HITHA

HW: When did you realize you could use music for social change and to bring social awareness or was that always how you viewed music?

HITHA: I always knew music was important from when I was young, but I didn’t know just how influential it was. When I was little, I used music to express my emotions. Singing Indian Classical music allowed me to add feelings to a song even if I didn’t completely understand what the song was saying. As I learned more about music, I made more and more discoveries like this. I was only 11 years old when I realized that music could change the world. Like the Beatles, I wanted to unite everybody around me through music. I understood that music comes from every part of the world and that someone did not need to understand the words to understand the music and emotions. Adding feelings to a song and writing valuable lyrics can pierce anybody’s heart. Everyone loves music, so you can really spread a positive message through it.

HW: Who were the singers who inspired you to want to pursue a career in music?

HITHA: To be honest, when I first started making my own music, I did not have any inspirations. There was the occasional song that motivated me, but there was not one artist who I wanted to be like. Now I understand why. Every music artist has their own story on how they reached their goal, but as an American with an Indian origin, I didn’t identify with any of the popular singers. But when I first started singing at the ripe age of 4, I wanted to be just like my grandma, who introduced me to the art.

HW: Are there musical instruments that you play now or would like to learn to play?

HITHA: I am learning how to play the piano. I’m not too shabby if I do say so myself.

HW: Do you enjoy writing your own songs or singing songs written by others that embody your message?

HITHA: I love writing my own songs and singing songs written by others. I write my own songs when there is something I want to say. I like thinking about how I could inspire people. Even if it is just one person who benefits from the words and music I create, I would be happy. I like singing songs written by other people when I want to learn. Everybody makes music differently and being able to learn from others is a skill that is very useful.

HW: Have you ever wanted to create music based on existing lyrics?

HITHA: Yes! I like listening to older songs and thinking about how it could be remade into something that people would want to listen to today. There were great quality songs that should not disappear. Music comes back in the same way fashion trends do.

WE ARE WHO WE ARE

HW: Were you ever bullied in school and how did you handle it?

HITHA: I was bullied in school. In 7th grade, I was cyberbullied by people I considered my best friends. I will be completely honest. I was miserable, but I was able to channel those emotions into my songwriting. It was a way and still is a way I get rid of pent up emotions and stress. And as for my friends, I moved on. Every relationship should be cherished while it lasts, but afterward, you need to let it go.

HW: Was it easy for you to find kindred spirits in school or did you feel like an outsider?

HITHA: Luckily, at my school, everybody is an overachiever. I fit right in. There are many people who love music like me. Last year, I was in my school choir. Thankfully, I do not feel like an outsider anymore.

WE ARE WHO WE ARE

HW: How do your friends see you now that you are an accomplished singer and writer?

HITHA: My friends will always look at me as just a friend. Nothing special, but I want our relationships to be that way. I am still the same person I was before, just doing something different!

HW: Would you ever consider writing a book of poetry?

HITHA: Although I am fond of writing song lyrics, poetry is not really my thing. I like writing music so I can add my own melodies and play around with the composition. However, I might in the future...

HW: Have you ever thought of a long-term plan to help younger people deal with their pressures of our current society, even if you don’t have the funding for the project, do you see a way for younger people to handle their problems in a healthier way?

HITHA: The good thing is that the pressures of our current society are being acknowledged. Issues such as body shaming and the discrimination of people based on their gender, race, and/or sexuality is finally being fought against. But these problems have not disappeared. Sadly, there is nothing one person can do to deal with the pressures of our current society. It requires a group effort to lift the taboo of talking about mental illness, discrimination, and other problems our societies face. Our societies and governments need to work together to revoke the pressure and allow younger people to feel loved no matter who they are. I personally plan on visiting many schools to talk to the youth and show them their power. Just talking to one person might change the course of the world.

HW: Have you ever experienced any discrimination and how did you handle it?

HITHA: Yes, my family and I have experienced discrimination for being people of color. There have been multiple cases where we were traveling, and we received weird looks from the people around us. In one instance, my family and I were stopped at an airport in Germany and rechecked for anything harmful because of the color of our skin. Thankfully, my neighborhood is culturally diverse, so we mostly don’t experience discrimination at our home. Although I get angry when I am discriminated against because of the color of my skin, I stay calm.

Right now, people are acknowledging the discrimination that many others face, whether that be in the department of gender, race, and/or sexuality. I am proud to say that I take part in these conversations and fight for the rights of those who don’t experience equality. I’ve touched on many of these topics in my upcoming album “We Are Who We Are.”

HW: In addition to your daily breathing exercises do you practice traditional meditation?

HITHA: No, I don’t practice traditional meditation because I can’t sit still for more than 15 minutes unless I’m reading something. However, I picked up a skill that is similar, which I realized was not very common. When I feel extremely stressed out, or am being overwhelmed with emotion, I can blank out. I go into a state in which I don’t think or feel anything. I just exist. It gives me a sense of bliss and completely calms me down. Sometimes, I listen to music to go into this state. Focusing on the sound only and letting it go in one ear and out the other helps me enter and exit this state. I learned later that this state was in fact the ultimate goal of meditation.