Soaring Beyond Life's Peaks | Antara Nandy | TEDxSMIT

Anandi's Journey in Hindustani Classical Music

• Anandi began training in Hindustani classical music at the age of 4.5 with her parents' support.
• Despite challenges balancing music and academics, she participated in a national television reality show at age 9, sparking her dream of becoming a professional singer.
• After her guruji unexpectedly stopped teaching her, Anandi resorted to unconventional methods, including self-learning and attending recitals at ITC Sangeet Research Academy.
• Her perseverance paid off when she was accepted as a scholar at ITC Sangeet Research Academy, where she finally had a guru to guide her.

Overcoming Challenges and Criticism

• Anandi faced criticism from a respected music director for focusing on music while being a bright student with engineer parents.
• A musician shares their journey of overcoming self-doubt and criticism to pursue their passion for music.
• Despite facing challenges balancing music with academics and constant judgment at school, they refused to give up and continued to work on their skills.
• They embraced their insecurity and put out their first YouTube video, gaining a massive following on social media.
• After a setback when their Facebook page with 2.5 million followers was hacked and deleted, they persevered and reached 1 million followers on their new page.

Success and Recent Projects

• Anandi started getting commissioned work as a musician at the age of 13 or 14.
• During the lockdown, Anandi and her sister, Anita, started a series called "balcony concerts," which became very popular and led to 173 virtual shows for various corporates.
• After the lockdown, Anandi worked on exciting projects, including a collaboration with Saleem-Sulaiman and singing for the film "PS1: Ponniyin Selvan 1" in four languages.
• She recently made her debut in the Bengali film industry and is preparing for her first solo US tour.