Spotlight: Musicians at EPHS
BY HARINI SENTHILKUMAR AND SOPHIA YOERKS There seems to be a world of musical genres, and in turn, a world of musicians. It can be hard to keep track of them all. Furthermore, we tend to seclude our listening into our “comfort” genres instead of exploring new and different sounds. Eden Prairie High School’s extraordinary musicians help to aid this conun-drum (pun intended) by spreading their personal passions.
Avanthi Prabaharan playing veena at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival in April 2019. Photo submitted.
Ryan Hines
Avanthi Prabaharan
When learning any skill, practice is what will get you farthest. Although it’s a cliché, for sophomore Avanthi Prabaharan, a classically trained Carnatic singer and veena player, this method is tried and true. She shares the best piece of advice another musician has given her: “don’t come to class without practicing, because you will get in trouble. They make you sit out of the class.” Avanthi goes on to explain that “it really depends on where you’re at in your learning. If you’re a beginner, and don’t know too much about Carnatic music (ragas, pitch, etc.) it might take you a week or so. It also depends on how long you practice. There are people who practice eight hours a day, and there are people who practice 15 minutes a day.” Music is one of the best ways to get in touch with any culture. For Avanthi, Carnatic music has been incredibly significant in her own culture as a Hindu. “Whether in temples, dance performances, ceremonies, or festivals, I see Carnatic music and instruments everywhere,” she says. She describes that playing the veena and singing has connected her not only to music but to her religion and culture. Though Carnatic music can be traced back to ancient times, the popularity of it is still well-recognized today. Avanthi explains that this phenomenon is due to “a lot more media broadcasting of music, as well as easier access to concerts and live streams of concerts”. Avanthi’s perspective as a young artist engaging with a traditional form of music is refreshing; with dedicated passion, music transcends age, language, and any other boundaries.
Senior Ryan Hines began singing in the musical freshman year. Since then, he has continued participating in the EPHS drama department’s productions and taking voice lessons outside of the school. “I would say music, at this point, is an integral part of my life because I am listening to music constantly,” Ryan shares. What started out as a hobby soon progressed into a passion for the music world. “I started singing when I got into the musical freshman year and then after that, I decided to take it more seriously and enroll in lessons,” he says. The newfound desire to immerse himself in the musician’s world led him to where he is now: “I sing for a label, kind of. I do musical theater. I produce electronic beats, and sell those online for profit. As well as take lessons for saxophone.” Among the plethora of skills and achievements, it is apparent that Ryan doesn’t like music for simply one thing. He says, “I think what makes a great musician, despite how cliche it is, is the eagerness to try new things. When you look at those who are considered the pioneers of American music, you could say that they all, in their own rights, have thought outside the box and done what was once believed to be taboo.” “I think when you’re performing to groups of people, the biggest thing you need is confidence. I guess you could say that confidence is sometimes irrational, but confidence needs to be irrational in order to pursue perfection in a craft or art form,” he says, “after earning solo parts in choir last year and a supporting soloist role in the musical, I can definitely say I’ve gained confidence.” Ryan’s favorite artists are, “Childish Gambino, The Weeknd, and Prince.” If his life were to be a movie, “the opening song would be ‘Still Waiting’ by Prince. This song is from his very first album and it’s really, really good. The closing song would be ‘Die for You’ by The Weeknd, off his Star Boy album.” Ryan’s eccentric artistry shows us that music, as any art, inspires confidence and challenges norms.
12 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Ryan Hines producing electronic beats. Photo submitted.
