I was born in New York City on October 31, 1994, and thus, for quite obvious reasons, my favorite holiday is Halloween. My favorite city is also New York City, and every year on Christmas Eve, my family and I visit Rockefeller Center to see the large Christmas tree. I have one sister, Vidya, who is four years older than me and currently a first year surgical resident at the University of Connecticut.. I grew up in a small town in Ohio about 250 miles northeast of Cincinnati, called Stow, which is about 5 miles north of Akron, and 45 miles east of Cleveland.
To understand me, you must first understand the core definitions that make up my character. These basic definitions exist in my name--Sruthi Parvathy Sundaram.
Sruthi: This name has a dual meaning. It is one of the many names of the Hindu goddess, Parvathi. Its secondary meaning in the Tamil language is "pitch" or "tone". Sruthi, or "pitch" has had a great influence on my musical life. Having descended from a family of musicians on my mother's side, I have been trained heavily in music, from piano to the vocal arts. The first time I stepped on a stage and sang solo was when I was a mere four years old. Since then, I have performed piano, violin, and voice at various venues, including Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall, and have been involved in several musical theater productions, including Grease and Little Shop of Horrors with my high school, and two productions with Kent State University. My good sense of sruthi has also allowed me to pursue my passion in Indian classical vocal arts.
Throughout all my years of college, I strove to keep music in my life as much as I could. The UC College Conservatory of Music (CCM) was very gracious to allow me to become involved in its vocal arts department despite not being a music major. Through the voice department at CCM, I met Dr. Xi Wang. At the time, a DMA grad student in vocal performance, Xi took me on as a student my very first semester at UC. After a few weeks, she recommended me to the Choral department, and I was able to audition for Dr. Brett Scott and join the CCM Chamber Singers. I sang with the Chamber Singers for two semesters and then had the amazing opportunity to audition for CCM Chorale. With Chorale, I was able to sing contemporary works, premiere choral pieces, meet composers, and, in 2014, perform the John Adams piece, El Nino, a two-hour selection that involved a grand collaboration between CCM Chorale, CCM Chamber Choir, and CCM Philharmonia Orchestra. I had the opportunity with CCM Chorale to perform at some fabulous venues and record masterworks for CCM's various projects. I am so excited to close off this year with a concert in April 2015 focused on addressing the major issues with racism that still plagues our society today.
Late in the fall of 2012, my friend Neeraj came to me with an idea. He noticed there was no Bollywood-pop fusion a cappella group on campus and wanted to create the first one. I was immediately on board with his idea, and we gathered a few people who were interested. Initially, we were practicing in Neeraj's room with only a keyboard for assistance, but after our group became well known and we were able to attain status as an official competitive organization, we were able to expand our horizon. As the main composer for the group, I have over the years been able to channel my musical talents into a more creative vein, which has been a tremendous experience for me. In Spring 2015, I took on the job of co-president of the group and am so proud of where we have come. Early in 2015, we won 2nd place at the Metro/CWEST Talent Show and we also competed in the Quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Championships of A Cappella (ICCA), the biggest competitive opportunity we've ever had. I am proud to say for myself that I have done all I can to promote awareness and appreciation of the rich culture that Indian music brings.
Parvathy: Parvathy is the most recognized name of the same goddess my first name identifies, albeit with a slightly modified spelling. Its significance to me lies in my grandmother. Her name is also Parvathy, and I was named after her. From her, I discovered my love and passion for the Indian classical vocal arts. The South Indian form that I practice is called Carnatic vocal music. I have been learning Carnatic vocals since I was three years old, and my first stage performance was a showcase of this art at Cleveland State University when I was four years old. Since then, I have practiced this form, learning from some of the best teachers in India and America. Five years ago, I gave my debut recital at my grandfather's Sadha Abhishegam or "1000th full moon" festival, in India. Since then I have sung recitals in both India and the US. In September 2013, I had my Carnatic Vocal Arangetram. This was a solo vocal recital that was hosted by my father and teacher. The preparation for this recital was intensive, requiring two weeks of living with my teacher over the summer of 2013 and having daily training. The program was a huge success and an extremely educative experience for me. In Spring 2014, when I was planning to attend HOLI at UC, I heard from a friend of a friend that two great Hindustani classical musicians were coming to UC's campus to perform. I could not believe that Rajan and Sajan Misra, who I had heard so much on tape, but never live, were actually coming here, and I missed HOLI so I could go see their concert. At their concert, I discovered the brains behind the whole thing, SABHA. SABHA is an organization on campus dedicated to promoting Indian classical culture in our community. I immediately joined this organization and became the Secretary and external collaborator in the 2014-2015 school year. We are so excited to be hosting two performances this year, one by a renowned classical Indian flutist and another, by two South Indian classical dancers. Both of these events are coming up this month, and I am beyond excited!
Sundaram: This name has had a very different influence than my first and middle names, as my last name comes from my father, whereas the first two were from my mother. Sundaram is one of the names of Parvathi's consort, Shiva. He is a god who is "powerfully beautiful"--the literal definition of sundaram in Sanskrit. My father embodies Sundaram in many ways; he is handsome, strong, and very logical. I have inherited my love for the sciences from my father, and it is the influence of this name that has led me to pursue it as a career. In college, I pursued and am now completing my Biology degree, and am currently part of the Connections Dual Admissions program with University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine. After joining an organization on campus called GlobeMed, I realized that the true meaning of medicine is much more than curing people of ailments. It is about changing people's lives and in turn, the world. GlobeMed has taught me much about global health and I know that unless I gain a holistic view of medicine, I won't be respecting the value of the career. Consequently, I decided to change my education path slightly, and achieve a Masters in Public Health (MPH) before attending medical school. In my future, I see myself as a practicing physician, though as of now, I am not sure what type of physician I want to be. However, I do know that I will be traveling around the world, working with health and human rights related NGOs, and helping under-served populations. I look to Sundaram to be my guide as I attempt to achieve my goals.
As a child, my mother always played music in the house, and thus I was raised with it. At age four, I learned both western classical piano and Indian classical voice. I began studying Indian classical dance at age six, and then Western classical voice/opera at age nine. I then continued on to violin at age twelve, and studied all these musical forms until my junior year of high school, when I decided to focus on the two different vocal arts. I was fortunate to have learned all these musical arts from the best teachers in the various fields. Right now, apart from my Biology major, I am also studying western classical voice at the UC College Conservatory of Music. My main western classical music influences are the pianists Earl Wilde and Vladamir Horowitz, the violinist Itzhak Perlman, and the western classical vocalists Renee Flemming and Anna Moffo. In the non-classical realm, my modern favorite pop singer is Jessie J and I also greatly enjoy the hip-hop violin fusion music of Lindsey Stirling. My spirit-singer is Beyonce. Whenever people ask me about my vocal inspirations, I say that I love Jessie J because her songs are written about my life as it is now, and I love Beyonce because her songs reflect who I aspire to be. I also have a great appreciation for the artists of old, notably Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald. I recently discovered a soul, gospel singer named Mahalia Jackson, who's rendition of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" brought shivers down my spine. You can check out this live performance by Mahalia Jackson here. On my YouTube channel, I like learning challenging songs and singing covers of them. You can check out my channel here.
I also have a special connection with Irish music and culture. I am a big fan of the various Michael Flatley dance shows, my favorite being Riverdance with Jean Butler and Maria Pages. I also love the contemporary/traditional fusion music group Celtic Woman. I have a particular admiration for the fiddler in Celtic Woman, Mairead Nesbitt, who is one of my biggest musical inspirations. I have been to two live Celtic Woman shows, both in the beautiful Akron Civic Theater. My connection and love for Irish music is such that I consider it is a significant part of my history--that of my previous life. I believe that in my previous incarnation, I was an Irish musician, and the special connection I feel to Ireland in my current life is the lingering effect of the heritage of my past-life. I am so excited that I may be able to actually travel to Ireland for the first time this summer in 2015, while visiting a friend who is studying abroad.
My lighter hobbies include swimming, biking, reading, spending time with my friends, and reading science books. In high school, I was involved with the Science Olympiad team, and studied anatomy, astrophysics, optics, and many other scientific subjects at great length. As part of this team, I was able to compete at tournaments in Northeast Ohio, as well as the State tournament several times, at the Ohio State University. My involvement in the team also gave me the opportunity to read science books and study the various topics with people who had the same interests as me. Over the years, I have also developed a love for fantasy and teen fiction. My favorite book series is a tie between The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter followed by The Bartimaeus Trilogy. My favorites movies include The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and a variety of Hindi Bollywood films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Lagaan, and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. I have a particularly keen interest in Indian cuisine, and am competent in Indian cooking, myself. I also like listening to Bollywood music, my favorite soundtrack being from the Hindi movie Dil Se. My favorite soundtrack from a Hollywood film series is Harry Potter, particularly Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.
Who I am today is influenced by all of these things from my past. Now, as I complete my undergraduate education and move on from this chapter of my journey, I am left wondering at how fast it all happened. Even in the next month before graduation, I have so much I need to accomplish with so little time to achieve it. So in light of not wanting to reflect too much too early, I'm going to close off this living document with my Year in Review. I hope that these aspects of my character will help me succeed in my post-graduate endeavors and my life beyond.
To understand me, you must first understand the core definitions that make up my character. These basic definitions exist in my name--Sruthi Parvathy Sundaram.
Sruthi: This name has a dual meaning. It is one of the many names of the Hindu goddess, Parvathi. Its secondary meaning in the Tamil language is "pitch" or "tone". Sruthi, or "pitch" has had a great influence on my musical life. Having descended from a family of musicians on my mother's side, I have been trained heavily in music, from piano to the vocal arts. The first time I stepped on a stage and sang solo was when I was a mere four years old. Since then, I have performed piano, violin, and voice at various venues, including Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall, and have been involved in several musical theater productions, including Grease and Little Shop of Horrors with my high school, and two productions with Kent State University. My good sense of sruthi has also allowed me to pursue my passion in Indian classical vocal arts.
Throughout all my years of college, I strove to keep music in my life as much as I could. The UC College Conservatory of Music (CCM) was very gracious to allow me to become involved in its vocal arts department despite not being a music major. Through the voice department at CCM, I met Dr. Xi Wang. At the time, a DMA grad student in vocal performance, Xi took me on as a student my very first semester at UC. After a few weeks, she recommended me to the Choral department, and I was able to audition for Dr. Brett Scott and join the CCM Chamber Singers. I sang with the Chamber Singers for two semesters and then had the amazing opportunity to audition for CCM Chorale. With Chorale, I was able to sing contemporary works, premiere choral pieces, meet composers, and, in 2014, perform the John Adams piece, El Nino, a two-hour selection that involved a grand collaboration between CCM Chorale, CCM Chamber Choir, and CCM Philharmonia Orchestra. I had the opportunity with CCM Chorale to perform at some fabulous venues and record masterworks for CCM's various projects. I am so excited to close off this year with a concert in April 2015 focused on addressing the major issues with racism that still plagues our society today.
Late in the fall of 2012, my friend Neeraj came to me with an idea. He noticed there was no Bollywood-pop fusion a cappella group on campus and wanted to create the first one. I was immediately on board with his idea, and we gathered a few people who were interested. Initially, we were practicing in Neeraj's room with only a keyboard for assistance, but after our group became well known and we were able to attain status as an official competitive organization, we were able to expand our horizon. As the main composer for the group, I have over the years been able to channel my musical talents into a more creative vein, which has been a tremendous experience for me. In Spring 2015, I took on the job of co-president of the group and am so proud of where we have come. Early in 2015, we won 2nd place at the Metro/CWEST Talent Show and we also competed in the Quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Championships of A Cappella (ICCA), the biggest competitive opportunity we've ever had. I am proud to say for myself that I have done all I can to promote awareness and appreciation of the rich culture that Indian music brings.
Parvathy: Parvathy is the most recognized name of the same goddess my first name identifies, albeit with a slightly modified spelling. Its significance to me lies in my grandmother. Her name is also Parvathy, and I was named after her. From her, I discovered my love and passion for the Indian classical vocal arts. The South Indian form that I practice is called Carnatic vocal music. I have been learning Carnatic vocals since I was three years old, and my first stage performance was a showcase of this art at Cleveland State University when I was four years old. Since then, I have practiced this form, learning from some of the best teachers in India and America. Five years ago, I gave my debut recital at my grandfather's Sadha Abhishegam or "1000th full moon" festival, in India. Since then I have sung recitals in both India and the US. In September 2013, I had my Carnatic Vocal Arangetram. This was a solo vocal recital that was hosted by my father and teacher. The preparation for this recital was intensive, requiring two weeks of living with my teacher over the summer of 2013 and having daily training. The program was a huge success and an extremely educative experience for me. In Spring 2014, when I was planning to attend HOLI at UC, I heard from a friend of a friend that two great Hindustani classical musicians were coming to UC's campus to perform. I could not believe that Rajan and Sajan Misra, who I had heard so much on tape, but never live, were actually coming here, and I missed HOLI so I could go see their concert. At their concert, I discovered the brains behind the whole thing, SABHA. SABHA is an organization on campus dedicated to promoting Indian classical culture in our community. I immediately joined this organization and became the Secretary and external collaborator in the 2014-2015 school year. We are so excited to be hosting two performances this year, one by a renowned classical Indian flutist and another, by two South Indian classical dancers. Both of these events are coming up this month, and I am beyond excited!
Sundaram: This name has had a very different influence than my first and middle names, as my last name comes from my father, whereas the first two were from my mother. Sundaram is one of the names of Parvathi's consort, Shiva. He is a god who is "powerfully beautiful"--the literal definition of sundaram in Sanskrit. My father embodies Sundaram in many ways; he is handsome, strong, and very logical. I have inherited my love for the sciences from my father, and it is the influence of this name that has led me to pursue it as a career. In college, I pursued and am now completing my Biology degree, and am currently part of the Connections Dual Admissions program with University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine. After joining an organization on campus called GlobeMed, I realized that the true meaning of medicine is much more than curing people of ailments. It is about changing people's lives and in turn, the world. GlobeMed has taught me much about global health and I know that unless I gain a holistic view of medicine, I won't be respecting the value of the career. Consequently, I decided to change my education path slightly, and achieve a Masters in Public Health (MPH) before attending medical school. In my future, I see myself as a practicing physician, though as of now, I am not sure what type of physician I want to be. However, I do know that I will be traveling around the world, working with health and human rights related NGOs, and helping under-served populations. I look to Sundaram to be my guide as I attempt to achieve my goals.
As a child, my mother always played music in the house, and thus I was raised with it. At age four, I learned both western classical piano and Indian classical voice. I began studying Indian classical dance at age six, and then Western classical voice/opera at age nine. I then continued on to violin at age twelve, and studied all these musical forms until my junior year of high school, when I decided to focus on the two different vocal arts. I was fortunate to have learned all these musical arts from the best teachers in the various fields. Right now, apart from my Biology major, I am also studying western classical voice at the UC College Conservatory of Music. My main western classical music influences are the pianists Earl Wilde and Vladamir Horowitz, the violinist Itzhak Perlman, and the western classical vocalists Renee Flemming and Anna Moffo. In the non-classical realm, my modern favorite pop singer is Jessie J and I also greatly enjoy the hip-hop violin fusion music of Lindsey Stirling. My spirit-singer is Beyonce. Whenever people ask me about my vocal inspirations, I say that I love Jessie J because her songs are written about my life as it is now, and I love Beyonce because her songs reflect who I aspire to be. I also have a great appreciation for the artists of old, notably Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald. I recently discovered a soul, gospel singer named Mahalia Jackson, who's rendition of "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" brought shivers down my spine. You can check out this live performance by Mahalia Jackson here. On my YouTube channel, I like learning challenging songs and singing covers of them. You can check out my channel here.
I also have a special connection with Irish music and culture. I am a big fan of the various Michael Flatley dance shows, my favorite being Riverdance with Jean Butler and Maria Pages. I also love the contemporary/traditional fusion music group Celtic Woman. I have a particular admiration for the fiddler in Celtic Woman, Mairead Nesbitt, who is one of my biggest musical inspirations. I have been to two live Celtic Woman shows, both in the beautiful Akron Civic Theater. My connection and love for Irish music is such that I consider it is a significant part of my history--that of my previous life. I believe that in my previous incarnation, I was an Irish musician, and the special connection I feel to Ireland in my current life is the lingering effect of the heritage of my past-life. I am so excited that I may be able to actually travel to Ireland for the first time this summer in 2015, while visiting a friend who is studying abroad.
My lighter hobbies include swimming, biking, reading, spending time with my friends, and reading science books. In high school, I was involved with the Science Olympiad team, and studied anatomy, astrophysics, optics, and many other scientific subjects at great length. As part of this team, I was able to compete at tournaments in Northeast Ohio, as well as the State tournament several times, at the Ohio State University. My involvement in the team also gave me the opportunity to read science books and study the various topics with people who had the same interests as me. Over the years, I have also developed a love for fantasy and teen fiction. My favorite book series is a tie between The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter followed by The Bartimaeus Trilogy. My favorites movies include The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter and a variety of Hindi Bollywood films including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Lagaan, and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. I have a particularly keen interest in Indian cuisine, and am competent in Indian cooking, myself. I also like listening to Bollywood music, my favorite soundtrack being from the Hindi movie Dil Se. My favorite soundtrack from a Hollywood film series is Harry Potter, particularly Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II.
Who I am today is influenced by all of these things from my past. Now, as I complete my undergraduate education and move on from this chapter of my journey, I am left wondering at how fast it all happened. Even in the next month before graduation, I have so much I need to accomplish with so little time to achieve it. So in light of not wanting to reflect too much too early, I'm going to close off this living document with my Year in Review. I hope that these aspects of my character will help me succeed in my post-graduate endeavors and my life beyond.