I’m sure every aspiring musician has asked these questions before - Should I spend money on getting a professional degree in Music? Would that eventually help in the process of getting work/experience etc? With the current situation in India, it’s safe to say that a lot of aspiring musicians don’t end up becoming full-time professional musicians, be it due to the negative view on the arts or the pressure of making a living in an industry filled with an immense pool of talent. There’s also a stigma attached to spending money on education towards Music after school. As hard as it might be/might seem, education in music at a professional level is something that can really help an aspiring musician break into the industry in some way or the other. There’s an immense scope of jobs and occupations in the music world (See our article on various jobs in the music industry here).

Still contemplating the question? Let’s see if the story of Varun Nayyar changes your perspective:

Varun Nayyar is an Indian sound engineer currently based in Boston, Massachusetts. He started his musical journey fairly early when he joined the Delhi School of Music to learn Classical Guitar. After his graduation at Jagan Institute of Management Studies (JIMS) in Mass Communication, he was accepted into the prestigious Berklee College of Music for a course in Contemporary Writing and Production. Berklee College of Music is considered to be one of the best music colleges in the world, giving huge breaks to many Indian artists in the past. On completing his graduation as Magna Cum Laude, he went on to become the Lab Assistant in the Professional Writing and Music Technology Division.  

MAKING VALUABLE CONNECTIONS!

It was in Boston that he expanded his connections and got involved in the music industry. He worked with Cevin Fisher, a world-renowned House Producer from America with chart-topping singles. Their collaboration was seen on Cevin’s singles ‘So High’ and ‘Uha I Like It’. He was also responsible for the wonderful sound on Indian Ocean’s 6^th full-length album “16/330 Khajoor Road”. His abilities have taken him across the world in various world-class studios such as Premier Studios in New York, Khitij Studios in New Delhi etc. He has also lived mixed events at the Jordan Hall, an award-winning venue that has the perfect sound space in all of America. Listen to his work here: [embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mABXoXjiQ0[/embedyt]

SPREADING THE KNOWLEDGE

Besides the success he has found through the music industry, he has never left sight of what got him there. Since his acclaimed works and endeavors, Varun has been an advent promoter of music education. He has been invited to various schools around the world for seminars and masterclasses. He has also worked with music schools in India such as Bridge Music School and Performers Collective, where he trained many students into giving the graded Trinity examinations in music. It’s examples of the likes of Varun Nayyar that show that Music is certainly a field where one can prosper. If you are a passionate musician, don’t be afraid to test your limits and boundaries and avail professional music education. Besides Berklee, there are many Music Colleges around the world and in India that provide wonderful education in various areas of the industry. You never know, you might end up making contacts or working with people that land you on a project that makes it to the top of the worldwide charts!