SHEVYA AWASTHI
& HER JOURNEY WITH MUSIC Learning and understanding music is an art that is highly regarded in South Asian homes. As kids, we are pushed into the arts by our parents, and as we grow up, we are left with making a choice on how heavily the arts will influence our lives. Today, we sit with Shevya Awasthi to learn more about her journey with music, her transmutation of challenging emotions, and her mentality surrounding duty. Shevya started learning Hindustani music when she was just ten years old and is still taking classes today. She recounts situations familiar to many South Asians, “I have had stage fright my whole life growing up, and I never liked singing in front of aunties and uncles, but my parents pushed me through it.” Shevya chose to continue her music path in college. She joined an acapella group where she was surrounded by fellow musicians who helped motivate her to pursue music again. Namely, Varun Jhunjhunwalla and Shankara Srikantan assisted in her sound and pushed her to songwriting. However, she recounts, “When I was on the acapella team, because I was surrounded by so many amazing artists, I fell into a bad habit of comparing myself. I became very, very insecure in college. Throughout my entire time on the acapella team, I developed a poor relationship with music. I almost got to a point where I stopped singing altogether because I just got so in my head, thinking I wasn't good enough and ‘what's the point in singing when there are so many other amazing artists?’” Sometimes the things we are passionate about can instill a comparison in our heads. No matter how much we may love what we do, a part of us will feel like there is someone out there doing it better. This comparison can come from many places and create a range of feelings that we trace back to ourselves. Music is one of the most powerful art forms, and with that comes a degree of reverence. That reverence can also make us feel as if we are inadequate in some aspect, as Shevya experienced. This profound impact that a passion like music can have comes from a desire to be “the best.” Desires like that, and so many others, often shape the way we see the world and move through it as humans.
THE INDIAN STANDARD | 13
