The Pop Side of Me

Many people that are aware of my involvement in Indian music and Western Violin do not know that I am a HUGE fan of Pop music! Few of my favorite artists/bands include JVKE, CharlieOnnaFriday, Benson Boone, Charlie Puth, Alec Benjamin, Fallout Boys, One Direction, Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish, Rihanna, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Sia, Megan Trainor, Tyla, Gracie Abrams, Camilla Cabello, Shawn Mendes… and the list goes on! I closely follow their new releases and careers. I wish to meet them and even attend their concerts some day!

Since I play the Western violin, I’ve gained some favorites there as well such as the traditional composers like Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, but also lesser-known ones like Golberg, Dvorak, and Latin-American composers as well.

The closest I’ve come to getting involved in Western music besides the violin or listening is through the PMEA (Pennsylvania Music Educators Association) Festival. Every year, PMEA hosts auditions for PA students in grades 10-12. In my sophomore year, I participated as a Soprano 1 and made it all the way to regionals. The connections I made during the festival will be ones that I cherish life-long. The repertoire was unique and ranged from gospel to baroque to contemporary composers, offering insights into the different eras of Western music.