<p>As a child, Aneesh Vidyashankar would often see his father Vidyashankar SR play the violin.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Excited, he would often ask him to teach him the nuances of the instrument. With his mother Jyothi Vidhyashankar also learning music, it is not a wonder that Aneesh soon followed in the footsteps of his parents. <br /><br />Today, Aneesh has achieved a lot as a violinist, yet he remains simple and down-to-earth. “My father never got me a small violin. In fact, there were times when the violin was bigger than me,” he recalls. <br /><br />“I always played on the full-sized violin as opposed to the small ones that kids learn on. I used to practise rigorously and I think all that hard work has made me who I am today,” says the National Award recipient. <br /><br />With a band of his own named ‘The AVID Experience’, Aneesh wants to provide his listeners something that they have never heard before. He strives to stick to the roots yet appeal to the youngsters at the same time. <br /><br />“When you have a vast audience, a lot of planning and coordination is required. But most of all as an artiste, I enjoy the freedom to add a few changes to my act on the spot on stage. If everything is pre-planned, we cannot change anything. But we work in a way such that we can improvise on stage,” says Aneesh.<br /><br />Aneesh has performed in over 20 countries and recently wrapped up a successful world tour. “We collaborated with artistes from different countries and the experience was phenomenal,” he exclaims. <br /><br />An architect by qualification, Aneesh feels pursuing the course helped him enhance his skills as a musician. “I would like to call myself a designer and musician. Ever since childhood, I have loved cars. I used to design a lot of cars, and I think architecture opened me up to a whole new world of design. <br /><br />It helped me become more creative with music too.”Having rubbed shoulders with film stars, sport persons and musicians, ask him about his most memorable moment and he recalls, “I played ‘Vaishnava Janatho’ for former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and he was stunned. I combined it with Bollywood and even the latest Billboard songs. It was a memorable experience.” <br /><br />Satisfied with what he has achieved so far, he says, “Everyone has to keep growing and there is no end to growth. But when people tell me that I have achieved a lot as a 24-year-old, I am overjoyed,” he adds. <br /><br />What are his plans for future? “I would like to travel a lot and meet new people. I also want my music to touch the lives of many more people,” he sums up. <br /><br /></p>
<p>As a child, Aneesh Vidyashankar would often see his father Vidyashankar SR play the violin.<br /><br /></p>.<p> Excited, he would often ask him to teach him the nuances of the instrument. With his mother Jyothi Vidhyashankar also learning music, it is not a wonder that Aneesh soon followed in the footsteps of his parents. <br /><br />Today, Aneesh has achieved a lot as a violinist, yet he remains simple and down-to-earth. “My father never got me a small violin. In fact, there were times when the violin was bigger than me,” he recalls. <br /><br />“I always played on the full-sized violin as opposed to the small ones that kids learn on. I used to practise rigorously and I think all that hard work has made me who I am today,” says the National Award recipient. <br /><br />With a band of his own named ‘The AVID Experience’, Aneesh wants to provide his listeners something that they have never heard before. He strives to stick to the roots yet appeal to the youngsters at the same time. <br /><br />“When you have a vast audience, a lot of planning and coordination is required. But most of all as an artiste, I enjoy the freedom to add a few changes to my act on the spot on stage. If everything is pre-planned, we cannot change anything. But we work in a way such that we can improvise on stage,” says Aneesh.<br /><br />Aneesh has performed in over 20 countries and recently wrapped up a successful world tour. “We collaborated with artistes from different countries and the experience was phenomenal,” he exclaims. <br /><br />An architect by qualification, Aneesh feels pursuing the course helped him enhance his skills as a musician. “I would like to call myself a designer and musician. Ever since childhood, I have loved cars. I used to design a lot of cars, and I think architecture opened me up to a whole new world of design. <br /><br />It helped me become more creative with music too.”Having rubbed shoulders with film stars, sport persons and musicians, ask him about his most memorable moment and he recalls, “I played ‘Vaishnava Janatho’ for former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and he was stunned. I combined it with Bollywood and even the latest Billboard songs. It was a memorable experience.” <br /><br />Satisfied with what he has achieved so far, he says, “Everyone has to keep growing and there is no end to growth. But when people tell me that I have achieved a lot as a 24-year-old, I am overjoyed,” he adds. <br /><br />What are his plans for future? “I would like to travel a lot and meet new people. I also want my music to touch the lives of many more people,” he sums up. <br /><br /></p>
