10 pieces of advice from AANHPI’s in the music industry
2 minHallojis! In honor of AANHPI month, we asked 10 career creatives working in the music industry what advice they’d offer to folks on the come-up. Here’s what they had to say:
Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. There are a lot of people willing to help and collaborate. I got my first few gigs by DM’ing people through social media. Above all, be empathetic, give credit to every person contributing to the project, and fight for your worth. You know best the value of your work.
~ Payal Rathod, Audio Engineer at Disney India
Most successful artists you come across in the industry are actually just figuring it out as they go. So be confident when you put yourself out there, and you’ll be there in no time too. Enjoy the journey.
~ aboywithabag, Producer / Artist / DJ
To all my South Asian creators: know that you come from a rich tradition of the arts that spans across various ethnicities and cultures. Please embrace that and create out of a place of love. Find what makes you unique and double down.
~ raaginder, Violinist
Authenticity is everything- to your sound, to your passion, and to yourself. The world will constantly try to tell you what you should be, how you should sound, or how you should look. Take only what you believe adds to who you innately are. Your individuality will shine through.
~ Shweta Pandya, Hindustani Vocalist & Instructor
The best piece of advice I could give to South Asian artists is to just give it a shot. There are always going to be social pressures to pursue a “safe” job, but if you’re really passionate about making art, just do it. It’s so much better to try and fail than to not try it at all.
~ Srikar Nanduri, Guitarist for Weston Estate
It’s important to build genuine connections with people on a human level, not just for networking purposes. Always look for ways to provide value, even if it’s something that seems small. I believe that each opportunity moves you one step closer to the dream you’ve been chasing after.
~ Becky Mathai, Associate Producer x Music Supervisor at Racket Club
The words of wisdom that have been repeated to me by my idols are 1) relationships are the most important thing in this business; be nice and open, no one wants to work with an asshole, and 2) you only lose if you quit.
~ Anusha Savi, Recording Artist & Songwriter
Try to create opportunities to build a portfolio. It doesn’t matter where you graduate from or if you have taken an official course, people are more interested in what you have produced, mixed, or engineered.
~ Raag Sethi, Owner / Engineer at Compass Box Studio
Making music is one part of the process, marketing and promotions is the other. Invest your time, energy and effort in making sure people listen to your creation.
~ Serena Vora, Digital Strategist and Founder of SoVo Inc.
It’s easy to get caught up in what you think your success is supposed to look like: a defining moment that’s supposed to change your life. But it’s rarely ever one moment. It’s little moments throughout the years. It’s consistency, and pushing past all of the lows. Don’t hope for overnight fame, hope to be the person that works on it every day so that one day you realize you actually made the dreams come to reality.
~ Rianjali, Singer-Songwriter / Composer
Happy AANHPI month! Stay well, shine bright.
~Ravi
This article has been edited and condensed for clarity.
