This first female band member of The Raghu Dixit Project is also a computer science engineer
Kavya Lakhminarayanan
Most of our journeys start out of school and if we’re lucky (or assiduous) enough, it sticks on. Twenty-four-year-old Kavya Lakhminarayanan’s story is one such. On joining her school’s highly-reputed brass band, this vivacious city girl took to the trumpet, and has been ‘blowing’ up a storm as part of the funk band, Clown with a Frown. Now, she is the first female band member to ever be a part of The Raghu Dixit Project!
“Three gigs in and I can already feel the influence on my personal style,” says a visibly excited Kavya, who is now part of the contemporary folk band along with her Clown with a Frown band mate, Rahul Thomas on the tambourine. Jumping from funk to folk, “Their sound is vastly different and from a musical perspective, it’s a whole new sort of challenge,” she says, finding her comfort zone in the overall dynamic of the band that is known to fire up the stage. With a sound that’s fluid enough to adapt across music genres, Kavya has been sprucing it up on the local music scene for a while now. “I grew up in a household that listened to primarily Indian classical and Tamil film music, with a sprinkling of Abba and Kenny G,” says the trumpeter, who progressed through phases of Backstreet Boys, Linkin Park and Snarky Puppy to John Mayer, because well, the Bengaluru weather demands it. “I also look to a lot of local artistes for inspiration, like Rahul, one of the most natural performers I’ve come across. I love watching bands play live and learning from their stage presence, showmanship and dedication,” she says.
A computer science engineering student, Kavya is among the lucky few to have a supportive family that she often sees cheering her on at most of her shows. “I like to joke that my parents are my personal social media publicists, forever sharing event updates and photos and videos. And my sister is the one I run to for all outfit decisions – my personal stylist. If it weren’t for her, I’d probably wear the same thing for every gig!” she quips. But it’s her music teacher at Frank Anthony Public School, Mr Narayanaswamy that she’s ever grateful to. “He taught me everything I know and pushed me to continue to play even after I started college. I did briefly try my hand at the keyboard, but I never did stick with it,” says Kavya.
When she’s not playing happy, infectious music, this self-proclaimed Potterhead loves reading and binge watching indulgent television shows. But with a flourishing music career, she’s even quit her day job. “It’s important to be open to criticism. It’s hard! But don’t let it weigh you down or stop you from doing what you love. If it’s really negative feedback, just nod your head politely and then do whatever resonates best with your gut,” she says, shining her brass and taking it all, one gig at a time.
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( Source : deccan chronicle )
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