We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Upasak Mukherjee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Upasak, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Some of my most beautiful musical moments have been in the New England Conservatory while being involved in week-long marathons of shows, workshops and collaborations with the Silk Road Ensemble. Tabla, Guzheng, Duduk, Pipa, Kamancheh, Oud, Tar, Sitar, Cello, Harp- These are some of the instruments that graced the stage in each performance. The fact that all these instruments are very literally from diametrically opposite parts of the world and the repertoire is also that diverse and draws from the roots of many musical backgrounds is mind bending. It really changed my perspectives on how powerful music is and what it can do to bring people together. Without realising it, I have also been doing the same with my own music. Of course, the influence of my Guruji, Grammy nominated Pt. Subhen Chatterjee had opened me up to modern compositional and arrangement choices from a very young age while being mindful about preserving the traditions. My own music includes musicians from many parts of the world, like Chile, Greece, Singapore, Switzerland, Japan, Poland etc all coming together. I create rhythmic arrangements based off of my knowledge of Indian rhythmic structures and then let these musicians bring in their own flavour and culture into these compositions. It makes me so grateful that my very own feature in Berklee’s YouTube channel has received so much love and recognition from not just my peers, but also many blogs and media outlets across the globe. I have been featured for this music in many festivals and shows in several locations in the US and Spain. Other than this, my academic compositions include orchestral arrangements, which I use for scoring films and this has been my latest muse.

Upasak, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Coming from the background of traditional Indian Classical Music and then venturing into the world of Film scoring and Production, the extent of my skills is quite vast, varied and interesting. When it comes to performance, I have been blessed to perform and collaborate with many amazing artists like Grammy winning, John Paterno, Mike Block, Silk Road Ensemble, Grammy nominated Berklee Indian Ensemble, Edward Perez, Patrice Rushen, Christylez Bacon, etc to name just a few. At the moment, I perform my own music with a band called Pickpockets, which includes rhythmic compositions incorporating different styles from around the globe. The newer upcoming works with this band will also be incorporating this style to more melodic and harmonic instruments. I also play in a number of bands in Berklee exploring Latin music and other fusion styles. Having completed my music technology minor from Berklee’s Valencia campus, I have had the good opportunity to record and produce a single for my friend Amanda Mena, the Star of Voice and Golden Buzzer contestant of America’s Got Talent. Also, I am currently working on my composition, orchestration and film scoring chops by working on several projects in and outside of Berklee. To add to this, I have also been taking classes for scoring for Video Games and it is slowly occupying a big chunk of my work as well. At this stage of my life, I am exploring everything I can and keeping my curiosity alive. As long as I get to keep composing, arranging, producing and performing, I am happy.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Having born and brought up in a typical Indian family, the core values when it comes to career choices are usually very traditional. Even though, from a very young age, I was pretty convinced that I want to be a musician, I was made to choose a “high paying” profession and complete a degree even though it did not quite resonate with me. After having gone through most of my dental school experience, I realised that I need to have a stronger stance and make a switch that is more genuine to my self. By the time I was left with a few months, I had started researching music schools, and had discovered Berklee. After completing the dentistry course, I worked really hard for about a year and a half and auditioned to get into Berklee with Guitar as my primary instrument and got accepted. This phase of my life helped me build the discipline and conviction that proves to be invaluable in my current life. Of course, I learnt not to let societal norms and opinions of others dictate my life choices, but also, because of this particular detour, I gained a lot of insight about myself, which proves so valuable in my daily life at the moment.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Some books that have literally changed my life are “The Power Of Now,” “Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” “Atomic Habits,” etc. These books have such basic insights into life that I think everyone should read them at least once in life. Also, “Yes Theory” has had an obvious impact on my life. I already lived by most of their principles, but knowing communities like these exists in the world that bring people together through the collective act of seeking discomfort is in a very ironic way, comforting. Also, works by Alain de Botton in “School of Life” has been a big resource for me and appreciating imperfections is definitely a big part of how I live well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/upasakmukherjee?fbclid=PAAab0pxjgyRipXD_sAxZfdWUou5HKgSxLwGBU17jdsyP0ep6-QhrQy2A8xXA_aem_AR-hzIPKraZcacJei0d7Ka9e_krbmT0QOsUg1CEUE-fJ8_URhf2vlaeFyiJAofA0EpA
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/upashock.wav?igshid=OGQ5ZDc2ODk2ZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/upasak-mukherjee-661a55146
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@upasakmukherjee8986?si=SiIbZnN05wJwSiGf