In life, the best things always come unannounced. You never know how that one moment can change the course of your entire life and that is the sheer beauty of it. Singer-songwriter-composer Asmyth Prabhudesai’s story is a leaf out of the same book.
“I remember stopping abruptly to look at a board on a walk with my mother. I was about seven years old and could barely read what was written on it. She was quick to notice my curiosity and explained to me what the board read. It was a Tabla (Indian percussion instrument) school and when asked if I would like to join, I nodded in excitement. Of course, I wanted to go! But, little did I know that this was going to shape my entire life.”, says Asmyth.
The Beginning
Asmyth began tabla lessons at the tender age of eight and continued training religiously all through his school years. Playing at school gatherings and inter-school competitions slowly became a norm but he was starting to get intrigued by something new all over again!
“We were gearing up for the centenary celebrations of our school and it was going to be a grand affair. I was a part of the music team, playing tabla for various group and solo songs. During a practice session, I saw one of my seniors play the guitar and sing. I got extremely curious and coaxed him into teaching me to play a chord during a break.”
Little did he know that this curiosity was going to stay and define his life!
Asmyth loved playing the guitar so much that he started taking guitar lessons the same year and discovered the art of making his own melodies out of them. Soon, he was done with school and it was time to choose what he wanted to study further.
“I chose to study commerce because I believed that it would leave me more time to further my creative pursuits. The first few months of college were nothing like I had imagined them to be. Most of my friends from school had opted to study science and were in different colleges and for the first time in life I felt lonely.”
The First Song
As a result, Asmyth started spending most of his free time in the empty library of his college. During this time, he happened to pen a song which spoke about life after school and friendship. Recalling the moment he says,
“At the time, I did not realize that what I was doing was going to be a big deal. Writing ‘Na Jaane’ was my way of feeling closer to my friends. On the day I wrote it, I could not wait to get back home and compose a tune on the guitar. I think I only knew about 4-6 chords then and composed a tune using them. It was not about how right or wrong it sounded, it was all about expressing myself through music.”
Vocal Composition And Lyrics by Asmyth
Smartphones had still not taken over and putting out a song you had just composed on the internet for the world to listen and admire was an unheard concept. Asmyth recorded his song on a friend’s phone which had better features than his own and asked him to keep it safe. His friend, on the other hand, got so hooked on to the song that he shared it with most people in college. And before Asmyth could know, his song had taken over the college by storm. Every other person in college had it on their phone and he had started getting a lot of attention.
“This encouraged me to write and compose more songs. While creating something of your own is an exhilarating experience, seeing it being loved is a different feeling altogether. From being a lonely boy lost in the corners of an empty library I had suddenly become this popular boy who could play the guitar and sing.”
Music For A Living?
Thereon, things started moving fast for Asmyth. From college gatherings to inter-college festivals, he was performing everywhere and the appreciation just wouldn’t stop pouring in. The first breakthrough happened in the year 2010 when Asmyth was chosen to open for star playback singer Sonu Nigam at the Phoenix School Grounds in Belgaum. It was a dream come true moment for him.
This opportunity got him in the spotlight for all the right reasons and he started getting offers to do paid gigs within the city.
At the time, the concept of live entertainment in settings like restaurants was unheard of in a small city like Belgaum. It still is to an extent. While it was a great opportunity for Asmyth to take up the lucrative offer and earn some money on the side while studying, he was also going to be doing something completely new.
“I was offered a chance to play at one of the most known hotels in Belgaum on the weekends for four hours every day. Although excited, I was also nervous about singing such a wide variety of songs with my limited skill set and that too in front of a live audience. Nevertheless, I decided to go for it.”
Now that’s the thing about successful young people, they refuse to procrastinate. The secret is to learn on the go. There is no skill which cannot be acquired through hard work and practice. Along with attending college, Asmyth started practicing for his live gigs in whatever free time he got. He also spent more time in his guitar classes where his teacher was more than happy to give this special student some extra attention. After all, it was the beginning of a rockstar in the making.
The journey was never easy. Playing before a room full of people who don’t know you and your music and have zero expectations has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. On some days he would be tipped handsomely and on the others, he would struggle. But he trudged on and garnered a fan following in the most unlikeliest of settings. People now started looking forward to his music as much as the food and Asmyth started getting more gigs through them.
While his musical career was advancing faster than he’d ever thought it would, Asmyth’s academics suffered.
“More gigs meant more practice sessions which left me with little or no time to study. I became heavily dependent on my friends for notes and everything related to college. They helped me as much as they could but it just wasn’t happening. My grades started deteriorating and the parents were not very happy. I was told that I could do anything I pleased as long as I cleared all my semesters.”
While Asmyth was battling this conflict, he met with another big opportunity.
“A friend of mine was selected to participate in the Kannada version of the popular reality show ‘Kaun Banega Crorepati’ which used to be aired on Suvarna Kannada Channel.“Asmyth got the chance to sing on regional television for the first time ever in a show hosted by Kannada movie star Puneet Rajkumar.
A Star In The Making
Asmyth then moved to Goa to further his music studies where he topped the state in a Trinity Grade piano exam. He made the big move to Mumbai in the year 2016 with the hope of getting his original music out. The initial struggle was quite a rough ride for the versatile singer but slowly he did make his way. Asmyth started off with doing live gigs all around the city and in no time he had an all-new fan following.
It all culminated in the official release of his first ever single “Dua”, a song that talks about a connection with the divine. The song was loved by all and went on to be featured on Rolling Stones, the holy grail for musicians in the country. Fresh on the heels of this success, he went on to work with some of the brightest minds in the Industry in different capacities. He wrote Jeena for JOSHI, a popular electronic producer, and the song went on to amass over a million views on YouTube.
“I could not have done any of this if it was not for my teachers. My teachers, Shri Mukund Gore, Mr. Raj Fernandes, Shri Santosh Gurav, Mr. San Antonio and Shri Shriram Iyer are my guiding light“, he concludes.
Asmyth has only begun his journey but every pit stop has been beautiful. Every bump educational. Sometimes it’s not all about stardom, it’s about what makes a star. To more beautiful journeys!
Stay connected with his music here.