Dhruv Mittal, Associate of Arts in Drum Performance at Musicians Institute, California
“I went to the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.”
“Oh my God. I don’t understand why you want to give this up and pursue music!”, exclaimed the consular officer interviewing me for a F-1 visa at the US Embassy in New Delhi.
Hello, my name is Dhruv. I am 23, and identify myself as a musician. After graduating from IITK in 2020 with a B.Tech. in Materials Science and Engineering, I am now pursuing an Associate of Arts in Drum Performance at Musicians Institute (MI), a college of contemporary music in Hollywood, LA, California.
On Hollywood Boulevard, right next to the legendary El Capitan Theatre.
“Like I said before, this is what I am passionate about and this is what I want to do.”
It took some convincing but I finally had my visa approved. For which I am very grateful to the consular officer. The experience left me feeling pretty special. It so happens that a previous J-1 visa issue (eventually refusal) had rendered my third year summer internship (2019) at TAMU, Texas, practically moot. Subsequently, I had stayed home and after major self-evaluation and introspection, had made up my mind to attend music school. Through this article, I would like to share some of my experiences at IITK and how those four years continue to be important rather insightful.
My dad, who coincidentally happens to be a professor at IITK, is an avid music lover and instrumentalist himself. I took a liking to music, and particularly to playing percussive instruments at an early age, for which I must credit him. It has been about 10 years since I started playing the drums, and for the most part, I am self-taught. Antaragni 2015: I attended a concert which was life-changing. “This is what I wanna do too!”, was all that I was left feeling after watching my drum idol, Mr. Jai Row Kavi, absolutely rip it off. As a 12th grade kid, the idea of pursuing music professionally was a little too romantic. When I started my journey at IITK in 2016, I wasn’t sure what the final destination would be, but it was mutually understood between me and my parents that attending a premier institution like IITK would be beneficial for my career. More so if I would like to pursue something like performing arts, simply by virtue of this career choice being rather unpredictable and financially unstable. In hindsight, I can now confidently say that it goes beyond just that. Some might argue that there was little to no logic in this decision, but I will be coming back to this later on.
Dad and I
The Music Club was where I spent the majority of my days at. I got into performing with the club extensively right from my batch’s Freshers’, up till the last event before COVID-19 shut down the campus, Galaxy 2020. All the club events, cultural festivals and competitions were so much fun, and introduced me to very talented individuals that I am still in touch with. My association with the club taught me a lot, beyond the mere technicalities of drumming and musicianship. If I were to make a non-exhaustive list: teamwork, time management, leadership, learning how to (and how not to!) talk to people, dedication and perseverance would be some of my greatest takeaways. I got the opportunity to be one of the club coordinators during my third year, during which I helped in training people new to the club and even conducted a workshop on the fundamentals of drumming. A valuable experience that I gathered during this phase was how discipline and clear communication are crucial to creativity in composing and playing music, and how teaching and playing are separate skills. The club really helped me understand myself better. The feeling of collectiveness, and the harmony between the junior and the senior batches both on and off-stage is truly an irreplaceable feeling. Through playing the drums and composing music over the course of those four years, I eventually realised that this is the right path for me.
Musical Extravaganza I, 2018. Performing the classic Message In A Bottle. My nickname was ‘Peelu’.
My academic experience at IIT Kanpur was somewhat of a ride, and even what some might call crazy. Through those four years, I figured out the subjects that intrigued me, the ones that frustrated me, and the ones that were simply not my cup of tea. As I progressed through my degree, it dawned upon me that I wasn’t exactly what I would call “academically inquisitive”. And a big contributing factor towards this realisation was my peer circle; for my friends were, and still are, brilliant and highly academic. Despite this, I took up various courses and projects, and even had the honour of getting published in an esteemed peer-reviewed journal, JMRT. I maintained a good academic record, and am very proud of graduating top of my batch in the Materials Science and Engineering department. As much as I would like pointing this out to be a blatant flex, it has a greater purpose. In my humble opinion, having a good work ethic and a focused temperament are very powerful utilities. I very strongly believe in excellence and perfection, and so do a lot of my friends. We might be pursuing different goals, but we have some strong common parallels. At the end of the day, it was, and still is, about delivering one’s best in the given circumstances, and the evergoing quest for perfection. Being in a very highly academic environment was beneficial for me this way; it made me realise that while I might not be passionate about a particular discipline, I could very well be passionate about putting my best foot forward, nonetheless.
Tanmay, me, Abhinav and Aritra posing for a rather serious, boyband-like photo.
While originally admitted to MI for the summer of 2020, I had to seek a deferral because the COVID-19 pandemic was skyrocketing everywhere. One of my main goals as a musician is to make quality content for my Instagram page and YouTube channel, and have a marked social media presence. Which is why, during the lockdowns, I spent countless hours practising really hard, making online content, collaborating with other musicians and studying the process of recording and engineering drums at my home studio. To me, playing music is essentially utilising sonic manipulations to convey one’s emotions. I am hence very particular about my sound, and it is a vital part of expressing myself as a musician. Staying at home presented its own challenges, the biggest one being stuck in indefinite and rather depressing ruts. With live music non-existent, and playing with other musicians out of the question, I found myself struggling numerous times both on and off the instrument. My family and friends helped me keep sane. Being able to pursue something like music is a privilege, and having the love and support of your close ones, an even bigger one. For which I feel extremely blessed and grateful.
My space at home. After years of investments and planning, I was finally able to put together this beautiful DIY drum studio for myself.
December 2021: I have just completed my first quarter at MI, and am somewhat elated as I near writing the end of my article. It truly is a surreal feeling, because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it here, for various reasons. Learning the basics of playing the drums formally all over again, training with teachers who have mastered their craft, interacting with other talented musicians and watching some of my music idols perform live has been a joyful and humbling experience, and has given me a newfound appreciation and love for the instrument. After spending three quality months here in LA, I have realised that my purpose as a musician is to strike an optimum balance between my musicality, technique, temperament and composure. Hopefully there is just going up from here.
MI, as seen on Christmas, 2021
My practice lab at MI
Finally, to conclude, I would like to return back to the pressing question: WHY did I go to IITK if I wanted to be a musician? My biggest reason would be the people. Without a doubt, IITK boasts of a very proficient and diverse fraternity. Interacting with my peers, teachers and professional acquaintances broadened my perspective in many ways. A huge part of my personality was shaped up in the process of trying to navigate my way through the academic rigour, trying to understand other people and pursuing my musical endeavours at the same time. IITK gave me ample resources and opportunities to find my true passion, and at the same time, develop a sense of appreciation for other disciplines. Be it pursuing research, or working a job, or being involved in any other discipline; I would imagine that all of us find the need for a set of professional and aptitude skills. Being a student here gave me the chance to acquire such a skill-set. Plus, the technical knowledge I gained from the engineering curriculum is very relevant even in the field of music. POV: IITK goes beyond a mere academic institution, and can literally be what you want it to be. I am definitely glad that I was fortunate enough to go through this journey. A very fond dream of mine is to come back here as a performing musician, and play a Antaragni pro-nite, if it still would be a thing. More specifically, return as a chaapu musician, as one would say.
Art is never finished, only abandoned. ~Leonardo da Vinci
