TWO COMPOSERS

I have been involved with music since my early childhood in India. My extended family on both of my parents' sides are musical. My mother Lalitha is currently a professional singer of Indian film songs and sings all over the U.S. When I was in India, at age 6, I started taking vocal lessons in Carnatic music (the classical music of Southern India)... After moving to the U.S., I was introduced to Western classical music through the public school system. In high school, I had the opportunity to take my first Music Theory class. What was supposed to be theoretical part-writing exercises turned into compositional experiments for me and thus sparked my passion for creating music. I am enthralled by the possibilities of integrating aspects of the Carnatic style into the Western music idiom. Thus, I draw from my Western musical training and my Indian heritage to create my compositional language.