Perhaps as old as language itself, music has been known throughout recorded history as a cultural universal. It allows human connection in ways speech alone often fails, and it creates a foundation for acceptance, unlike any other form of media. Shilpa, a 25-year-old singer/songwriter living in New York City, has found inspiration in the ability of music to bridge together different cultures. As a first-generation Indian-American, Shilpa has been able to strike a unique balance of tradition and growth along her musical journey.
Getting her start in music at just three years old, Shilpa was initially a student of Indian Classical Music, also known as Carnatic Music, which was closely related to her South Indian heritage.
“As a baby, I would sing along to nursery rhymes, so my mom put me in music classes to see if I had the kind of discipline to sit through a class. Obviously being three years old it is kind of hard to imagine I was even sitting through a class, but I really did have an affinity for it,” Shilpa said.
Shilpa began singing competitively shortly after, competing in an annual Indian Classical Music competition held in Cleveland. While Shilpa did not see immediate success, the experience of performing on a stage and competing with other children made her feel at home, and the sense of community she found in music affirmed her interest in performance.
“At first, I wasn’t really winning anything, but over time I did start placing in those competitions,” she said. “It was a really cool environment where I was able to meet a lot of other kids my age who had similar interests. It also promoted healthy competition which really propelled the initial stage of me trying to learn how to perfect music as an art form.”
Shilpa attended a performing arts high school in Houston, where she continued to foster her passion for music. Shilpa was introduced to jazz and opera music, among other genres she did not have previous experience with. She began performing across the United States and India, doing a mixture of different genres that she had studied throughout her life. Shilpa even had the opportunity to perform at a jazz festival in Norway as a teenager.
High school allowed Shilpa to combine the various elements of her musical background in new and interesting ways.
“Having a basis in Indian music was really interesting because it is incredibly complex. There are 14 different notes, which create 100s of variations of scales. It involves a lot of technique and creativity, and I think having that as a basis made doing things like R&B and pop feel very natural.”
It was at this same time that she first started writing her own music, which proved to be eye-opening and would build the foundation for her interest in releasing original work later on.
“I had never really thought about writing my own music until I wrote my first song at a Berklee College of Music camp that I was a part of,” Shilpa said. “After that, my perception had really changed and I was able to see music as not just an outlet from a cultural standpoint, but from a personal one too. I began experiencing music in new ways.”
Upon graduation, Shilpa was faced with a decision between attending a school that specialized in music or a more traditional 4-year university. After being accepted into the University of Pennsylvania, she decided to take the more traditional route and attended her first year of college in Pennsylvania. Despite having a positive first-year experience at UPenn, she felt a longing for the music community. In February of her first year, she decided to audition for the University of Southern California’s Pop Music Program.
“I found out that I had gotten into the program two days before my freshman year at UPenn ended,” she said. “It felt very bittersweet because I had made tons of friends, but I knew I couldn’t miss the chance. Transferring to USC was a no-brainer.”
At USC, Shilpa was able to reconnect with her musical roots. Being a part of a group of students who were also studying music was comforting, and the creative community at the school was inspiring for her.
“I got to meet so many different people my age that were taking their passion for music seriously. It really changed my mindset because seeing so many creative people doing the same thing that I wanted to do made the whole thing less daunting. It became more collaborative and less individualistic.”
Shilpa was able to collaborate with her peers at USC, learning from other developing producers and songwriters. Some of the students she worked with continue to be collaborative partners to this day. During her senior year, Shilpa independently released her first single, which she had written with the help of another student.
“It was really the first time I put out a piece of my own work on streaming platforms. It made its way onto a few Spotify editorial playlists, which was really exciting as someone who didn’t have promo behind the music.”
After graduating, she continued to write music, but also developed an interest in the business side of the music industry. Having interned with Universal Music Group and The Recording Academy as a student, she felt she had more to contribute to the industry. She started working in commercial marketing at Capitol Records, where she was able to start building a network.
“It was a really great experience, because it really became about my network, as cheesy as that sounds,” she said. “But in the entertainment industry, developing authentic relationships with people who share your passion in music is so important.”
Becoming a part of the business side of the music industry gave Shilpa a unique perspective when she began releasing her own music later on.
“I think that there are so many intricacies within the music industry that a lot of artists aren’t privy to. Being able to understand those fine points and being nimble with my own tools is so important,” Shilpa said.
In 2020, when the country went on lockdown due to the Coronavirus, Shilpa had to find new ways to explore music. On a whim, she downloaded the video-sharing app TikTok where she began to experiment with new forms of music.
“At first I was kind of just making those cheesy lip-syncing videos to random audio bits,” she said. “But then I thought about experimenting with something I am really passionate about, which is bridging the music between India and the US.”
In May 2020, she posted her first mash-up on the platform. Combining elements of Don Toliver’s No Idea and the Hindi song Tujhe Bhula, the mash-up was shared by other users across the platform. It quickly became a viral hit, which took Shilpa by surprise at first.
“It was a really crazy moment for me because it was the first time anything like that had happened to me. It was really exciting to see this melding of cultures be so well received by people. Knowing that there were many people who had never heard Indian music who were fascinated by it made me realize that there was a need and an audience for it.”
The mash-ups made different styles of music accessible to a general audience, and over the course of the next two years, Shilpa developed a following on the app, where she continued to post new mash-ups she created. Currently, her TikTok account has more than 65,000 followers.
Shilpa was able to express herself on TikTok in ways that expanded her thinking as a creator. Without fear of judgment from peers, she was able to explore her passion in fresh ways.
“There was this sense of fearlessness for me when I realized that I wasn’t going to really see anyone due to the pandemic. It felt like I could really do whatever I wanted,” she said. “I think growing up I was the kind of person who cared a lot about what other people think, and knowing that I wasn’t seeing many people in real life created freedom in that way.”
Shilpa’s newfound confidence about releasing content publicly has continued to propel her in her career.
“I still wonder what would have happened if I never put myself out there on TikTok. I realized that the judgment I felt wasn’t something external- it was really my own anxieties. The pandemic really changed that thought process for me and helped me expand any limiting mindsets that I had.”
Her virality on the app opened new doors for Shilpa as a creator and has allowed her to work with artists across the world.
“I’ve been able to collaborate with so many other South Asian creators, which has been something I have really loved. We are all pretty connected on TikTok because it is a more niche style of music,” she said. “Even now that I am in New York there are so many more singers and dancers and creators that I am able to connect with because they know of my work through platforms like TikTok. I think in general these apps help artists grow an audience and access other creators.”
Being able to work with other artists of similar cultural backgrounds has been exciting for Shilpa, who is continuing to work towards breaking down barriers within both American and South Asian music.
“Culturally, the music resonates really differently because the industries in the US and in India are so different,” she said. “At this point, a lot of global music forms like Afrobeat, K-Pop, and Latin music have really had moments on the charts in the US. Indian music feels a little bit more confined within the Indian population, but I do see a need for it here too, and want to contribute to that narrative.”
At the same time she was developing a listening base, she also started working at the music streaming platform SoundCloud. At SoundCloud, she is the marketing force behind the Creator Services division. She has been able to work with independent musicians of all genres through her role and finds the work to be meaningful.
“What we do is that we really build up opportunities for independent artists, and as an independent artist myself it feels nice to help bridge that gap. I work with so many independent creators now and having that same experience first-hand makes me really empathetic in that sense.”
Through SoundCloud, Shilpa has worked with Reddit in creating a podcast-style talk series. Having previous experience speaking on global music in her own TedTalk while in high school, she feels very comfortable in that role. She is able to uplift other creators, and it allows her to speak about bringing together different styles of music from around the world.
Lately, Shilpa has started focusing more on original music again, which she feels she can bring a fresh perspective to. While she enjoys making mash-ups on TikTok, she feels more ready than ever to share her own music with the world.
“Over the last few years, I’ve really been focusing on audience growth, but now that I have that foundation I am really ready to put my efforts into my own music, knowing that I get to share it with more people who will actually listen to it.”
In some ways, writing and releasing original songs is still challenging for Shilpa, especially now that she feels more people will hear what she has to say. Songwriting is intimate, and sharing music with the world can be intimidating at times.
“When you put out a single or an album, you are putting your own words and feelings out there. It’s a much more vulnerable process than the mash-ups, and knowing your work will be left to subjectivity by others can be scary. Songwriting is also just more complicated in general because there are so many more steps in the process.”
Shilpa is hoping to continue collaborating with peers while writing music in New York and would like to put out a body of work in the near future. She feels more in control than ever when it comes to her music career, and she has high hopes for the future.
“It’s very empowering to know that everything is in my own hands right now. It’s a little scary, but mostly it’s exciting.”
At publication, Shilpa has since moved to Los Angeles and started with a role at Tik Tok.