ashwin, who graduated in 2016, says that studying at Berklee was the best thing to have ever happened in his life. “I applied online and decided to go to Boston to try out my auditions and see what the ‘Berklee experience’ is like. I enjoyed it a lot. I passed a 15 minute-long audition and an interview. I love the Berklee family and made really talented friends such as Sangeetha Bhattacharya, a fabulous singer and a kathak dancer, sarod player Shashank Navaladi, classical singer Rohit Jayaraman and music engineer Dhruv Goel.”
When asked why he chose music as his field of study, he shakes his head. “I really don’t know. I think it was because my dad took away my PS3 for sometime during school and I had nothing to do but play guitar and sing. I kept doing it and started to enjoy the process.” Ashwin has been a part of 4 splendid concerts with guests like Clinton Cerejo, Yogini Gandhi and A R Rahman. “The entire credit for the beautiful performances goes to Annette Philip, Director of Berklee Indian Ensemble and a member of faculty at Berklee College of Music.”
Another Bengalurean, Purvaa Sampath says, “I began learning Carnatic music when I was 3 years old. My grandmother was a graduate from Kalakshetra and music ran in our family. I studied fine arts and bharathanatyam till I turned 16 but after that, I chose to stick with music because it’s what I felt most connected to.” Purvaa joined the Berklee family in 2014. She adds, “I still remember staying up all night and browsing music colleges in the United States. Berklee was always in the top 10 and they were the only music college who offered a degree in music therapy.” She is in the process of launching her artiste name, Mayah. Apart from being a singer, she also writes. She is looking forward to bringing storytelling in music. With respect to music therapy, her dream to make it as an integrated medicine by making it accessible and inclusive for all.
“I think it is the signature sound of the ensemble. The best arrangement was ‘Yeh Jo Desh’. I also like ‘Kun Faaya Kun’ that we performed or A R Rahman concert Having said that I don’t have any favourite performance. Every song is unique in its own way,” shares Purvaa.