Musician Meera Sankar shares her musical moments

According to my parents I’ve had an inclination towards music ever since I was a baby. My mother enjoys describing how, as a baby, I would move my feet to the beat of Yesudas’ Thulasitheeram. When I was around two years old, I used to sit around with my toy piano for hours playing different tunes. I officially started learning music at the age of five in Mumbai. I am trained in Carnatic classical music. Singing songs from Beauty and the Beast and Peter Pan as a kid made getting into music and joining music classes a very easy choice. Enamoured by the veena, I began learning the veena as well from the age of seven.

I continue to learn Carnatic classical vocal and the veena till this day. I moved to Bangalore in 2002 and continued to be a part of my school choir at Cluny Convent High school. I learnt the guitar for two years during high school and also attempted to learn the piano professionally.

I have been a part of two bands. One was called Sunny Side Up. We were an all-girls acoustic band and we won the second place at the IIT Mumbai’s Mood Indigo festival. The other band was Infinite Time, I was only a part of this  for a few months. Sunny Side Up is a lot closer to my heart as we have performed at various places across Bangalore like Kyra, Alliance Francaise, Opus to name a few.

The best thing about being a performer is watching the audience look so excited when you perform. It’s more like a stage ‘high’. Even as a band, Priya (the guitarist in Sunny Side Up) and I believed that it’s about having fun.

I am currently a content associate at Janaagraha and recently recorded a song for anti-corruption day observed by them in collaboration with UNDP. I teach part-time at Mount Carmel College on how to critically appreciate Indian classical music and sound design.

Bangalore’s music scene has often been accused of having more hype than matter. I disagree. There are brilliant musicians in the city. It’s a lot easier for a new performer to make a mark in this city. Here, if people listen to you once, if they like what they hear, they give you a chance. However, I do feel the excess talent in the city has people taking artistes for granted. A lot of people want the art but without paying the artiste, which isn’t fair considering the effort that goes in.

I hope to be able to make music my career, record an album and to perform at different places for different people. I love singing and I’d like to do that all the time. I’d like to eventually get down to teaching kids music to help them enjoy music the way I do. As an artist, this will be really fulfilling.