My Musical Journey
Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I first sat at a piano when I was just three years old. We had an electronic keyboard as so many families do and I found it fascinating to play. When I found a real piano, it somehow seemed to be so much more grown up that I needed to try. My parents signed me up for piano lessons and I am so glad I stuck with it.
Like anything else, playing an instrument is something that comes with practice. The more the practice, the easier it becomes! Thats a lesson from squash as well. Over the years, the piano I have explored a wide range of styles, from the structure of Classical music to the free-flowing rhythm of Blues and the vibrant improvisation of Jazz. Each genre has taught me something unique: discipline from Classical, soul from Blues, and creativity from Jazz.
I’ve been fortunate to compete in numerous piano events, but one of my most memorable moments was performing Flight of the Bumblebee at the prestigious Jazz Pop Solo Festival in Dallas. The piece’s energy and speed tested my focus and control, but also reminded me how thrilling it is to push my limits and connect with an audience through sound alone. This is a really fun piece and you can hear me playing it here:
2022-DMTA-BumbleBoogie-Shriya.mp4
The piano has been more than just an instrument. During the challenging stretches of high school, when deadlines and expectations loomed large, playing the piano became my way to unwind, refocus, and find peace. It’s given me not only joy but also a way to relax and recharge myself.
Even today, when I sit down to play, I rediscover that same sense of wonder I felt as a three-year-old. The piano continues to be my constant companion on this journey of expression, balance, and endless learning. I love to play Piano with my beloved cat (below), who seems to enjoy my music !
My Artistic Journey
Art has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. From my earliest years, I was drawn to colors, shapes, and the endless possibilities of creation. What started out as scribbles that only a parent can love, evolved into a longer term interest for expression. Just like music and photography, art is a way for me to relax and to find a way of saying something that cannot be said in words.
I have explored a wide range of mediums, from drawing and painting to sculpture and ceramics. Every medium provides a different method to translate emotion into something tangible. Needless to say, as with music, one of the first things I learned with art as well are patience and persistence. With practice, the nuances of each medium become more apparent and the best way to use that medium to tell a story starts to come through.
My work has been recognized in numerous competitions, including multiple awards at the Visual Arts Scholastic Event (VASE) hosted by the Texas Art Education Association. These honors have encouraged me to continue pushing my creativity further and refining my skills.
In today’s world where AI can generate art one could be forgiven for asking why human created art matters any longer. To me, art is a way of thinking and connecting with the world. It is an expression of my human effort, a way for me to put my physical effort and translate my emotion and experiences into something visual and tangible.
_JPG.jpg)
My Photography Journey
AI image generators can generate reasonably photorealistic images from prompts of just a few words. So what makes photography such an interesting hobby for me?
Photography, to me, is more than just capturing an image. It’s about translating how I see the world into a frame of meaning and beauty. I find endless fascination in the contrasts, colors, and patterns that surround us, whether in the delicate veins of a leaf, the symmetry of architecture, or the fleeting play of light on a rainy street.
Each photograph I take is my way of freezing that moment of wonder, that sense of place and time, inviting others to pause and experience what I see. Here are a few pics from my collection; from my garden, neighborhood and during my travels.
