250 Words on Violin

I started learning violin from Smt. Anuradha Sridhar in 1989 when I was 8 years old. I was one of her first students. Before starting violin with Smt. Anuradha, I spent a few years playing Western Classical Violin and singing Carnatic music. Over the next 11 years, I immersed myself in Carnatic violin, and it soon became my primary activity outside of school. These 11 years were probably the most challenging in my life, because Anuradha demanded only the very best from us. During my time as Smt. Anuradha’s student, I played in several Thygaraja Aradhanas, a duet concert with Ravi Narsiman, and a solo concert in 1999 before I left for college.

My solo concert remains one of my proudest accomplishments. It was an affirmation of the philosophy of single-minded focus. That is, if you eliminate distractions, focus on one thing, and work hard, you can achieve something that few others will ever attempt. Reaching this goal at the young age of 17 did wonders for my self-confidence and has been the pillar upon which later successes were built. When up against another challenge – running the Boston marathon or getting through a difficult engineering class – I remember the primary lesson from my 11 years of violin. Namely, that success is not due to luck or magic, but results from passion and dedication. Thank you Smt. Anuradha for teaching me lessons that are as applicable to life as they are to music.