Check Out Mytreyi Shastry Aravind’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mytreyi Shastry Aravind

Hi Mytreyi Shastry , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was born and raised in Chennai, the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The city is known as the “cultural capital” of India with a thriving music, dance, art and theater scene which was famous not just across India but across the world. I started formal training in Carnatic vocal music (south Indian classical vocal music) when I was about 5 years old. Carnatic music and Law ran in my family’s blood stream as my father was formally trained in Carnatic vocal and he was a practitioner of Law and my paternal grandmother hailed from the lineage of one of the Trinity composers (Sri Thyagarajaswami) in Carnatic music. Even before I began formal lessons, I was singing compositions of the Trinity and several others and recognizing the interest and left with no other choice, my family decided to put me under a formal Guru to train. My parents never had to push me to practice as I was innately interested and went ahead very quickly to finish my basics in less than a year. My mother would encourage me by taking me to listen and observe concerts and participate in singing competitions where I felt thrilled to sit on stage with a mic (which was bent down to its lowest to fit my size) and sing in front of a cheering audience. Bagging prizes was even more thrilling but nothing matched the joy my mother felt when I went on stage to receive those trophies and medals. By the time I was 9, I had made up my mind that I’d be an attorney during the day and a performing musician in the evening.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No professional would boast of a smooth road in their journey. In my case, there were always clashes between my academic schedules and my musical pursuits. One such example is the time of the Carnatic music festival popularly known as the December music season or Marghazhi music season which is an annual event in Chennai that garners audiences from across the world and artistes perform at various sabhas (venues/organizations). December was a crucial month for those in school as it was the time of the half yearly examinations and for those in college as it was the time for semester examinations. I had to prepare for my concerts and my examinations with equal importance. Any deficiency in either would end in regret. These December exams/ concert seasons were highly stressful and were indeed quite challenging. The concerts had reviewers from the press who never made their presence felt. So we had to prepare for each performance with the same importance anticipating a review. I’m grateful to my family, especially my mother who made the pressure feel a little light.

From being a successful dual professional in India, to starting a career from scratch in the US was a big, unexpected jump in my life. People were new and there were zero connections for me to establish myself here. It required a lot of understanding from my husband Aravind who stands like a pillar of support to me to this day. He helped a lot with giving me lots of time and making me network with the right people. My music school completes 13 years in May 2025. It has taken tremendous work and a lot of sacrifice from my family and myself to reach this point and I feel deeply humbled to stand where I’m today.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a South Indian Classical vocal musician (Carnatic vocal musician). I belong to the pedagogy of the “Semmangudi School” which specializes in Trinity compositions and immaculate intertwining of modernity with tradition. We are known for infusing lots of bhaava (soul) into the composition or manodharma we perform. I feel very happy to bring authentic Carnatic music to enthusiastic learners across North America without having to compromise on quality and also be able to contribute to our economy. It also brings me immense joy when my proteges win prestigious prizes in music competitions held on global platforms. Rather than proud, I’m extremely fortunate to have been part of such a rich didactic which has shaped me into a better person overall.

What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Learn to Learn! There is always learning everyday in whatever we think we already know. Learning is important but learning to learn is a skill by itself. Today’s generation lacks the spirit to learn and the patience to understand anything in full. It is partly due to the umpteen distractions they are exposed to. Most of them are willing to learn but feel directionless due to misunderstanding or incomplete understanding of their fundamentals. Along with hard work, consistency is key. If you know your goal, you need to wear your blinders like a horse and not let anything or anyone distract you from reaching it. There is no glory in doing the easy stuff!

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